Utility rooms aren't typically a style priority. After all, these primarily practical spaces aren't the first place you'll show guests on the house tour. That said, there's no reason why you shouldn't make this humdrum part of the home aesthetically beautiful, be it your cabinetry, your lighting, or the very minutiae of your drying rack.
If you're still relying on a rickety wooden clothes airer or bulky metal racks to dry your clothes indoors, you're doing it wrong. This year is all about making the laundry room a place of beauty, complete with stylish drying racks so beautiful that they're a permanent piece of decor in their own right.
Looking for some inspiration? We've rustled up some of our favorite drying rack ideas that won't impose on your floor space. From ceiling-mounted airers to hidden hanging rails, they're the perfect embodiment of form meets function. Who said laundry couldn't be glamorous?
1. Mount a Classic "Laundry Maid" to Your Ceiling
If you're a fan of a rustic, cottage-core aesthetic, a classic laundry maid is one of the best options for drying laundry indoors. These vintage systems mount to your ceiling with a pulley system, allowing you to adjust the height of the rack as needed.
Visually, they make a charming addition to a space, too. "The rack of our much loved Laundry Maid is made from five lacquered ash slats, fixed to two brushed aluminum brackets," says Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL Kitchens who manufactures traditional airers. "They are supplied with 12 meters of jute cord and an exclusive chrome cleat for securing the rack at your preferred height."
Price: £100
This beech wood ceiling hanging drying rack is a particularly pretty design.
2. Fix a Wooden Fold Out Drying Rack to Your Wall
If you have a small laundry room where space is at a premium, consider fixing a small foldout drying rack to your wall like the one pictured above. These clever contraptions are super compact, yet they offer plenty of space to hang clothes without imposing on your floor space.
"Our utility room is a small space, so when it came to thinking about freeing up floor space for drying laundry, a wall-mounted drying rack seemed the obvious answer," explains home stylist and renovator, Sharon Hornsby, whose space is shown above. "The panel folds down for drying space and then goes back flat against the wall when not in use, so it's perfect for a small space like ours."
Price: £140
If space is at a premium in your laundry room, this wall-mounted drying rack is a great solution.
3. Integrate a Vertical Pull-out Rack
If you're hoping to hide your drying rack, consider integrating a vertical hanging rail like this one in your utility room design. This sleek solution is so inconspicuous, disappearing into the built-in cabinetry so that your laundry is completely out of sight.
"These vertical pull-out drying racks from DryAway are a game-changer for our more compact laundry rooms," explains Melissa Hryszko, Director of Design at Veranda Estate Homes. "Designed with adjustable rods to accommodate various garment sizes, this setup allows our clients to keep drying items discreetly tucked away or pulled out. An integrated air vent ensures proper airflow circulation even when the racks are pushed in, promoting efficient drying while maintaining a clean and clutter-free space."
4. Use a Simple Rail Between Your Cabinets
There's something beautiful about the simplicity of a wooden rail used as a drying rack. This laundry room makes brilliant use of available space by suspending the rail between two upper cabinets. All that's needed is some clothes hangers.
While this method might be better suited for airing clothes rather than total drying, it's such an easy idea to integrate into your space. Plus, there's no reason why you can't use a similar rail behind closed doors and aid drying with the help of a vent.
That's exactly what designer Erin Vondra, owner of WDH Real Estate, did in this laundry room. "Hanging space can be such a tough part of the layout to incorporate as it is not the prettiest, but cannot be overlooked," she says. "For this project, we tucked it back behind some of the cabinetry so it did not take up precious storage space. Then we added a custom stained wood rod with gorgeous hardware so it had its own moment."
5. Hide Hanging Rails Inside Drawers
If you're replanning your laundry room storage ideas, why not dedicate some cabinet space to discreet drying drawers? This modern utility room has two hanging rails integrated into the joinery, "the lower one, for dish clothes and smalls, and a larger one at the base of the overhead cabinets," says the designer, Kim Kneipp.
To improve the function of this drying rack, Kim and her team repositioned an existing central heating floor panel below the rails to speed up drying times. "By positioning the rails next to a new internal wall, no circulation space is compromised and the washing is neatly tucked away out of living zones and away from direct sight lines," Kim says.
6. Choose Mesh Drawers for Fast, Flat Drying
To take drawer drying racks to the next level, consider mesh pull-outs like these ones. They're perfect for wools or delicates that need to dry flat, and they slide back into position when not in use, allowing for a more visually tidy space.
"Designed with a fine metal mesh that won’t rust, they allow for optimal airflow while keeping everything flat and in place," says Melissa at Veranda Estate Homes. "Thoughtful details like this make laundry day just a little more effortless and enjoyable."
If these drying rack ideas prove one thing, it's that bulky airers that don't contribute to your design are a thing of the past. There's really no need to settle for something that doesn't bring you joy, especially where incessant chores like laundry are concerned.
Whether you want to adopt a traditional British-style Laundry Maid or something more discreet, there are so many ways to make drying racks work for you, so make 2025 the year that your daily laundry routine gets a glow up.
