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Ideal Home reports that London homeowner Hatty Parker created a drying cupboard with pull-out clothes rails, ventilation grilles, a dehumidifier and a low-wattage heating element. The design keeps laundry out of the room and is based on a setup Parker says she had already found effective; drying times and energy use have not been independently measured.
Ideal Home has reported on a built-in laundry drying cupboard created by London homeowner Hatty Parker, combining pull-out clothes rails, ventilation grilles and a dehumidifier to help manage indoor laundry during colder weather. The design keeps wet clothes behind cupboard doors, but claims that it dries clothes faster are based on Parker’s experience rather than published performance tests.
Parker, a web designer renovating a Victorian terraced house in London, added a small laundry room after reconfiguring a family bathroom and an adjoining box bedroom. The room sits near the bedroom and bathroom, and the drying cupboard is beside a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer. Parker said the arrangement was intended to combine the function of a traditional airing cupboard with a dedicated place for clothes to dry.
The cupboard includes pull-out rails for hanging clothes, a dehumidifier connected to the washing machine and dryer waste, and a low-wattage heating element. Parker also said ventilation grilles were cut into the doors so air could circulate. The arrangement is intended to keep laundry less visible while allowing the drying equipment to operate in an enclosed space.
Parker told Ideal Home that she and her household had previously used a dehumidifier with a heated clothes airer and found the combination worked well for them. Ideal Home senior digital editor Jenny McFarlane recommended leaving enough ventilation and clearance around a dehumidifier. The article does not provide measured drying times, electricity consumption, installation costs or a comparison with an ordinary drying rack.
A More Contained Way to Dry Laundry
Indoor clothes drying can take up floor space, and damp laundry may remain in a room for extended periods in cold weather. Parker’s design addresses the practical problem of where to put drying clothes by moving the rails into a cupboard and keeping the equipment together. For households with a spare wall or a small laundry area, the idea offers a way to make the routine less visually intrusive.
The feature’s appeal is not proof that every cupboard will dry clothes faster. Results can depend on the amount of laundry, room conditions, airflow, appliance capacity and how the cupboard is built. The design also occupies storage space and requires room for equipment, ventilation and access. Readers considering it should treat Parker’s experience as a household example, not as a guaranteed performance result.
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How Parker Designed the Cupboard
The cupboard came out of a wider renovation. Parker said she and her family reshaped the bathroom and adjoining box bedroom to create a larger bathroom and a small laundry room, giving up a fifth bedroom in the process. Locating laundry facilities near the bedroom and bathroom was part of a plan to make washing and drying more convenient.
Parker said she found a drying cupboard online that informed her design. Her version brings together features she had used separately: a dehumidifier and heated airer, alongside rails and a more permanent place for drying. Ideal Home presents it as one possible configuration rather than a standard installation. The article also suggests that a compact dehumidifier or small heat source could be accommodated at the bottom, while stressing ventilation and clearance.
“The idea for the drying cupboard … came from wanting a cross between a traditional airing cupboard and a dedicated space where clothes could dry efficiently, but remain neatly out of sight.”
— Hatty Parker, homeowner, in comments to Ideal Home
Drying Performance Is Not Measured
Ideal Home does not report controlled tests showing how quickly the cupboard dries clothes, how much energy it uses, or whether it outperforms a heated airer or a conventional drying rack. Parker’s comments describe her household’s experience, but do not establish results for other homes or equipment.
The article also does not give construction dimensions, the dehumidifier model installed in Parker’s cupboard, the heating element’s power rating, the cost of the work or detailed plumbing instructions. It is not clear whether the connected drain arrangement suits all appliances or homes. Anyone adapting the idea would need to check appliance instructions, ventilation needs and any relevant installation requirements rather than assuming the pictured setup is directly transferable.
Check Space and Appliance Requirements
Ideal Home’s report does not announce a product launch or a scheduled follow-up; the cupboard is a homeowner’s renovation project. For readers exploring a similar arrangement, the practical next step is to measure the available space and check the chosen dehumidifier’s clearance, drainage and ventilation requirements. A cupboard should not be sealed around equipment that needs airflow.
Before committing to built-in work, households can compare the proposed setup with their existing drying options and consider the cost of equipment and installation. The report provides no figures to show whether the arrangement reduces drying time or running costs. Those outcomes remain dependent on the home, the appliances and the way the cupboard is used.
Key Questions
What is the laundry cupboard idea?
It is a cupboard fitted with pull-out rails for hanging clothes, ventilation grilles and space for a dehumidifier and a low-wattage heating element. Parker’s version sits beside her stacked washer and dryer.
Does a drying cupboard dry clothes faster?
Parker told Ideal Home that she had found a dehumidifier and heated airer effective, but the report gives no measured drying times or independent comparison. Results will vary with the equipment, laundry load, airflow and room conditions.
Why does the cupboard need ventilation?
Parker included grilles in the doors to allow air to circulate, and Ideal Home editor Jenny McFarlane advised allowing enough ventilation and clearance for the dehumidifier. Follow the appliance maker’s instructions for the specific model.
Can this setup fit in any home?
Not necessarily. It requires suitable space for the rails and equipment, plus access to ventilation and, in Parker’s design, a drain connection. The report does not provide universal dimensions or installation guidance, so the setup needs to be adapted to the home and appliances.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
