Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I've got a Utility Room with Bunting!

Our Utility Room used to be so nasty (we had no garage and no garden shed, so it was trying to be three rooms at once) that I have no 'before' photo for you, but here's an ordinary, everyday shot of it now:
There were two pressing issues that got it up to scratch - firstly, Ben finished his mega-shed, and most of the stuff stored in this room could be finaly re-homed. The second was a spate of bike-thefts, which persuaded us to make space for our bikes indoors. When I told my dad about the bikes being inside he was quite worried about the storage issues we'd face, so these photos are partially to reassure him that it is all working very well indeed!
So, we put the bikes in via the garden door, and in front of them, instantly accessible from the in-house door, is my washing machine! (Bought second-hand this spring from a colleague of Ben's who was emigrating to Canada). Boy, is this an improvement on the set-up before we sorted the room...Very handy!
On the other side of the door I store my trusty all-terrain shopping trolley:
And here is a shelf for something very important in our home:
Wine, indeed, but also all the preserves, jams and jellies I posted about yesterday!

The bunting is made from rice sacks, and you can buy it online. I got mine in Edinburgh, though. A functioning utility room is a real treat.

8 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

One thing I do miss about our home in France is the enormous sous sol which served as utility room, shed, garage and wood store and since it extended underneath the whole house there was another room off this huge area which had shelves like yours and housed all our boxes of "stuff"!

Jane

Jeannette StG said...

Great when not only everything has a place, but is organized too:). You'll see that when kids go out on their own, there's a lot less stuff to store!

Andi's English Attic said...

Well, I have to say, the wine/preserve shelf looks very homely and inviting.
It's amazing how much difference a little organisation can make. Unfortunately in our house it doesn't last very long. xx

Sarah said...

I love all your shelving with the preserves and wines, I could definately do with one of those! The bunting really does finish it all off nicely.
x

A Thrifty Mrs said...

I'd do anything for a utility room like that. What a lovely lifestyle you have.

Sherri B. said...

Shelves are such a big help. Isn't it nice to be able to see what you need and have a place for everything...makes keeping a tidy place a breeze.

Serenata said...

Oh what organisation! I am impressed and your utility room represents what I would imagine many of us wish for, functional, practical and plenty of storage.

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Just look at those preserves!! They look so good. Of course they should be presented nicely with a bit of bunting. What a great storage room you have. Love your trolley - my Mum has a red one the same!