I'd love a utility room but my home is too small. Here's my solution

Former Home of the Year winner Jennifer Sheahan finds creative ways to get more out of the tiniest spaces

If space allows, it could be an option to put utility room appliances in the bathroom, says Jennifer Sheahan. File picture

Should you have a separate utility room? Well yes, that would be amazing. 

The thought of a whole room for hanging out our drying undies is a luxurious dream that we all long for. 

If you’re in the planning stages of a new home or a renovation then absolutely plan in a separate utility room because they are fantastic. 

Unfortunately, many of us don’t have space for such fripperies, yet we still need a utility's functionality — so we must get creative and find ways to work the benefits of the utility room throughout the rest of the house.

FUNCTION

So, what is a utility, anyway?

As always, the first step is to define what you will use the space for. What do utility rooms provide that you need? 

For me that comprises laundry and its associated paraphernalia, somewhere to hang wet or mucky gear, storing cleaning products, and washing doggie paws after mucky walks.

LAUNDRY

Finding somewhere to house a washing machine is not the hard part here. A washer (and dryer if needed or a good combi) will fit in a well-planned kitchen if needed — this is where I have mine. The kitchen is the obvious choice as the appliance must be plumbed and there is plumbing in the kitchen. 

The downside is noise, and I recommend choosing a quiet machine or adding soundproofing lining to your cabinet if you think this may be an issue. Nothing worse than an over-enthusiastic spin cycle drowning out the latest Bridgerton gossip. 

A less obvious choice in Ireland, but one that is very popular on the continent, is to put these appliances in the bathroom — a great option if you have the space. 

A third — and my favourite — choice is to put these appliances under the stairs, should plumbing allow it.

Appliances are easy; the harder part is finding somewhere to hang drying clothes. 

This will need to be a well-ventilated, warm, dry area — around a heat source such as a radiator is ideal. You could install a ceiling-mounted pulley rack (the most popular brand is Sheila Maid) above a radiator, which can be raised out of sight when not in use. 

'Drying laundry is hidden in my hot press behind these wardrobe doors,' says Jennifer.

You could also build a custom cupboard with internal clothes rails if you would like the clothes to be fully out of sight. In my home, I installed retractable clotheslines in my hot press, above my boiler, which makes for satisfyingly speedy drying. 

If you’re very low on space or you don’t hang up clothes to dry often, a great idea is to install retractable clotheslines over a bath or a shower — they’re almost invisible when put away.

MUCK

With the best will in the world, the cleanest among us will arrive home dripping wet far too often in this country. In small homes, I always recommend a mat outside the front door and patterned tiles with dark grout in the entranceway to clean shoes and hide any remaining dirt. 

I also recommend having a tray or a stylish interior mat to lay under your coat hooks to hold mucky shoes and to catch any drips falling from wet outerwear.

STORAGE

What else is a utility for if not for housing rarely used sporting gear — rusting tennis racquets and gym bags that mock us for under-utilising them? You’ll likely also need to store laundry detergent, cleaning solutions, pet food, leashes and collars, vacuum cleaners, mops, brushes, and pans.

Built-in storage throughout the house helps when you don't have a separate utility room. File picture

In my home, these are dotted all over the house. I don't have a purpose-built utility room; instead I have built-in storage everywhere. Under the sink is a caddy for laundry detergents, household cleaners, sponges and cloths. 

In each bathroom is an alcove cabinet built into the walls above the toilets for bathroom cleaners, toilet tissue, and tile scrubbers. In my kitchen is a slim cabinet for pet food, leashes, and dog toys. 

Jennifer stashes cleaning equipment under her ottoman bench. Picture: Moya Nolan

Under my banquette dining bench is my vacuum cleaner, extendable sweeping brush and pan, screwdrivers and drills and spare paint pots for touchups. And under my ottoman bed lies a plethora of sporting equipment that speaks more to my ambition than to any real-life capabilities.

PETS 

Above anything else, the one item that makes me desperately long for a utility room is a dog shower. I adore them. Beautiful little half-height showers tiled in playful colours and decorated with little paw prints. 

Alas, I have no space but no matter — I’m lucky that my dog adores playing with the garden hose and so is easy to clean. If yours isn’t, I recommend installing a separate shower hose in a shower or bath and a wall hook to clip a leash onto should your dog try to escape the suds. 

Perry shares Jennifer's home.

It’s also a good idea to have a microfiber pet towel hanging near your front door to get the worst of it off before it’s tracked throughout the rest of your home. I have a cute pet grooming glove from Eco Mutt hanging inside my front door and it has saved my floors more times than I can count!

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