How to Create the Ultimate Utility Room

From practical storage to state-of-the-art appliances, your laundry area can be a beautiful and effortlessly efficient space to work in.

It may be one of the smallest rooms of the home, but your utility area can be a pleasure and a joy to work in. Whether it’s for washing and drying laundry only or a space that doubles as somewhere to rinse muddy boots, trim flowers, store cleaning products and maybe even provide a boot room at the same time, there are plenty of ways to give this area the care and attention it deserves.

This space is the workhorse of the house. You may be popping a load of laundry on every day, especially if you have school uniforms and sports kits that need a speedy turnaround. And no matter how much or how often you wash, you also want to make sure it’s dry – even on a rainy day. This is where choosing the very best appliances for the job comes in. When installing within cabinetry, Miele recommends using an MTS plinth mounting kit to secure against slippage, as shown in this beautiful space featuring the W1 washing machine and T1 tumble dryer set within Planet Furniture hand painted cabinetry.

Photographer – William Joe (External Link)

Whether it’s really compact or roomy and spacious, there are plenty of design tricks and interior solutions to give the utility room wow factor at the same time. Take this nicely neutral setting from Becks of The House Build. Cabinetry is painted in Farrow and Ball Cornforth White while tiles are from Ca’ Pietra. This upstairs utility room features Miele’s A rated W1TwinDos washing machine and energy efficient T1 heat pump dryer with SteamFinish. Creating a utility room on the same level as the bedrooms makes it much easier to pop a wash on then put clothes and linens away afterwards.

Photographer – Tia Talula

Another upstairs utility can be found in No.17 House, where cabinetry from Neptune is painted in a soothing sage with a tall floor-to-ceiling cupboard concealing a stacked Miele W1 TwinDos washing machine and T1 heat pump dryer from view.

Utility rooms tend to be sited off the kitchen in most homes so decide if you want to continue the same cabinetry style and colour from the kitchen into this multifunctional room. It can be a great way to create a seamless look with a difference by choosing the same furniture for both rooms but in a contrasting colour or finish for the utility. Another idea is to save on an expensive worksurface by having that luxurious marble in the kitchen and a more affordable quartz or laminate in the laundry room instead. This design from Hege Morris combines simple plywood doors with a concrete-look worktop with easy access to Miele’s energy efficient WED325 WCS washing machine and TCA220 WP heat pump tumble dryer.

By investing in Miele appliances, you can rest assured that they are going to last. No more breakdowns after only a few years or having to rush out or head online for a distress purchase, contributing to unnecessary landfill in the process. All Miele washing machines and tumble dryers are tested for 20 years of perfect laundry care and they’re extremely energy efficient. All TwinDos washing machines have an A rating for energy efficiency while all Miele tumble dryers are heat pump models, which are not only better for the environment but they are also much cheaper to run at around £100 a year compared to around £400 per year for an old vented or condenser design. Bake Off judge, chef, restaurateur and broadcaster Dame Prue Leith chose Miele’s W1 and T1 models for her utility room (along with Miele appliances for her sunshine yellow kitchen) so if they’re good enough for a Dame…

Photographer – Paul Craig

Heat pump dryers can also be installed anywhere, so it doesn’t matter if your utility room doesn’t have an exterior door or window. They also run at a lower temperature than other types of dryer, so they put less thermal strain on fabrics while drying, which in turn helps clothes and linens keep their shape and last longer. The steam finish is another bonus, reducing the time spent on ironing and who wouldn’t want that? Check out this previously unused and unloved space, which has been transformed by Tom Howley into a functional bootility complete with W1 washer and T1 dryer to free up space in the rest of the kitchen.

In any utility room you’ll need enough storage for all those cleaning products, mops and brushes, washing liquids and detergents as well as maybe the iron and ironing board too. As well as appliances, Miele also offers individual specialist detergents such as silk, woolcare and reproofing to take the very best care of all your clothing and fabrics. This CapDosing range is made from 100% recycled materials and can be recycled after use. Along with plenty of storage, you can also personalise your laundry space with some striking wallpaper, soft and task lighting, a standout sink and tap, as shown in this design by Laura Butler Madden.

Photographer – Patrick Butler-Madden

Even the tiniest of spaces can work hard if you choose the right appliances. Miele washing machines take great care of your clothes thanks to their special honeycomb drum that prevents snagging, specialist programmes such as delicates, wool, silks, shirts, darks and denim, proofing, outerwear and sportswear. Pictured below, we are incredibly proud that Humphrey Munson always recommends Miele laundry appliances.

For some homeowners, Miele laundry appliances are so good, they have four! In this design by Chiselwood Kitchens, there are two W1 washing machines and two T1 dryers. Perfect for large families, Miele TwinDos automatically dispenses the right amount of detergent at the appropriate time, saving up to 30% of detergent and what’s more, the cartridges can be recycled afterwards.