When it comes to designing practical spaces in the home, whether that’s a kitchen, pantry or, in this case, a utility room, the important factor to consider is maximising the opportunities that are already there. This is a period property, so each corner of the home is filled with awkward recesses and original features, including the large fireplace taking up the majority of the available square feet in this custom-built utility room.

We maximised on space by installing the utility room door with concealed hinges and fitted a built-in storage cupboard at the far end of the room, for clothing and cleaning supplies… it even houses the bulky underfloor heating manifold. The doors to the cupboard are built on tracks, to save even more valuable floor space. Working with a room as narrow as this also saw us designing built-in units that sat inside the alcove of the original fireplace, enhancing the period feel of the feature by showcasing the original mantel for additional storage. Despite the entire width of the room spanning less than a few metres, we were also able to add a boot room bench seat and rail.

If you’re looking to design a storage solution in an awkward space, avoid boarding over original nooks and crannies and, instead, work with those recesses to come up with bespoke solutions.