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Pro Spotlight: How to Create the Perfect Laundry Room
Discover how to plan a hardworking and stylish utility room you’ll want to spend time in
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Who: Julia May Yong, founding designer at York House Designs
Where: London and the South East.
In her own words: “As we continue to spend more time at home, the thought of having washing hanging out to dry in the living room or kitchen isn’t very appealing, especially if you have frequent video calls. A laundry or utility room is perfect for keeping it out of sight.”
If you’re lucky enough to already have a separate laundry room, there are many ways in which you can streamline the layout to maximise its efficiency. However, if you don’t have a dedicated utility space, don’t fret. By working with an interior designer who has kitchen and bathroom planning experience, you can creatively carve out a practical laundry area, no matter what the size. “The key to a successful laundry room is good storage, a sink for hand washing if possible, and a small worktop area,” says Julia May Yong, founder of York House Designs.
Read on for some practical tips on how to get the best from your laundry area, no matter how big or small.
Where: London and the South East.
In her own words: “As we continue to spend more time at home, the thought of having washing hanging out to dry in the living room or kitchen isn’t very appealing, especially if you have frequent video calls. A laundry or utility room is perfect for keeping it out of sight.”
If you’re lucky enough to already have a separate laundry room, there are many ways in which you can streamline the layout to maximise its efficiency. However, if you don’t have a dedicated utility space, don’t fret. By working with an interior designer who has kitchen and bathroom planning experience, you can creatively carve out a practical laundry area, no matter what the size. “The key to a successful laundry room is good storage, a sink for hand washing if possible, and a small worktop area,” says Julia May Yong, founder of York House Designs.
Read on for some practical tips on how to get the best from your laundry area, no matter how big or small.
Discovering a niche
As she’d begun her career as a bathroom designer, when it came to starting her own interior design company, York House Designs, in 2020, Julia decided to focus on what she knew.
“After eight years in the bathroom industry, as well as renovating two of my own homes, it felt like a natural progression to start my own design practice and focus on bathrooms and kitchens,” she says. “I’m able to combine bathroom and kitchen planning advice with interior design aspects, ensuring that the form, function and beauty of every space is covered.”
While working with clients to create practical and efficient homes, Julia identified a growing trend for dedicated laundry spaces, where families can take charge of this essential everyday chore.
“Despite the word utility being derived from utilitarian, a utility room doesn’t need to just be a functional space. It’s important this room that we use each day feels enjoyable to be in,” Julia says. “You can afford to be a little braver with colour and pattern, experimenting with vibrant tones and loud designs.”
As she’d begun her career as a bathroom designer, when it came to starting her own interior design company, York House Designs, in 2020, Julia decided to focus on what she knew.
“After eight years in the bathroom industry, as well as renovating two of my own homes, it felt like a natural progression to start my own design practice and focus on bathrooms and kitchens,” she says. “I’m able to combine bathroom and kitchen planning advice with interior design aspects, ensuring that the form, function and beauty of every space is covered.”
While working with clients to create practical and efficient homes, Julia identified a growing trend for dedicated laundry spaces, where families can take charge of this essential everyday chore.
“Despite the word utility being derived from utilitarian, a utility room doesn’t need to just be a functional space. It’s important this room that we use each day feels enjoyable to be in,” Julia says. “You can afford to be a little braver with colour and pattern, experimenting with vibrant tones and loud designs.”
1. Map out what you need
Before starting to plan a client’s laundry room, Julia asks them two important questions. First, whether they want a washing machine and separate dryer, as this will affect the layout and space required. Then, what the owner will be storing in the space, from bed linen and towels to ironing boards and cleaning products.
“Both of these question pave the way for the layout,” she says. “I can then plan whether the appliances will need to be stacked or can be side by side, or if there’s space needed for things like shelves, cupboards and the laundry basket.”
Before starting to plan a client’s laundry room, Julia asks them two important questions. First, whether they want a washing machine and separate dryer, as this will affect the layout and space required. Then, what the owner will be storing in the space, from bed linen and towels to ironing boards and cleaning products.
“Both of these question pave the way for the layout,” she says. “I can then plan whether the appliances will need to be stacked or can be side by side, or if there’s space needed for things like shelves, cupboards and the laundry basket.”
2. Hide away unsightly appliances
Laundry rooms aren’t only about washing clothes; they can also be the ideal spot for housing unsightly yet essential appliances, such as the boiler and water softener, as the owners of this home in Hampton, London, discovered.
