If you're seeking modern utility room ideas you're in the right place. We've rounded up 10 ideas that are clean, fresh, functional and forward thinking
Modern utility room ideas can be about form and function(Image credit: Ca'Pietra)
Modern utility room ideas aren't just about picking contemporary cupboard doors and hoping for the best. While the style and design of utility rooms should be in keeping with the rest of the home - meaning if your style is more modern then you should of course follow suit – it's also about using more modern accessories, approaches and appliances to suit your needs.
In busy family utility rooms, having your washer and dryer within easy reach may be your key priority. In homes where dog walks form a major part of your day, you may need a modern approach to keeping muddy paws away from the rest of your home.
Either way, modern utility room ideas are a valuable addition to most self-build projects and here's how you can create one that suits your own needs.
Modern utility room ideas: A growing trend
"We’ve seen a design resurgence in utility rooms in the last few years," says Nadine Chadwick, marketing manager at Nolte Kitchens UK. "People are at home more than ever, which has meant utility rooms have gone from a traditionally functional space for laundry to more of a multi-functional space.
As a result, "modern utility rooms are longed-for spaces in any contemporary home," says Nadine and perform the same function as any style of utility room. "Offering a combination of style and practicality, modern utility room ideas offer additional space for homeowners to tackle laundry, hide away appliances, and store items from cleaning products to pet accessories and food."
Nadine Chadwick
Nadine Rowley is Marketing Manager at Nolte Kitchens UK, working across retail, contracts and B2B business divisions giving her an in-depth insight into all the elements involved in creating the perfect kitchen or utility room.
1. Choose a galley style layout with simple white doors
White doors and a galley style layout keep your utlity space clean and simple(Image credit: Nolte Kitchens)
Narrow utility room ideas can often lend themselves well to a more modern approach when it comes to their design. Getting the most out of your space can mean switching the standard worktop, base units and wall cabinets to something more functional.
"Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry will allow you to stack appliances, maximising your space and making it more comfortable for household chores," says Nadine Chadwick. "No more bending down to empty the washing machine is always a bonus, and opting for a simple door front with anti-fingerprint properties will allow you to keep your space looking on-trend and nice year after year."
2. Treat your four legged friend to a stylish spa
Dog showers are a modern addition to utility rooms and one well worth having(Image credit: Ca'Pietra)
Think of a dog shower and you could easily be forgiven for assuming it means a battered metal trough sitting somewhere outside, with a forlorn garden hose connected to a cold-water tap.
The fact is, you couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to dog showers in modern utility room ideas. They're instagram worthy and if I had one I'd also be tempted to use it for muddy kids.
Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca’ Pietra, explains:
“A dog shower isn’t a regular human shower that moonlights as a place to wash your family pet, but a dedicated, canine-sized bathing area worth of a five-star dog spa. It needs to feature the latest shower head, easy access and beautiful and stylish tiles.
“Tiling a shower is of course also a practical way of ensuring your walls stay dry should your pooch decide to give a shake or two," she adds. "For a sleek, modern approach, consider using an off white brick tile and rather than lay them in the traditional horizontal format, lay them vertically for an on-trend look.”
Grazzie Wilson
Grazzie has worked in the interiors industry for more than a decade. At Ca’ Pietra, one of the UK’s leading stone and tile brands, she heads up creative, overseeing product collections as well as the company’s distinctive brand, look and feel.
3. Hide your appliances away for a cleaner aesthetic
Hiding your appliances in cupboards helps to create a more minimalist feel(Image credit: Howdens)
Hiding appliances and clutter away makes for more streamlined modern utility room ideas – regardless of the style of your fixtures and fittings. If shaker kitchen ideas are your preference, carry this concept into your utility room. The clean and simple lines of the cabinets work equally as well in a more contemporary space as they do in a traditional cottage.
Keep your colour palette simple and light, opt for floating shelves and make sure you've got plenty of cupboards to keep the mess at bay.
4. Choose fold away pocket doors to free up floor space
A bank of cupboards with pocket doors makes a great laundry zone(Image credit: Symphony)
When these folding pocket doors are closed, you'd easily be forgiven for thinking they housed anything other than a utility and laundry unit. And while there's plenty of floor space in this scheme, they'd be a great solution for small utility room ideas where there's less room to move around.
When it comes to laundry, there's no doubt that the biggest items in the kitchen are the washing machine or tumble dryer. This solution from Symphony Kitchens provides a clever utility area for when laundry is finished; it can be hung to dry/ready for ironing behind the folding doors.
You could even consider popping in one of the best dehumidifiers for drying laundry if space allowed and your laundry days would suddenly seem a breeze.
