Clever places to squeeze your washing machine and dryer

Contemporary Laundry by J M Interiors
Author: Charlotte Duckworth

Did you know we spend on average five months of our life doing laundry? It’s not the most glamorous of chores, but having a dedicated utility space makes the whole process more efficient and pleasurable.

Some homeowners are lucky enough to have a separate utility room, but if you don’t, you can still create a workable solution by making the most of otherwise wasted areas. Check out these clever ideas for adding a hard-working utility space to your home and take control of your laundry.

1. Mark off one wall
Consider dedicating a whole corner of your kitchen to laundry. In the image above, the washing machine and tumble dryer are stacked on top of one another, with space above for detergents and cleaning supplies.

The bespoke doors mean everything can be concealed at the end of the day, blending in with the rest of the kitchen scheme.

2. Consider a cupboard
No space is too small if you plan it carefully. This cupboard squeezes in a washing machine, tumble dryer and shelving to create the ultimate bijou utility area. It would work really well in a hallway.

Discover more laundry ideas in our photo gallery

3. Exploit the space under your stairs
Too often, the under-stairs space in our homes is simply walled up and turned into a cupboard that’s difficult to access and becomes a dark dumping ground. Being more creative with the space and squeezing in a couple of appliances is the perfect way to incorporate your laundry equipment. This design also has a warm spot for the cat to sleep!

Other uses for the space under your stairs

4. Build it into your bathroom
Bathrooms are obvious choices for utility areas – the plumbing is already in place, and the room is naturally ‘wet’.

If you have the budget, you could even have bespoke cabinets built to keep ugly machines out of sight, while also giving your bathroom a luxurious feel.

Browse thousands of stylish bathrooms

5. Be creative with awkward corners
Those living in period properties or conversions often have nooks and crannies between rooms that make the perfect place for a utility zone. In this compact area, the designer has cleverly fitted in space for a washing machine and dryer, stacked vertically.

6. Double up a dressing room
If you have a dressing area, make it work extra hard by incorporating your laundry space into it. This way, clothes won’t have far to travel from laundry basket to washing machine to ironing board and back into your wardrobe.

Fresh ideas for your clothes line

7. Move it underground
If you’re lucky enough to have a basement or cellar, it can make a good location for a utility room, tucked away out of sight of visitors.

It’s also the perfect place to stash your ironing board and iron, giving you an efficient laundry workspace all in one area.

See how homeowners use their basement

8. Use your side return
If you own a period property and are thinking of extending into your side return, this is a great place in which to hide away a utility area. And it wouldn’t have to be exclusively for laundry: with a long wall like this, you could incorporate cupboards for cleaning equipment and an extensive overflow fridge-freezer as well.

9. Go into the garage
Even if (unlike many homeowners) you actually use your garage to store the car, you might still be able to fit in a practical, usable area along one wall.

At the same time, consider installing durable, wipe-clean flooring and giving the walls a plaster and a lick of paint to turn your garage into the hardest working room in your home.