Light the folding surface
A light reaches the counter from the side. Check it while standing at the worktop so your body does not obscure the area used for sorting and folding.
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ROOM 126 · Other
The utility room after dark
Published
A modern family house, conceived for Milton Keynes.
The last load of washing rarely happens in flattering daylight. Silver blue, warm maple and lighting aimed at the worktop make this utility room easier company after dark.
See the product sourcesTHE DESIGN
The folding surface is the room's working centre. A wall light reaches it from the side, so the person standing there does not block the main illumination. The floor in front of the machines stays clear when their doors are open.
Counter baskets take the small sorting jobs, with a larger lidded basket for what can wait. Hanging storage uses the wall without turning it into a row of decorative containers. The scheme still has to accommodate an ordinary, imperfect laundry day.
Silver blue takes the broad cupboard surfaces; warm timber softens the counter edge. A few stems in small glass vases are enough to acknowledge that someone spends time here. The point is not to romanticise chores, but to make their setting less dispiriting.
WHY THE ROOM WORKS
Good light should reach the rooms where the work happens.
Colour palette
- Silver blue
- Warm maple
- Cream
- Cherry red
Keep a clear appliance aisle
Open machine doors have space in front; baskets do not occupy that floor.
Put sorting within reach
Hanging and counter baskets separate small items before they spread over the worktop.
A quieter last chore
Silver blue and warm timber make the evening job feel less like a trip into a back room.
WHAT TO BORROW
Check the utility lighting at the time the last load usually finishes. Stand at the counter and open the machine doors; both the task and the floor need to stay usable.
THE PIECES BEHIND THE DESIGN
Shop this room
The design began with these pieces from our Shop. Open each product for its exact size, finish and retailer details.
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Kochi Iron & Mango Wood Baskets Set Of 2
Kitchen Storage & Utility · Brown
Nkuku
The paired iron-and-mango baskets give folded or waiting items a defined place above the working surface.
£70.00
Inkollu Hanging Basket Set
Kitchen Storage & Utility · Aged Brass
Nkuku
Hanging baskets use wall space for smaller supplies, keeping the utility counter available for sorting and folding.
£65.00
Bapti Bud Vases Set Of 3
Clear
Nkuku
A few tiny bud vases bring a moment of care to the room without taking over its useful worktop.
£35.00
Tubu Brass Spot Light
Antique Brass
Nkuku
The brass spot directs light towards the task, making the room comfortable to use after daylight has gone.
£125.00
Outlook 40 Rectangular Walll Mirror
The Roost
The oak-framed mirror adds a light-reflecting surface and connects the silver-blue room to its warmer timber details.
£115.00
Rohia Laundry Basket
Storage · Natural & Cream
Nkuku
A dedicated laundry basket gives the room's main routine an obvious destination rather than leaving piles on the floor.
£135.00
Enugu Mango Wood Clock
Natural
Nkuku
The mango-wood clock is useful while managing a load and repeats the warmth of the maple-coloured joinery.
£100.00
Chakai Wood & Metal Pendant: Large · Natural
Large · Natural
Nkuku
A wood-and-metal pendant gives the utility a softer central light while the task fitting handles the work surface.
£250.00