5. Or pick roller doors as a way of creating more workspace
Roller doors will help free up worktop space (Image credit: Nolte Kitchens)
If you're struggling to find a solution that balances worktop space with cupboard space you may be considering ditching the wall units to avoid having doors that open outwards.
It's understandable, after all, who hasn't fallen foul to banging their head on an open door. Either way, for modern utility room ideas there's a solution – roller doors that slide up and down as opposed to opening inwards and outwards.
As well as giving you the option for plenty of utility storage ideas and an easy way to hide away clutter, you can still access the worktop space when they're opened. Make sure your bottom shelf is quite high and you'll have ample room to work.
6. Pick a colour that's on trend for a fresh and modern feel
Pink's on trend and shows no sign of leaving the house(Image credit: Armac Martin)
Who said utility rooms can't be pretty? If you're going to spend your time in them doing mundane chores, you just as well make them look as stylish as the rest of your home.
So, if the Barbiecore trend from last year made its way into your home, feel free to carry it through into your utility room. While the bright pink of last year has finally abated, being replaced by softer and more subtle shades of pink, it's still a great solution for modern utility room ideas.
Another feature of this design that we love? The clearly labelled laundry dividers with easy to access chutes leaving no excuse for clothes to stay on the floor.
7. Add a large modern picture window and colour drench with sunny yellow paint
Sunshine yellow and natural light is guaranteed to make you smile(Image credit: Ca'Pietra)
Put a spring into your step by adding some modern architectural features to your utility room design and put natural light as one of the top items on your utility room lighting ideas.
Fulfill your goal with the addition of a large picture window - perfect if like many utility rooms it's located at the back of the house and overlooks your garden. Colour drench with a sunshine bright yellow paint and top with LED spotlights for a bright and modern feel.
We also love the herringbone laid brick effect floor tiles which add an industrial feel and a practical flooring finish in this bootility room where footfall is likely to be high - but certainly not dry.
8. Create a modern laundry zone even if you don't have a separate utility room
A laundry zone can work if your floor plan is more open(Image credit: Quiet Mark/Miele)
Open plan living has dominated home design for a number of years, but this can seem problematic when you're trying to combine practical spaces with more design or relaxation led zones.
The trick is often to combine some element of broken plan living instead, which can help to more subtly segregate areas instead of creating separate rooms.
"Opting for a dividing wall, instead of a door is becoming more and more common," says Nadine Chadwick. "Users want to maintain open-plan living through-out their home, but want the privacy to hide their mess from visitors."
Choosing more design focused utility room shelving ideas and simple clean cabinets help transform this laundry zone into something more stylish than your standard utility, meaning it falls firmly into the category of modern utility room ideas.
9. Add character to your modern utility room ideas with bold wallpaper designs
Inject character into your utility with a fun wallpaper design(Image credit: johnny Greig/Getty Images)
If as part of your home renovations you've found yourself some spare wallpaper and paint to hand, turn a bland and boring utility room into something more fun.
Paper one feature wall then add a dash of dopamine decor with some boldly coloured green paint. Switch the handles of your grey cupboard doors to a bright and breezy shade of yellow and make a homemade laundry rail from some left over wardrobe rails and suspend it from the ceiling.
We'd have even gone as far as to paint the wooden worktop - but then that's probably why we work on Homebuilding & Renovating - every surface is an opportunity for some new style.
10. Add fluted glass folding doors to hide your appliance area
Fluted glass is on trend and provides a good cover to utility areas(Image credit: Suchada Tansirimus/Getty Images)
If you prefer your kitchen to look polished and pristine, folding fluted glass doors could be your solution for creating a utility area.
Providing the essential practical space you need for laundry, storage and cleaning equipment is still very much fulfilled. But, when you prefer things to look less utilitarian it's easy enough to slide the doors across and hide it all away.
Switching to white cabinets rather than coloured will also avoid you seeing too much of what's contained in the utility area. Opting for fully integrated appliances rather than freestanding would also improve the overall look even further.
Keen for more ideas to turn your existing utility into more of a modern space? Nadine Chadwick shares some final tips you can apply to modern utility room ideas.
"For an ultra-modern feel, opt for matte black and add integrated lighting to create ambience," says Nadine.
"When it comes to designing utility rooms, practicality is top of the list, and people often want to focus their budget on their kitchen ideas which will more likely be seen by others," she adds. "However, little touches such as choosing on-trend metal handles can make all the difference in elevating your space."
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Sarah is Homebuilding & Renovating’s Assistant Editor and joined the team in 2024. An established homes and interiors writer, Sarah has renovated and extended a number of properties, including a listing building and renovation project that featured on Grand Designs. Although she said she would never buy a listed property again, she has recently purchased a Grade II listed apartment. As it had already been professionally renovated, she has instead set her sights on tackling some changes to improve the building’s energy efficiency, as well as adding some personal touches to the interior.
