Drying cupboard?

[LittleEsme]

I'm about to apply for planning permission with drawings so I'm at the very beginning of the renovation stage.

Luckily, I've been able to have my separate utility room (yey!). I'd like to dry clothes on hangers overnight and I'm looking at ideas.

I've looked at hanging racks from the ceiling but my home won't have high enough ceilings I feel. I've also looked at units that can extend hanging wire to a fixture in another wall (so creating a temporary clothes line) which is then retracted back into the unit when clothes are removed.

Are there such a thing as drying cupboards? I went skiing once with a hotel that had such things and you'd place your jackets and trousers on hangers and close the door. Obviously there's a constant heat source in there and clothes would be toasty warm by morning.

I don't know the first thing about heating such a cupboard/room - we are hoping for UFH - we don't have something like a lovely Aga to use neither.

I love the thought of not relying heavily on my tumble drier in the winter but the heat will have to come from somewhere without me relying on the heating being on all the time.

What do you all have?

I sort of have a drying cupboard. It's not as big as you describe. It's an airing cupboard that I can fit 2 clothes airers in. It also has a hanging rail, but you can't really use it when both airers are up.
I only need to use the tumble dryer for bedding and towels in winter.
The cupboard is heated by the gas boiler and water tank.

You will need ventilation, such as an extractor fan, to take the water vapour away, or it will cause condensation, damp and mould.

Lakeland drying rack.
Old fashioned pulley.
Agree about ventilation.

When we went to Finland they had a drying cupboard as you describe. I think you can find them online

Thanks everyone.
I'll add in extractor fan - thanks!

Would a radiator that's also electric mains powered be good enough as an overnight heat source to dry clothes do you think?

We have a ceiling pulley airer in our utility and I have an electric towel rail in there which I switch on if I want an extra drying boost. Works well.

If you will mainly be drying overnight then ceiling height may not be such an issue as you won’t be trying to use the room when the rack is full - so not such a problem if it gets in the way a bit. Also depends how tall you are!!

Hi OP, I know what you mean about those drying cupboards when you go skiing, they're fabulous aren't they? I was so enamoured of them last time I went ski-ing I hunted down this U.K. supplier: Peko Drying Cabinets. I don't have a house with the space to put one in yet, but I can dream!

Thanks @Wildwood6 for the link. Don't think my budget will stretch to that. I'll have to improvise 😊

I have something like this. I have a room that has “hot walls” (electric underfloor heating mats under a tiled wall) and an extractor fan. There is a rack to dry things flat and poles to hang things. It is about 4x4’ with the washing machine and tumble dryer in. It has sliding doors.

A bit of a laundry cupboard, rather than room, but very useful.

The heating mats can be turned on and off