I'm so glad we added these practical details in our utility room reno – they're everyday upgrades that have made laundry far more manageable
These genius fixes make our new laundry room work smarter
When we were thinking of remodelling our utility room, I was determined that it wouldn't just look better, but it had to work properly for us as a family of four.
Our utility room is quite possibly one of the hardest-working rooms in our house, and for a long time, it was a bit of an afterthought, so we planned every addition around how we actually do laundry as a family, not how the utility room idea looks (although that was important too).
1. A pull-out shelf between the washing machine and dryer
I'll start with the addition I didn't realise we'd use constantly: a pull-out shelf between the washing machine and the dryer. It slides out when needed and disappears again afterwards, which is ideal in a compact space.
It's become the perfect spot for sorting wet laundry, parking baskets mid-load, and folding small items straight from the dryer and also for housing the HoldAll collapsible laundry basket, £35, from Joseph Joseph, which folds completely flat when the shelf isn't in use.
2. Pull out laundry baskets for each family member
Instead of multiple laundry baskets sitting out on surfaces, we built individual pull-out shelves with these baskets, £14.69 from URBNLIVING at Amazon, that can be lifted off easily for each family member, which tuck away neatly in a cupboard. Clean washing is now sorted as it goes in, which makes wash days quicker and far less chaotic.
It's also made clothes easier to put away as everyone has their own basket, so clean washing makes it back to the right rooms. It's a small tweak, but it's paid off hugely.
3. A large sorting laundry basket
Alongside the built-in storage, we added the large Tota Trio 90L laundry separation basket, £200, which has become one of the most-used items in the room. It's brilliant for quick sorting dirty laundry into lights, darks and colours and carrying laundry down from upstairs with the inner fabric baskets which come with handles. We love the Tota so much, we wrote an article on it.
It's sturdy, well-designed and actually nice to look at, which is exactly what you want from something on show.
4. A pull-out cupboard for washing products
All detergents, stain removers and laundry extras now live in a pull-out cupboard right beside the washing machine rather than scattered across shelves or tucked behind doors.
Everything is visible at a glance, easy to reach and store upright, so there's no more knocking bottles over or accidentally buying duplicates. It's a seriously practical upgrade that makes day-to-day laundry faff feel smoother.
You can fake this in your own cupboards by buying pull-out organisers like these two-tier pull-outs, £20.99 from Amazon.
5. A retractable washing line for indoor drying
To keep drying contained to one space, we added a stylish little brass retractable washing line, £14.99 at Amazon, that tucks neatly away when not in use. It's ideal for delicates, school uniforms and anything that isn't suitable for the inside of the tumble dryer.
Because it pulls out only when needed, the room never feels cluttered, and I no longer have laundry draped over radiators everywhere else in the house. It's also set up in a good spot to place one of the best dehumidifiers to help speed up the drying process.
6. A laundry chute
Yes, added a laundry chute, and no, I haven't stopped enjoying it. Dirty clothes from the bathroom go straight from upstairs into the utility room, which means no endless piles to carry down.
It feels like a luxury, but in practice, it's just so practical. If you are doing even a small utility room remodel and have the chance to include one, I'd definitely recommend it.
7. One floor-to-ceiling cupboard for all the awkward essentials
My last but by no means least practical addition is a single tall cupboard dedicated to all the bulky, awkward bits, like our heated clothes airer, ironing board, iron and steamers, vacuum and mop.
Having these stored neatly in one place has made the whole space feel more organised, rather than like a dumping ground for whatever doesn't fit elsewhere. Just throw them all in and shut the door. Job done.
If you're not as lucky as we are to have a cupboard for your ironing board, a good trick is to invest in the Joseph Joseph IronHub storage caddy, £25 is a clever piece of kit to mount on a wall.
None of these small utility room ideas are overly flashy (well, bar the laundry chute), but together they've completely changed how our utility functions. Everything has a place, nothing feels forgotten, and doing laundry definitely feels far less of a chore (well, sort of!)
What do you think of my laundry room additions?
