Utility room shelving ideas form an integral part of your storage plans whether you use your practical space for laundry, as a bootility or as an overflow kitchen
Utility room shelving ideas can provide extra storage support(Image credit: Searle & Taylor)
When it comes to utility rooms, utility room shelving ideas are an essential part of ensuring this practical room performs to the best of its ability. Having a home for every item you need will require a variety of different fixtures and fittings, with shelving being one of them.
They are also a strong contender as one of the best storage supports. As well as fulfilling a role inside your cupboards they can also be used to make the most out of wall space where additional cupboards would prove to be too cumbersome.
But what utility room shelving ideas are there and where do they work best?
Utility room shelving ideas come in all shapes and sizes
Whether you're looking for a practical shelf to store boots and shoes or somewhere to display a collection of spare vases, utility room shelving ideas will usually fulfil a practical need.
However this doesn't mean compromising on style if you've already invested in the overall look and design of your utility room ideas. Shelving comes in all shapes, sizes, colours and finishes so there's usually plenty of options to choose a range that is most in keeping with the rest of your room.
1. Choose chunky wooden shelves for a clean and contemporary look
Match your shelving to your unit panels(Image credit: Ca'Pietra)
In modern utility room ideas where it can be tempting to assume everything needs to be hidden away, adding shelves can seem like a disruption of the clean-lined approach you were aiming for.
But, as there are often items you need to hand, choosing the same finish as your cabinet side panels can be a way of creating a more uniform space. It's also a good idea to opt for a free floating version to remove the need for shelf brackets.
Choose stylish containers to decant your products into and suddenly you have a utility room shelving idea that's both practical and pretty.
2. Fit open cubby shelves for easy access to essentials
Open cubby style shelving keeps necessities within easy reach(Image credit: Nolte Kitchens)
"There are various types of shelving options for you to choose from when designing a utility room that is practical and aesthetic," says Nadine Chadwick, marketing manager at Nolte Kitchens UK.
"Open shelves, such as these cubby style ones, offer ultimate flexibility, especially if designed to allow various heights and configurations. It means with the use of baskets, jars and dispensers you can store practicality anything you’d like with easy access."
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 that functions well and looks great.
3. Combine cupboard shelves with pull-out baskets
Using a combination of shelves and pull out baskets gives even greater storage choice(Image credit: A Place for Everything)
Utility room storage ideas can take many different guises and pull out baskets are just one of the many options available. And while shelves will always have their place within utility room cupboards, combining them with other practical options such as pull out baskets can be an even better solution.
Pull out baskets area also a good choice for various places within the utility room say the experts.
"Under-sink organisers, like pull-out baskets or tiered shelves, can also maximize storage beneath the sink," advises Tom Howley, creative design director at the eponymous kitchen company.
Tom Howley
Tom has spent over 20 years designing bespoke kitchen and utility rooms designed to work in harmony with a client's lifestyle, making him an expert on knowing just how to create a functional but beautiful space that meets your needs.
4. Slatted shelves allow air to circulate in a laundry zone
Slatted shelves provide better air circulation in a laundry room (Image credit: Rehome)
If you are weighing up utility room vs laundry room, don't forget that opting for a laundry room means you could be dealing with damp clothes. Something that's important to think about if your room doesn't benefit from natural ventilation or an extractor fan.
If this applies to you, then slatted shelves are a sensible option. Still providing you with plenty of flat surface to store items on, they won't trap moisture or condensation in the space as much as a standard shelf.
Slatted shelves are also a great option for boot room ideas where shoes and boots are the items you store the most. It means any residual wet that you have missed when cleaning them, will still have the chance to dry and not pool up on an otherwise flat shelf surface.
5. Add ladder shelving as a stylish solution to storage
Ladder shelving is a stylish solution if cupboards aren't an option(Image credit: The Garden Trading Company)
If you prefer a less uniform approach to your utility room layout ideas, or perhaps feel you'll benefit more from the light and airy you'll achieve by keeping one wall free of cupboards, you still have options.
For a more eclectic approach to your shelving, consider ladder shelving that fixes to the wall, but has shelves in a variety of depths to cater for all your utility room needs.
If you think it's an idea that could work for you, remember to look at bedroom or living room storage when searching for one as it's where you're more likely to find a variety of choices. This Fulton Ladder Bookcase from Dunelm is a great option if a wooden version is on your wishlist.
