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A drying cupboard in a London home combines pull-out clothes rails with a dehumidifier and ventilation to dry laundry while keeping it out of the way. The design was reported by Ideal Home, but drying times, running costs and performance compared with a standard indoor airer have not been independently established.
Ideal Home has highlighted a built-in drying cupboard in a London home that pairs pull-out clothes rails with a dehumidifier and ventilation grilles, offering a way to keep wet laundry out of sight during winter. The design comes from web designer Hatty Parker, who says she adapted an airing-cupboard idea after finding that a dehumidifier and heated airer worked well together.
Parker’s cupboard sits beside a stacked washing machine and tumble dryer in a small laundry room created during renovations to her Victorian terraced house. In her account to Ideal Home, she said the household had previously used a dehumidifier alongside a heated clothes airer and wanted to make that arrangement more permanent and less visible.
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. Ventilation grilles cut into the doors allow air to circulate. The setup is intended to combine concealed storage with conditions that help laundry dry; Ideal Home’s report does not provide measured drying times or energy-use figures for Parker’s installation.
Ideal Home senior digital editor Jenny McFarlane said a dehumidifier or small radiator at the bottom is important to the concept. She recommended allowing sufficient ventilation and clearance around the appliance. The report also names several dehumidifiers for possible use, but does not offer a controlled comparison of those products or establish that one model is required.
A Concealed Alternative to Airers
The design addresses two common indoor-laundry concerns: clothes can take longer to dry in winter, and a freestanding airer can occupy living space while laundry is drying. Keeping rails inside a cupboard may reduce visible clutter, while a dehumidifier can help manage moisture in the enclosed area when the space is configured for airflow.
That does not make the cupboard a guaranteed faster or cheaper option. Results will depend on factors such as the amount and type of laundry, room conditions, ventilation, appliance capacity and how the system is operated. The feature is best understood as a homeowner’s practical design example, not a tested product review or a universal solution.
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How Parker Built the Drying Space
Parker told Ideal Home that a renovation reconfigured the family bathroom and an adjoining box bedroom to create a larger bathroom, giving up a fifth bedroom to make room for a small laundry room. Placing laundry facilities near the bedroom or bathroom can make household routines more convenient, although the report does not say that this layout suits every home.
She said she found a drying-cupboard design on Pinterest and used it as inspiration. The resulting installation adapts the idea of a traditional airing cupboard with dedicated hanging rails and active moisture removal. Its concealed position and cupboard doors are part of the design, while the ventilation openings and appliance clearance address the need for air movement.
“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, quoted by Ideal Home
Performance and Costs Still Unmeasured
Ideal Home’s report does not say how long a typical load takes to dry in Parker’s cupboard, how much electricity the dehumidifier and heating element use, or how those figures compare with a standard airer or tumble dryer. It also does not give installation costs, dimensions, or technical details about the connection to the appliances’ waste outlets.
The suitability of the approach will vary between homes. The source does not establish what ventilation rate is needed, whether a particular cupboard size or appliance is appropriate, or whether the design meets any requirements that might apply to a specific installation. Readers considering a built-in version should check appliance instructions and seek qualified advice for plumbing or electrical work rather than treating the pictured setup as a universal specification.
Check the Setup Before Building
The Ideal Home report presents Parker’s cupboard as an example rather than announcing a new product or tested standard. Anyone interested in adapting it would need to plan for the cupboard’s dimensions, airflow, appliance clearance and safe connections before construction. The next useful evidence for comparing options would be measured drying times, energy use and installation costs, none of which are supplied in the report.
For now, the confirmed development is the publication of a homeowner’s design and the practical details she shared. Whether it will dry clothes faster or cost less than other indoor methods remains dependent on the household and setup.
Key Questions
What is the laundry cupboard hack?
It is a built-in cupboard with pull-out clothes rails, a dehumidifier, a low-wattage heating element and ventilation grilles, as described by homeowner Hatty Parker to Ideal Home.
Does the cupboard dry clothes faster?
Parker told Ideal Home that she found a dehumidifier and heated airer worked well for drying clothes. The report gives no measured drying times for the built-in cupboard, so it does not establish how much faster it is than other methods.
Why does the cupboard need ventilation?
The described design has grilles in its doors to allow air to circulate. Ideal Home’s Jenny McFarlane also advised leaving enough ventilation and clearance for the dehumidifier to operate efficiently.
Can I connect a dehumidifier to a washing machine waste?
Parker’s installation is described as connecting the dehumidifier to the washing machine and tumble dryer waste. The report does not provide instructions or confirm that this arrangement suits other appliances; check manufacturer guidance and get qualified advice before making plumbing or electrical changes.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
