To be honest, I didn't know what an airing cupboard was before we moved there, but once I discovered it, and especially since we had a teeny tiny washer/dryer combo that didn't do much along the drying lines, I really would have loved one. And I've been wishing I had one ever since. And airing cupboard is basically just a cupboard for your water heater or boiler that also has shelves for storing towels and sheets near the warmth to keep them dry. But, at least for my friend, it was also where she hung dry clothes. And that, that is what I want. A nice warm place to hang up all those clothes that we don't like to put in the dryer.
When I went to re-sort our linen closet this fall, I realized that our linen closet is piping hot anytime the fire is going and warm most of the time that it isn't, and I've been meaning to figure out some way to harness this and rig up my own airing cupboard. Eventually I'd like to put some slated shelves in there, but for now, I rigged up a closet rod to hang things from while they dry. And after a little test run last night with some wet laundry which was nice and dry by this morning, I think I've got it. Yay!
And yes, those are our lovely plywood floors. One of these days they'll be gone. (Please please not too long!)