In a bootility room it's always good to have a mixture of concealed cabinets and open shelving designed to simplify everyday tasks. If the space is more laundry-focused, you can use floating shelving to place detergents out of reach, store spare towels, and keep household essentials streamlined and organised in baskets or jars. Whilst you should let walls share the workload, you should still consider work surface space and low fitted cabinets to maximise storage capacity.

Formerly named the scullery, the utility is fast becoming a room high up on homebuyers wishlists. Located just off the kitchen, it's usually the engine of the house used for laundry, storing cleaning supplies and large appliances Tall pantry style storage can be designed for specific jobs such as housing an ironing board, laundry products and baskets or essential cleaning supplies. Other small kitchen appliances that may be cluttering up your kitchen can also be stored in a utility.

Utilities can be dog friendly too. In addition to your usual storage solutions, you can design a comfortable nook for a dog bed, a dedicated food station and hooks for leads. There is also a trend for purpose-built pet showers, ideal for washing muddy paws after a long country walk.

A ground floor mudroom features a center island bench with lots storage drawers underneath. This bench is a perfect place to sit and lace up hiking boots, get ready for snowshoeing, or just hanging out before a swim. Surrounding the mudroom are more window seats and floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets made in rustic knotty pine architectural millwork. Down the hall, are two changing rooms with separate water closets and in a few more steps, the room opens up to a kitchenette with a large sink. A nearby laundry area is conveniently located to handle wet towels and beachwear. Woodmeister Master Builders made all the custom cabinetry and performed the general contracting. Marcia D. Summers was the interior designer. Greg Premru Photography

Ruby and Peach Photography
Inspiration for a transitional entryway remodel in Nashville

Andrea Rugg Photography
Entryway - traditional entryway idea in Minneapolis

The original ranch style home was built in 1962 by the homeowner’s father. She grew up in this home; now her and her husband are only the second owners of the home. The existing foundation and a few exterior walls were retained with approximately 800 square feet added to the footprint along with a single garage to the existing two-car garage. The footprint of the home is almost the same with every room expanded. All the rooms are in their original locations; the kitchen window is in the same spot just bigger as well. The homeowners wanted a more open, updated craftsman feel to this ranch style childhood home. The once 8-foot ceilings were made into 9-foot ceilings with a vaulted common area. The kitchen was opened up and there is now a gorgeous 5 foot by 9 and a half foot Cambria Brittanicca slab quartz island.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional porcelain tile and beige floor laundry room remodel in Minneapolis with white walls

This home’s kitchen isn’t large and needed to somehow hold a mudroom area as the detached garage enters into the space. I carefully planned out all storage needs and we were able to add a wide, double door cabinet closet by the back door. The upper area holds coats and clutter. The lower doors have hooks and boot trays for backpacks and shoes. Paneling the Subzero fridge helps with softening the weight of the large appliance, as does the panel on the dishwasher. Little details like the skirt on the toe area and the beautiful hood and island posts make this smaller work space truly special!