6. Fit free-floating shelves for an un-fussy approach
Free-floating shelves are a neat and uncluttered option in utility rooms(Image credit: Caesaerstone)
If you've plenty of wall space left above your sink and don't want to add more cupboards but feel it's a wasted opportunity, free floating shelves may be on your list of utility room shelving ideas.
"You can also use floating shelving to place detergents out of reach, store spare towels, and keep household essentials streamlined and organised in baskets or jars," says Tom Howley.
If letting the walls share the workload sounds like a good idea, just be sure to use the best plasterboard fixings to ensure your shelves are fitted securely and can manage the required load.
7. Add rails below shelving to double up their capacity
Adding a rail to your shelving increases storage opportunity(Image credit: Rehome)
"Incorporating built-in hooks, baskets and shelving into your utility room is a great way to organise coats, shoes, household items and accessories without adding just adding more cupboards," says Nadine Chadwick and there's another key item we'd add to this list - hanging rails.
Locate them above your utility room sink ideas, and you'll find them perfectly placed for hanging scrubbing brushes and cleaning utensils. Add small baskets or tubs to contain those items that can't be hung on hooks and you've doubled up the capacity of your utility room shelving ideas - without even having to add more shelves.
8. Don't forget to use your corners for shelving
Be sure to return your shelving on both sides of the wall(Image credit: Yester Home)
Worried you might be adding too much shelving to your utility room? Don't be. "It’s probably better to have too much storage than too little," says Craig Sammells, country manager UK & Ireland at the Orthex Group.
So rather than running a shelf along the length of just one wall, also be sure to add a small return to the side. When hidden from main view by the side of a tall cupboard, it's the perfect spot for popping items you may not want in plain sight but still need close to hand.
Keen to make the most of any of your shelving? "Modular storage – stackable when the lid is on, nesting when not – is probably the most useful as you can decide what works for your shelving layout," says Craig.
9. Glam up your shelving with metallic brackets
Inject a sense of glamour into your utilitarian space(Image credit: Olive & Barr)
Who says utility rooms need to be plain and boring? Not us and neither do the designers of this beautiful space by Olive & Barr.
Decorated in rich red tones, combined with crisp white tiles, brass tap fittings and incorporating metal wall lights in their utility room lighting ideas, even the shelves have had a glam-up with the use of shiny brass brackets.
10. Pick shelving with peg hooks
Shelves which incorporate peg hooks are good in small spaces(Image credit: ProCook)
In narrow utility room ideas where wall space can be limited, shelving with more than one purpose can be a sensible option. A shelf that includes neat but practical peg hooks as part of its design can be perfect for hanging spare mugs, small baskets or pet items such as collars and leads.
To keep your smaller space from feeling too cluttered, opt for a paint finish that matches your walls and in rooms with high ceilings, make the most of the upwards space. It's a rule worth bearing in mind for all of your utility room shelving ideas.
"Whichever shelving you choose, be sure not to overlook vertical space," advises Nadine Chadwick. "By going upwards, you free up valuable floor space for other activities or furniture. This vertical advantage is a particular game-changer in smaller spaces such as utility rooms or city apartments."
11. Racking with shelves is a practical and space saving option
Use racking with shelves when you're limited on space(Image credit: A Place for Everything)
Seeking utility room shelving ideas that won't take up much space but can still fulfil your storage requirements? A simple, customisable racking system could be just what you're looking for.
Comprising shelves, hooks, drawers and rails it could be the ideal choice for small utility room ideas or for bootility rooms where the weighting for storage falls in favour of shoes and you can survive with a smaller zone for laundry.
Don't forget to also take inspiration from your kitchen units as well when it comes to your utility room shelving ideas. Although on first glance it may not seem quite like a shelf, pull-out shelves are also perfect in utility rooms says Nadine Chadwick.
"Pull out shelves are a cross between shelving units and drawer cabinets and its pretty impossible to beat their convenience and practicality as they provide a better overview of things.
"You can instantly see everything from above," explains Nadine, "and well-structured partitioning provides a place for everything – and lets you put everything back to where it belongs. Neat and tidy organisation in a jiffy! In larder units, items can also be viewed and accessed from both sides."
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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.
