Utility Room Colour Ideas for Every Interior Style
When it comes to decorating our homes, we can often neglect some of the most practical spaces, such as utilities, boot rooms or pantries.
However, you can easily transform a functional area into a setting that you love to spend time in.
Explore inspiring ideas to add beauty and personality to your utility room.
Add personality with a bold, contemporary colour combination
Your utility room is a space where you will often be spending time carrying out household chores and activities. Therefore, the utility room is the perfect place to embrace a colour combination that you truly love. Embrace colour combinations and paint ideas for your utility room that will motivate you and create a positive atmosphere.
Playful pink Confetti on the walls with Lamp Black on the units will create a fun and contemporary scheme. Consider keeping your walls exposed brick. By painting walls in our Intelligent Masonry finish, you can create a scheme that offers plenty of architectural interest.
Discover our guide to Choosing Intelligent Masonry Paint.
Colour drench your utility room in a characterful shade
In small utility rooms, it can work well to colour drench your space in one colour or in closely related tones. With almost no colour contrasts to draw the eye, this interior design statement will often make a room appear larger. Colour drenching is a great choice for achieving a cosy, wraparound feel.
Colour drench your utility room walls, woodwork and cabinetry in a characterful hue like the muted mid-blue, Etruria. For a touch of contrast, combine with the slightly deeper Hicks’ Blue on the ceiling to create a cocooning effect.
Learn more about colour drenching in our advice hub.
Use a resonant deep green to connect with nature
A great way to bring a relaxing, inspiring atmosphere to any interior is by creating connection with the outdoors. Paint your utility room in earthy neutrals and deep greens. Accompany these shades with natural finishes like stone, wood, rattan and jute for an instant sense of calm and comfort.
Dark Brunswick Green is a deep, confident colour that works beautifully on one accent wall to create a focal point. It pairs harmoniously with the soft neutral Portland Stone family on the cabinetry and ceiling.
Read more expert recommendations and be inspired to bring nature indoors.
Paint cabinetry in warm white for a classic country feel
Your utility room doesn’t have to be somewhere that features bold colours to deliver beauty and character. Utility room storage solutions are essential. A warm, mineral white like Flint is the perfect choice for painting cabinetry in a more rustic utility space.
With its pure, natural makeup, Flint sits comfortably in utility room colour schemes alongside exposed natural wood beams and bare plaster walls. This simple combination has traditional charm and elegance. You can create a space where you can find a sense of tranquillity as you go about your daily routine.
Read our guide to painting cabinets in any room.
Introduce a floral wallpaper for all-over joyful pattern
If you really want to enliven your utility room décor, consider a beautiful floral wallpaper like Spring Flowers. With a small-scale, all-over print, this Arts & Crafts style wallpaper brings the uplifting atmosphere of springtime inside the home.
Embrace Spring Flowers – Garden on all walls and even the ceiling. Transform your utility room into a vibrant and joyful space that will inspire you each day. Coordinate with bright greens, Hopper and Garden on the woodwork and cabinetry. This combination will achieve a comforting, all-over finish.
Explore our full range of floral wallpaper to bring springtime indoors.
Consider a practical and inviting outdoor utility space
If you don’t have the luxury of an interior utility room, consider creating an outdoor laundry area. Using colour is an excellent way to segment your garden into various, functional ‘zones’. This method will extend your overall living space outdoors and create a sense of flow between the inside and out.
Use an inviting, rich, earthy hue like Nether Red to provide a strong backdrop for your outdoor utility space. With its natural pigmentation, Nether Red works beautifully in exterior settings as an accompaniment to natural stone.
Learn how to make the most of your exterior space with our guide to Exterior Paints, Durable Finishes.
Frequently asked questions about decorating a utility room
What type of paint should you use in a utility room?
Your utility room is a high-traffic space, so it’s important to look for a washable paint finish that offers excellent durability. We would recommend choosing a finish from our Intelligent Paints range. Up to 15 times tougher than many ordinary paints, these washable formulations are perfect for decorating high-traffic areas of the home.
Choose from Intelligent Matt, Eggshell, Satin or Gloss, which are all multi-surface paints available in all Little Greene colours. Enjoy complete freedom of colour and sheen level in your utility room refresh.
Read more about our Intelligent finishes.
How can I brighten a utility room?
If you want to make a space feel bigger & brighter, consider colour drenching all surfaces in a light colour. This method will maximise natural light and – with no colour contrasts – the space will appear larger and brighter.
You could also consider introducing Intelligent Gloss (87-90% sheen) on your utility room cabinetry or walls for added reflectance, bouncing light around the space.
What is the best colour to paint a utility room with no windows?
If your utility room has no windows, you can still create connection with the outdoors. Use colours or wallpapers that evoke nature. Consider a leafy wallpaper such as Beech Nut – Florence, or use a strong shade of green like Garden to draw nature inside your space. Alternatively, consider a dark colour for a small space. A moody hue such as Basalt, Còrdoba or Chocolate Colour will really harness the character of the space, delivering instant impact.
To incorporate your utility room into a wider scheme, browse our kitchen and dining inspiration gallery. Or learn more about our Intelligent Paint finishes.