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Cambridge, Brighton and Bristol are among the happiest places to live and work in the UK.
The study, conducted by job website Glassdoor's Economic Research team, analysed over 100,000 anonymous employer reviews from 20 cities. Cambridge scooped the top spot, earning a winning score of 78.2% job satisfaction. With beautiful old buildings as far as the eye can see and greenery galore, this pretty city certainly knows how to charm its workers.
Meanwhile, Brighton came in second place with 77.6% satisfaction rating, praised for its work-life balance, senior leadership and compensation. If you're looking for somewhere with the perfect balance of work and happiness, then this seaside city could be just for you.
Other places that scored highly include Newcastle, Leeds and Bristol. The country's capital came in fifth place, despite previously being crowned the 'most desirable' city to live and work in. Glassdoor found it was placed sixth for compensation and benefits, with many commenting on its rising rents and house prices.
"London is often romanticised as the city to reach the peak of your career and earning capacity, but Glassdoor's latest analysis shows that you can find a job with a great salary and work-life balance outside of the M25. Smaller cities are winning the hearts of workers," Lauren Thomas, UK economist at Glassdoor, told The Metro.
Take a look at the full list below:
Top 10 happiest places to live and work in the UK
- Cambridge (3.91)
- Brighton (3.88)
- Bristol (3.87)
- Newcastle (3.87)
- London (3.85)
- Leeds (3.84)
- Nottingham (3.81)
- Manchester (3.8)
- Oxford (3.8)
- Cardiff (3.77)
17 utility room ideas to make the most of extra space
Utility room ideas: hanging rail
This elegant utility room has lots of clever features, like the double sink, integrated and overhead storage, and a copper hanging rail to dry clothes.
Pictured: Utility room designed by Stephenson Wright with hardware by Armac Martin
Utility room ideas: curtains
This attractive utility room solution is a bit of a secret money-saver. Instead of replacing worn out or outdated cabinets, hang some heavy-weight canvas curtains to add a bit of texture to your room.
Utility room ideas: baskets and more baskets
You can never have enough baskets in a utility room. Pile them with linens, dishcloths and cleaning utensils to contain the clutter.
Pictured: Garden Trading Bembridge Storage Baskets at Cotswold Trading Co
Utility room ideas: floor-to-ceiling storage
Floor-to-ceiling storage – especially in a room with a lot of height – is a dream scenario in a utility room. This elegant example uses shaker cabinets to make something totally striking out of a practical feature.
Pictured: Utility room designed by Stephenson Wright with hardware by Armac Martin
Utility room ideas: black
Most of the utility rooms on this list err on the side of soft neutrals, with the odd racer green. We love this practical black version, which will better withstand inevitable scuffs and scrapes.
Pictured: Accessories at Garden Trading
Utility room ideas: fun flooring
The utility room is one of the most high-traffic areas in your home, requiring extra thought for choice of flooring. Whilst natural stone flooring is a traditional choice, an easy-to-clean engineered wood or high-quality vinyl tile are both versatile and affordable options to withstand muddy shoes and heavy footfall.
Utility room ideas: vintage styling
One for the design conscious. Decant your cleaning materials into attractive glass jars and collect your utensils into apple crates – as for the utensils themselves, vintage or wooden versions can double as decor.
Pictured: Bespoke utility room by Kitchen Makers
Utility room ideas: the laundry maid
The ultimate utility room space saver. This laundry maid from deVOL has a charming and vintage feel, which lends itself to a country-style home.
Pictured: The Laundry Maid by deVOL
Utility room ideas: decorative touches
The decorative side of a utility room is often overlooked in favour of more practical elements. And whilst the latter is most certainly a priority, some soft touches like flowers won't go amiss – it's all about making the room a nicer place to be whilst doing dreary tasks.
Pictured: Accessories at Garden Trading
Utility room ideas: a spot for shoes
This busy utility room utilises every inch of space. The L-shaped bench is great for storing muddy wellies, and offers a spot to sit to pop them on. The textiles are a nice touch too, so often overlooked in a utility room.
Pictured: Bespoke utility room by Kitchen Makers
Utility room ideas: small storage
The utility room will naturally be full of cleaning products, some unsightly bottles and perhaps extras like dog food and leads. Utilise some well-designed small storage solutions like this galvanised bucket to stop your bits and pieces drifting across your counters.
Pictured: Edgeworth Bucket at Garden Trading
Utility room ideas: natural elements
Quite a few of the utility rooms on this list have a spot for chopped logs. And whilst many homes won't actually have use for them, they make for a great decorative touch.
Pictured: Bespoke utility room by Olive & Barr
Utility room ideas: a soothing colour palette
This is lovely off-white putty colour is a great alternative to a more clinical white or dreary grey. The warm undertones lend themselves to brass or bronze hardware and some yellow-toned woods.
Pictured: Utility room designed by Rachael Somerville Interiors with hardware by Armac Martin
Utility room ideas: wall dryers
For anyone who is tired of unsightly drying racks taking up floor space, invest in a wall or ceiling-mounted dryer with a simple wood frame.
Pictured: Chalford Wall Dryer at Garden Trading
Utility room ideas: a space for the dog
Take a close look at this XL utility room by Olive & Barr, and you'll spot a sweet integrated dog bed. "Get the most of your space by opting for bespoke," says Al Bruce, Founder of Olive & Barr. "Having a made-to-measure piece will help to maximise every inch of the room. Often dog beds can look unsightly or can often get in the way. To avoid this, design the perfect snooze spot for your pooch with an integrated dog bed."
Pictured: Bespoke utility room by Olive & Barr
Utility room ideas: stacked appliances
Stacking your appliances vertically is a great space-saving device. For an extra helpful touch, incorporate a pull-out shelf into the space between your appliances so you can fold your clothing as soon as it comes out of the dryer.
Pictured: Utility room designed by Planet Furniture with hardware by Armac Martin
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