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An interior designer shares her tips on finding the perfect headboard

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8 celebrity-approved restaurants to visit around Ireland

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IMAGE

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Tips for a budget-friendly wedding, from a professional planner

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This beachside Connemara home is on the market for €2.8 million
This beachside Connemara home is on the market for €2.8 million

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Image / Editorial

8 Ways To Have A Calm Utility Space


By Lauren Heskin
02nd Jun 2017
8 Ways To Have A Calm Utility Space

Ever feel as though you’re just futilely moving stuff from one room to another? It’s time to free your utility space from being your domestic dumping ground.


Finding a home for every item in your house is an impossible task, but a well-organised utility can go a long way to clearing some much-needed physical and mental space. Start by asking yourself a simple question.

2 Clothes – clean, dirty, colours, whites, delicates and knits – are usually a utility area’s biggest eyesore. Rather than scrutinising everything with a sniff, use baskets to keep your to-iron pile away from the to-wash pile. You don’t have to settle for unsightly plastic ones either, Littlewoods IrelandIndustry & Co and Muuto have options in palm leaf, wire and felt, which will keep things chic, as well as tidy.

FOUR Not everything needs to be hidden. Treat your counter to a reusable bottle (or two) that you’ll be happy to look at daily. Laundry detergent from Terrible Twins is naturally made from soap nuts, so it’s kind to skin too.

FIVE Space in a utility is usually at a premium, so create room with storage that uses little to no floor space. This hanging clothes rail from Ferm Living (below, right) doesn’t need walls and maximises otherwise underused space. While having these elegant Georg hangers from Finnish Design Shop and The Organised Home on display will encourage immediate hanging up, which also minimises wrinkles.

SIX Living in Ireland, choosing your moment to dry clothes outdoors can be a guessing game. Try an update on the old-fashioned pulleymaid to ensure your clothes dry consistently, like the European beech option from Loop the Loop (around €95) with its simple design and it can be quickly put out of the way with its rope pulley system.

SEVEN Ensure your most-used work areas are amply lit. Consider strip lighting under cabinets to illuminate countertops and clever lighting fixtures. An adjustable lamp from CA Design can provide a perfect spotlight for your ironing board or sink, and can be tucked against the wall when not in use.

Featured image: Neptune Chesterfield units