Cut and Dried Tricks for Small Service Yards
Live in an apartment? Then you may not have space for a separate laundry. Here's how to deal with it.
Sometimes all you need is a sliver of space to fit in a washer-dryer … but sometimes a little extra, in the form of a trolley or folding and ironing surface, can make your apartment’s tiny service yard (or lack of) feel like a pretty decent laundry room. Here are some spaces that do it right:
Hide it!
Accordion doors conceal a stacked washer-dryer combo that includes a small washbasin and drying rack so that guests don’t have to see the unglamorous bit of this Aussie kitchen.
Accordion doors conceal a stacked washer-dryer combo that includes a small washbasin and drying rack so that guests don’t have to see the unglamorous bit of this Aussie kitchen.
When it’s part of your kitchen…
Appliances that match – and don’t clash with the cabinetry – give a well-planned look.
Appliances that match – and don’t clash with the cabinetry – give a well-planned look.
Here, the cabinetry is definitely the star of the kitchen. The washer and dryer blend in with the fridge and the white wall tiles for a clean, streamlined look.
Keep it open but visually tucked away to one side…
A narrow wall creates a boundary, and hides the unsightly plumbing pipes from the kitchen, in this HDB flat. But the wall also allows for an open, airy, and easily-accessible service yard, with the washing machine neatly tucked to one side.
A narrow wall creates a boundary, and hides the unsightly plumbing pipes from the kitchen, in this HDB flat. But the wall also allows for an open, airy, and easily-accessible service yard, with the washing machine neatly tucked to one side.
Here’s an even more discreet placement that allows the kitchen to look and feel bigger than it is.
In this HDB flat, which has an extended kitchen that’s taken over the service yard space, the washing machine is tucked away in a corner, facing away from the kitchen.
In this HDB flat, the stacked washer and dryer are neatly tucked towards the rear of the kitchen, although the service yard itself seems less than a metre wide. Glossy white surfaces – both of the appliances and the cabinetry – maintain a bright and airy look.
TELL US
How do you cope with a small service yard? Let us know in the Comments section.
TELL US
How do you cope with a small service yard? Let us know in the Comments section.
This Japanese apartment has a common bathroom similar to those in old HDB flats where a multi-purpose washbasin is located towards the rear/service yard. A little corner next to the washbasin is elevated for a washing machine. Well-coordinated light-hued wood pieces such as the trolley for organising toilet rolls, clothes pegs and detergents; the chair-hanging rack; and the shoe rack add a touch of Zen to the space.