After six years of living in their Huntley IL home, Chris and Meghan were tired of their dark, dingy, outdated kitchen and it was finally time for a long-anticipated change. “The kitchen is the place where we live, it’s where we do everything,” Meghan said. “It was important that it be a space where we wanted to be.” Meghan loves cooking and enjoys including their girls in healthy meal prepping, this led them to want a brighter, more enjoyable kitchen with increased functionality and improved storage. For Chris especially, the laundry room was an entirely dysfunctional eyesore. “We had a washer and a dryer, but it was all kind-of cobbled together!” Chris said. “There were always laundry piles everywhere, we weren’t really sure what we wanted to do in there, but it was time for us to make a change.” The mess of the space was stressful every time they walked in the door from the garage each day. Kids’ backpacks and shoes piled up haphazardly in the makeshift boot-bench closet left the family feeling disorganized and stressed. They needed space for folding clothes and locker cubbies to help keep the family organized. Having known Christine and Todd in the Huntley community for years, Chris and Meghan were familiar with their work. “We already trusted them personally and having seen their projects for years we knew they did top notch work. After we reviewed the initial round of designs, we knew that hiring them was definitely the right choice,” Meghan and Chris said. Although Chris had done a lot of work in their home himself, the kitchen and laundry room renovation was such a large undertaking that he didn’t want to steal time away from his family to spend what would surely be many long weekends doing the job himself. “That would not have been a wise choice for us,” Chris laughed. “Our designer, Michelle was very, very, easy to work with; anything we wanted to see or weren’t sure about, she went above and beyond to make this easy for us. She was easy to get hold of and always quick to respond,” the couple said. Michelle pulled ideas that mirrored the couple’s taste and style and was adept at directing the couple to limited choices that didn’t overwhelm them and kept the process moving. “I have a hard time making decisions. Michelle made the decision-making process so easy. I loved how she listened to what I liked and then presented three great options for me to choose from,” Meghan said. The main objectives for the kitchen were better storage solutions, they wanted the space to reflect their lifestyle and taste, and they wanted it to last for years with low maintenance. One of the first steps in creating a more functional kitchen was relocating the refrigerator, creating an improved workflow for the busy family. “We didn’t know that we could even move the refrigerator to a new location where it is now, that was something that we never would have thought of,” Chris said. “The new refrigerator location makes the kitchen feel so much bigger. We didn’t add any space, but our whole kitchen with the new design just seems like it’s so much larger than before!” Meghan said. The perimeter mist colored cabinets helped warm and brighten the entire room, while the graphite colored cabinets on the island added contrast. Using this fresh, clean color palette satisfied the couple’s desire for a bright space that was the exact opposite of what they had before. Organization accessories were also added to the cabinets such as a spice drawer tray and roll outs to create hidden convenience. “I absolutely love the hidden spices – it makes cooking so much more enjoyable!” Chris said. “And all the pull outs, and the double trash bin, who would think you could get so excited about organization!” the couple said in unison. One thing they hated in their original kitchen was how dark the space felt. Added lighting on the ceiling with the new light fixtures combined with the lighter cabinetry colors throughout solved this problem. “Our new kitchen has this warm, almost cozy feeling that our old kitchen never had, it’s just a space that I love spending my time in now,” Meghan said. The light airy feeling was accentuated with the use of floating white shelves on either side of the decorative range hood. “We have so much cabinetry space, the new design is amazing we actually have more storage space than we will ever need,” Meghan said. The island was extended to create more work surface and added space for stool seating. “The new island changes how we live. Now the kids can be in the kitchen with us, doing homework, eating breakfast, and the three of us have special dinners there when Chris is working late,” Meghan said. The Carrara Marmi Quartz countertops were chosen because they are, not only beautiful, but are made from hard-working material that doesn’t require maintenance. The white subway tile backsplash that wraps to the ceiling behind the focal point cooktop range/hood compliments the crisp white countertops perfectly, while brushed brass hardware and light fixtures keep the design fresh and new. The couple had a few fears at the beginning of the project, as most homeowners do. Their biggest fear was being out of their kitchen and laundry room for an extended time. The crew made it very easy for the family to work in a limited space keeping the washer and dryer hooked up the majority of the time, and also getting appliances working with minimal downtime. “They above and beyond accommodated us to get us through the process,” Meghan said. “They did a great job making sure we were as comfortable as possible throughout the process,” Chris added. “Our project manager DJ did a great job. He was very good at updating us on schedule changes, getting guys in as quickly as possible. Everyone that stepped in the house was nice and did great work,” said Chris. They thought Advance’s carpenter was phenomenal and were impressed when he took a conceptual idea from a photograph and worked with designer Michelle to create a one of a kind range/hood that has become the topic of conversation with friends and family who visit the new kitchen. “He was in our house literally every day for several weeks. He was easy to work with and good at what he did,” Meghan and Chris said. The focal point of the kitchen; a hand-crafted, custom-built ventilation hood was clad with handpicked reclaimed barnwood. Advance Design’s carpenter built the framework and the cladding to create a one-of-a-kind design element that the couple loves. “I think it was especially fun for him to create something unique from scratch, showcasing his talent in this area,” Meghan said. “I love that my kitchen is not like everyone else’s. I got to pick out the wood on my hood and watch it being built and was able to choose what pieces of wood went where on it. It’s totally unique.” Red Oak flooring was toothed-in throughout the kitchen and the rest of the first floor anywhere changes were made. Then the whole floor was refinished to tone down the orange undertones in the existing floor stain, ultimately changing the color complexion of the entire first floor. The result is a completely new feeling to the entire home. Renovating the laundry room was extremely important to Meghan and Chris, but they had trouble visualizing what the possibilities were for the seemingly small space. Michelle produced beautiful 3D illustrations that helped them envision the space in a whole new way. “I must have told Michelle 100 times that I am a visual person, seeing the designs in 3D made it so easy to make decisions and see what we could really do with our space,” Meghan said. A dividing wall and doorway were removed between the existing laundry room and hallway formerly containing a coat closet, providing space to design specialized graphite colored cabinetry matching the kitchen island to house custom storage cubbies for each family member. Adding the tall utility cabinetry in the new laundry area helped solve the storage issue, tucking away cleaning supplies, household items, and even the cat got its own cubby. “I love how everything is now hidden in its own space. I can’t tell you how much I hated coming home and seeing everything sitting around on counters,” Chris said. Electrical outlets were planned for the inside of utility cabinets, so devices could charge in hidden locations. Stacking the washer and dryer allowed for wider countertop space to provide a folding area and a special space for clothes to hang. “The way I do laundry has been completely transformed! I can actually fold clothes and hang them now right out of the washer and dryer,” Meghan said. “The end result in the kitchen and the laundry/mud room was an updated light and bright space, with a smarter work flow that better meets the needs of this family,” Michelle said. “I would totally recommend Advance Design,” Meghan said. “Sometimes I sit and just look at my kitchen and laundry room and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to live here!’ It’s an understatement to say we love our new space.”

