...that scrub up well. Our guide to a perfectly organised space

Nothing says ‘proper grown-up home’ like a well-organised utility. Corral yours into shape by investing in smart storage and conquering that laundry mountain

There’s nothing terribly glamorous about most utility rooms, even the name is about as sexy as Trump’s combover. However, they are, essentially, your home’s engine room; the last resting place of the boiler, mop, ironing board and laundry appliances. Not forgetting the wellies and waterproofs, bulk-buy Costco goodies and huge pile of paint tester pots. In reality, you probably spend a lot more time in the utility room than you think, or would ideally like. As such, they deserve more attention on the decorative front, so go ahead and put a utility room revamp onto your projects list for 2020.

If you’re not already proud owners of a separate utility room, there are still plenty of ways to carve out a similar space away from your kitchen. The understairs cupboard is a particular favourite – height permitting – just add bi-fold doors to hide it all away. Alternatively, consider partitioning off a portion of the garage or insulating a garden shed near the house (make sure plumbing pipes are protected from frost if you want your washing machine to stay working).

The best news about tarting up your utility, whatever form it takes, is it doesn’t have to sink your budget. Nobody is expecting wallet-bleeding encaustic tiles or £100-a-roll designer wallpaper. Truthfully, unless you have Trump’s bank balance, you’ll look (and feel) a bit stupid for wasting big spends in there. Vinyl flooring is perfectly practical, and now comes in some lush patterns that are easy on the eye. Ditto laminate worktops. Get creative on the walls (maybe put those tester pots to use) and hit up

Ikea for some suitably utilitarian looking storage – try seagrass or rattan boxes in a Kallax shelf unit.

Talking of utilitarian looks, the ‘country manor boot room’ vibe is super popular in utility rooms right now, and with good reason. It’s rugged, rustic and not too precious but also looks properly grown-up, like it belongs to someone who understands the importance of separating their whites! For a more modern feel, go for a sleek run of fitted units – in a similar but cheaper style to those in your kitchen perhaps – and add a colourful picture gallery to cheer things up.

Whatever your utility style, a sink will prove useful, and usually quite easy to add since the washing machine will already have plumbing and drainage in place. As will a surface for folding laundry straight out of the drier.

With some vigorous shaking and a bit of luck, you’ll swerve the ironing pile altogether.