Making the most of every opportunity: this is what Sabrina Beckers did when it came to design, functionality and storage space in her utility room. In the interview she talks about the special advantages of the laundry-sorting unit, the unbelievable amount of space in the corner unit and many other things that need to be considered during the planning and implementation stages.
Tips for planning a utility room
We’ve been following Sabrina on social media for some time. Nevertheless, she briefly introduces herself in our interview for the sake of completeness. She is 36 years old and a mother to two girls. “So you’ll often find me in the utility room”, she jokes.
In 2015, Sabrina and her partner built themselves a new home. When planning their utility room, they wanted to work within a clear budget. Last year, they decided to tackle the utility room project once again: “I didn’t like going in the room because of how it felt, yet I would spend so much time in there. So last year, it was finally time to tackle the project head-on. I wanted the room to be so nice that I would feel really at home in there.”
Planning tips
#1 Set priorities
“Of course, I had already used the room for a few years with very little comfort, so I already knew what was important to me and what I would pay particular attention to. I also looked at what was really essential for me in the room and what I did not want to do without.”
From the outset, it is a good idea to think about the tasks you will be carrying out in the room. You will then already have a list of relevant fittings or a rough concept for the space. Schüller also offers clever storage solutions, so the utility room can be used as a larder too.
“I thought the beautiful drinks unit was very practical, but in the end I decided against it because hidden storage was more important to me. I ended up opting for normal tall units, so I could store lots of things in there.”
#2 Find inspiration
“You should get design inspiration from different platforms.”
Social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest really focus on the visuals, so they are a great source of inspiration. Sabrina tells us how she turned to Pinterest to look for particular colour schemes “to get a feel for how the colours and space would work together in general”. “That’s how I approached it first. Then I visited retailers and exhibitors.”
You can find the range of colours for Schüller unit elements for the utility room on our website.
#3 Consult experts
You can also find inspiration by visiting retailers. Sabrina recommends trusting specialists and discussing your design with them. Her retailer offered lots of helpful advice and bespoke solutions for the fittings in her storeroom,
like the corner unit, which wasn’t displayed at the exhibition: “I was very pleasantly surprised and glad the retailer suggested it. That’s why I would always go to a retailer for more tips.”
The retailer was also able to advise her about the appearance, quality and choice of units.
Planning storage – Sabrina’s “top priority”
Make use of dead corner space with the corner unit:
“We opted for a very large corner unit. For me, it’s the space-saving wonder of the room because the space there is often wasted. Because it sticks out a bit and is at an angle at the front, I use it to store all my kitchen appliances that I don’t use on a daily basis.”
For Sabrina, the corner unit is the perfect solution for storing large kitchen appliances and decorative objects like vases, dishes and glasses. Here, she also recommends seeking advice from a retailer to get some ideas!
Sabrina is a huge fan of tall units as they offer a lot of hidden storage space. Her kitchen does not have a lot of extra storage, so her utility room also functions as a kind of “storeroom”.
Even her wall units offer valuable storage: “For me, it was important to be able to store away as many things as possible to keep the space tidy yet still have everything within reach. I have another set of dishes and several glasses that I don’t use every day, just for special occasions. I can store all of those items in there.”
Sabrina’s utility room must-haves
Besides the corner unit, the laundry-sorting cupboard!
“Before I had the laundry-sorting cupboard, sorting laundry was chaos with piles of clothes strewn all over the floor. With the laundry-sorting cupboard, clothes are now stored away out of view.”
Besides its practical function, the unit makes the room look organised and clean: “I always hated how quickly it would look messy again, so I think it’s amazing.”
Unusual, but practical: a spare oven.
For some, it may be unusual to install a spare oven in your utility room, but Sabrina was used to it from her childhood and is very happy with it:
“My grandmother and mother always had a second oven somewhere in the basement for meals that make a lot of mess or give off a strong smell. And for family parties when there is a lot more food to prepare.”
Further benefits are how quick it is to clean and the pressure it takes off the kitchen area above.
Everything is clearer in hindsight, as they say. When asked what she would do differently if she was to design and create her utility room again, Sabrina says she is more than happy with how it turned out. Due to the size of the room, she admits she could have made her design even bigger with even more storage—because can you ever have enough storage?
“I would definitely go for an L-shaped design again, but I would make it even bigger next time. We have two more free sides, so in hindsight, we could have turned a blind eye to the budget and I would have incorporated another wall. Then we could have added more units to the design because you can never have enough storage.”
Sabrina is very happy with the layout of her utility room and thinks the design makes a lot of sense. For example, she put the sink right next to the washing machine and the laundry-sorting unit in the middle of the room, so she can put her washing basket right next to it on the worktop.
Lastly, we asked Sabrina to share her top tip for planning a very personal utility room.
“If possible, you should take the time to get an idea of your utility room. Once you have your own ideas and wishes, you can look for a retailer. They provide advice and help you to make your ideas a reality—that was the case for me, and I’m pleased my utility room project went so smoothly.”
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