IN A SMALL SPACE
If you aren’t blessed with a lot of space, create a utility room in a nook, a cupboard or, with some clever planning, in your bathroom. Stacking appliances is a great way to save space, while a combined washer dryer means you only have to house one appliance rather than two.
• Open shelving, rather than closed cupboards, will make the area feel less closed in, giving the illusion of more room.
• If you don’t have the space to assemble an ironing board, look for a smaller one that attaches to the wall, pull out from a drawer, or hang over the back of a door. You can also buy ironing pads that sit on top of worksurfaces or your washing machine, which you can put away neatly once finished.
• If your utility room is, in reality, an alcove in a main room, consider cordoning it off with a blind or curtain.
1 OUT OF SIGHT
Keep the clutter at bay with built-in cupboard units for a neat and tidy laundry room. Multiple units can hide your washing machine and dryer as well as laundry bins and cleaning products. Sisal Linen Titanium flooring, from £45/sq m, Kersaint Cobb
2 OFF THE WALL
If you’re short of storage, a permanent wall-mounted airer is the ideal solution. Paint it in a contrasting colour for a stylish option. Extending clothes drier in Charcoal, £145, Garden Trading
3 CUPBOARD LOVE
A pantry or coat cupboard can be the perfect space to house a washing machine and dryer. Stack them one on top of the other to free up floor space and, if there’s room, slot the ironing board down the side. Chichester full-height larder, from £1,855; Ashcroft soft square basket, £50; both Neptune
4 CUSTOM MADE
Create your own zone with a bespoke built-in unit. Incorporate drawers and shelves to make the most of the limited space, with laundry bins mounted off the floor. Install hooks to hang clothes that are ready to be ironed and rig up a curtain for a truly streamlined space.