Julia worked with this busy family to design a hardworking yet stylish space they would all enjoy using. She gave classic Shaker doors a cool, modern edge with a charcoal wood grain finish and knurled brass handles, while slatted panelling adds warmth and interest.
Now, even the teenagers in the family enjoy helping out and hanging their clothes on the handy drying rack. “We had to find space to neatly hide away the boiler, water cylinder and water softener, yet still ensure they could be accessed easily, while even the dog bowl and dog food is kept here. It really is the control room of this home,” Julia says.
See more of this project.
Laundry rooms aren’t only about washing clothes; they can also be the ideal spot for housing unsightly yet essential appliances, such as the boiler and water softener, as the owners of this home in Hampton, London, discovered.
Julia worked with this busy family to design a hardworking yet stylish space they would all enjoy using. She gave classic Shaker doors a cool, modern edge with a charcoal wood grain finish and knurled brass handles, while slatted panelling adds warmth and interest.
Now, even the teenagers in the family enjoy helping out and hanging their clothes on the handy drying rack. “We had to find space to neatly hide away the boiler, water cylinder and water softener, yet still ensure they could be accessed easily, while even the dog bowl and dog food is kept here. It really is the control room of this home,” Julia says.
See more of this project.
3. Consider ventilation
Want to dry clothes inside but worried it will create a musty smell? If you have the space, the answer is an innovative DryAway system that features a slim, pull-out rack for hanging clothes neatly while they dry.
Julia designed this small-yet-perfectly-formed laundry room in Twickenham to squeeze in this clever drying rack, while also including a moisture extraction system to prevent dampness and musty smells.
“A great tip in laundry rooms where clothes will be drying is to add a plumbed-in dehumidifier to suck the moisture out of the air and avoid any damp odours,” she says.
Underfloor heating was also added to help reduce the drying time, while floor-to-ceiling cabinetry makes the most of every millimetre in this compact yet hardworking laundry.
See more of this project.
Want to dry clothes inside but worried it will create a musty smell? If you have the space, the answer is an innovative DryAway system that features a slim, pull-out rack for hanging clothes neatly while they dry.
Julia designed this small-yet-perfectly-formed laundry room in Twickenham to squeeze in this clever drying rack, while also including a moisture extraction system to prevent dampness and musty smells.
“A great tip in laundry rooms where clothes will be drying is to add a plumbed-in dehumidifier to suck the moisture out of the air and avoid any damp odours,” she says.
Underfloor heating was also added to help reduce the drying time, while floor-to-ceiling cabinetry makes the most of every millimetre in this compact yet hardworking laundry.
See more of this project.
4. Take space from an existing room
If you don’t have a separate laundry or utility room, an interior designer can help identify ways of carving out space from existing rooms to create a dedicated area for a washing machine and linen storage.
Take this home in Hammersmith, where Julia reconfigured the layout to create a welcoming guest bathroom and separate, practical laundry cupboard.
“The need for a dedicated laundry space took precedence, so we designed a bespoke built-in storage area to house both the washer and dryer, and to offer storage and a folding station for our client’s everyday laundry needs.”
To do this, Julia installed a shower over the bath and added a space-saving pocket door into a stud wall partition to ensure plenty of room in both areas.
See more of this project.
More: Visit York House Designs’ Houzz profile for more information on its services and projects.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Tell us…
How have these tips helped you plan your ultimate laundry space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
If you don’t have a separate laundry or utility room, an interior designer can help identify ways of carving out space from existing rooms to create a dedicated area for a washing machine and linen storage.
Take this home in Hammersmith, where Julia reconfigured the layout to create a welcoming guest bathroom and separate, practical laundry cupboard.
“The need for a dedicated laundry space took precedence, so we designed a bespoke built-in storage area to house both the washer and dryer, and to offer storage and a folding station for our client’s everyday laundry needs.”
To do this, Julia installed a shower over the bath and added a space-saving pocket door into a stud wall partition to ensure plenty of room in both areas.
See more of this project.
More: Visit York House Designs’ Houzz profile for more information on its services and projects.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Tell us…
How have these tips helped you plan your ultimate laundry space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Review by Raw Architects:
We've worked with Julia and York House Designs on countless projects now and she's always our go-to interior designer. Her work is impeccable and she goes above and beyond the average designer. Her at...More