What is your idea of the Perfect Utility Room?

In designing your dream Utility Room, what are some must-haves and must-nots?? Here are some inspirational ideas and tips to keep in mind when modeling a Utility Room.

1. Folding Station

A folding station is a must when designing a utility room. There are so many different styles to choose from and it varies on the amount of space and the look you’re trying to create. For the DIYers, hang a door from the wall like in the picture above and wallah! You have a unique, creative, and space saving folding station.

If the DIY look isn’t for you, you can always add a counter to the top of your washer for an easy accessible folding station. You can pull the clothes out of the dryer and fold them right there instead of letting them sit in a laundry basket for a week and a half! This way is also utilizing the small amount of space you usually have to work with, and will work in any utility room where the washer and dryer sit next to each other.

2. Functional Storage

Maximizing the amount of storage is important in every room in the house, but especially the laundry room. It’s easy to leave your baskets of clothes laying out, or dirty clothes on the floor (Yes, we’re all guilty of it). These pull out drawers with the laundry baskets inside are the perfect way to maintain an organized space. Not to mention, they’re super trendy! Also perfect for hiding the mess when you’re in a hurry to clean up before your guests arrive ;).

Adding some type of shelving is a have-to in your utility room. Whether it’s hung on the wall or in a nook like the picture shown, every one needs one. These little cubby holes are cute, simple, and super functional. Not to mention adding the counter on top of them to take advantage of even more SPACE!

3. Utility Sink

Sinks can definitely be useful in a laundry room, but they aren’t a “must-have” item in order to create a fully functioning room. If you have the space, and it’s in the budget, why not go ahead and add one? There are endless options to choose from as well.

If you have pets or live near a beach, a tiled “mini” shower may be more practical for you than an actual sink. Easy and more accessible to get your dog in and out of, and an effective way to rinse ones sandy or muddy feet off before traipsing through the house.

Using an old washtub is a cute and popular sink if you’re going for the rustic look in your utility room.

If you’re trying to remain budget friendly, just find a standard utility sink and dress it up with a curtain around the bottom to create a trendy look and to keep your storage underneath out of sight. This small transformation can change the whole look of your room!

4. How to Decorate

Available counter and wall space will be limited when dealing with a utility room, but finding room for fresh flowers and a couple of wall hangings to make the room pop will make you fall in love with your utility room even more. You don’t need to plan your room around decorations, just find a couple of small things to set it off.

Adding a sliding barn wood door to your room and dressing it with a fancy chandelier give it the perfect rustic-chic look!

An old ladder attached to the ceiling is another budget friendly, effective, and super cute way to give your laundry room the perfect look. Hang it in front of a window so when you hang your clothes to dry it gives them that extra fresh smell!

These small wooden signs are popular decor for the laundry room. They are functional too! Easy to DIY, and won’t take up too much space.

5. For the Pets

You’ve already seen the mini shower that is serviceable to dogs, but how about these cozy spaces? Our four-legged friends are always an equal part of our family, so it’s only fair that they have their own “me” space as well ;). Simply remove a lower cabinet area and add a pet bed to it. Or for those who aren’t as trust worthy, you can turn it into a kenneled area even. Turn it into a space that your pooch will love too!

6. Working with a Small Space

So you don’t have a lot of space for your laundry room? No problem! Add a fresh coat of paint and some shelves and you’ll have an adorable, yet still functional room. These options only take up one wall, leaving you with plenty of extra space.

7. Color Schemes

You always want to go with a clean, fresh look for a laundry room. I mean, it is where a lot of the cleaning and freshness in your home comes from! What colors come to mind when you think of clean or fresh? Blues, greens, yellows, and white. Those are always safe choices when painting your utility room.

8. Types of Flooring

Tile? Hardwood? Painted concrete?

Tile is clearly the most favored flooring in a laundry room. There’s a large variety to choose from. Between size, color, design, the options are endless.

Another trending design is hardwood floors. Obviously this circles back to the look you’re wanting, but if you are going for more of a rustic look, hardwood floors would be perfect!

Don’t rule out your chance of having a cute utility room if yours is located in the basement. Simply spice it up with a coat of paint on the floor!

9. Unique Organization

This is where you can really make all of your creative dreams come true. There are SO many ways to organize a utility room that will make your OCD peak with happiness.

Get a slide out card to store between your washer and dryer. Install a fold out ironing board in your cabinet to utilize more space.

If you make your own laundry soap, store it in a large drink dispenser! Not only is this super cute, its easy to store on a shelf and completely functional at the same time.

Again, for the DIY lover: glue a magnet to the side of your utility sink to hang your paint brushes from so you don’t have to worry about the left over color staining or making a mess on your counter or sink.

Last but not least, here are a couple ideas of putting your space to use to benefit the pooches. Using a pull out trash can to store dog food is mess-free and just plain genius!

10. Inspirational Pictures

For even more laundry room inspiration, follow our “Utility Rooms” board on Pinterest!