New construction calls for a kitchen done right the first time! A generous layout with multiple work zones – this kitchen works well for the large family. A key requirement of this design was to draw attention to various family heirloom pieces by creating several options for display, and oh, how they steal the show in this kitchen, Peeking through the glass fronted cabinets and perched below the crown molding, the combination of the polished look amid a casual gathering place makes for a lovely kitchen.

Keeping track of all the coats, shoes, backpacks and specialty gear for several small children can be an organizational challenge all by itself. Combine that with busy schedules and various activities like ballet lessons, little league, art classes, swim team, soccer and music, and the benefits of a great mud room organization system like this one becomes invaluable. Rather than an enclosed closet, separate cubbies for each family member ensures that everyone has a place to store their coats and backpacks. The look is neat and tidy, but easier than a traditional closet with doors, making it more likely to be used by everyone — including children. Hooks rather than hangers are easier for children and help prevent jackets from being to left on the floor. A shoe shelf beneath each cubby keeps all the footwear in order so that no one ever ends up searching for a missing shoe when they're in a hurry. a drawer above the shoe shelf keeps mittens, gloves and small items handy. A shelf with basket above each coat cubby is great for keys, wallets and small items that might otherwise become lost. The cabinets above hold gear that is out-of-season or infrequently used. An additional shoe cupboard that spans from floor to ceiling offers a place to keep boots and extra shoes. White shaker style cabinet doors with oil rubbed bronze hardware presents a simple, clean appearance to organize the clutter, while bead board panels at the back of the coat cubbies adds a casual, country charm. Designer - Gerry Ayala Photo - Cathy Rabeler

Textured White Color with upgraded hardware and rack for of sari storage. Backing and boot storage. Locking jewelry drawer with Shaker front and safe. Hamper and matte/brushed/satin nickel closet rods.

This mudroom was a really fun project. The homeowner wanted to open up two rooms and make one large mudroom. There was some duct work we had to work around, but we hide it successfully. The homeowners have a large family and needed a lot of shoe storage as well as ski boot storage. The cabinetry is knotty alder wood, stained a medium brown with some glaze and distressing.

Photos by Kaity
Farmhouse entryway photo in Other with yellow walls and a white front door

Walk-in closet - mid-sized traditional gender-neutral light wood floor walk-in closet idea in Birmingham with flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets

The ultimate luxury space, this high-end walk-in closet features lighted shoe storage and an island with built-in seating. • Virtuoso and classic construction create a modern, luxurious look. • Lago® Venetian Wenge and Tesoro Cassini Beach finishes offer a touch of drama. • 5-piece Traditional doors and drawers with clear glass inserts display clothing and accessories. • Sable optical grade engineered countertop offers dressing space. • Hide leather shelves and pole covers in Mink finish add texture. • Inset bench detail in island offers a place to sit. • Oil-rubbed bronze Aluminum frames with Sirocco Italian glass complement the dramatic palette. • Glass-front boot storage drawers makes shoes easily viewable. • Aluminum sliding doors with Satin glass inserts create a seamless look.

Large Dressing Room with double islands for maximum storage.
Dressing room - large transitional gender-neutral dark wood floor dressing room idea in DC Metro with shaker cabinets and white cabinets

Large Dressing Room with double islands for maximum storage.
Large transitional gender-neutral dark wood floor dressing room photo in DC Metro with shaker cabinets and white cabinets