Utility room with toilet and sink

[Briony32]

We have a downstairs bathroom with a loo, basin and bath. We don't need the bath anymore and would like to get rid of it and replace it with a worktop to accomodate a tumble dryer (condenser type) and washing machine underneath. So we would have a utility room with the existing toilet and basin left in it. It is a squarish room, and I don't think it would be a good use of space to have a separate loo.
Does anyone know if there are building regs/ guidelines that say that you can't have electric sockets and a loo and basin in one room? I would like to do the ironing in there too.
Thanks

I have family who have this arrangement (without the ironing board) so either it was a dodgy builder or it is ok.

you can't reach any of the electric sockets and the sink at the same time, which presumably is the idea. The room also has a light switch, not a pull cord.

If you can put nice doors over the washing machine and tumble dryer it will still look like a lovely big downstairs toilet when guests come. You might want to consider making the cupboards go all the way to the ceiling for extra storage and neatness. Also design somewhere to store the ironing board so that you can put it all away to make the room look nice when you need to.

We have this arrangement (downstairs bathroom converted to utility and loo). We've got normal sockets, not by the sink and a normal light switch. It was part of a refurb so the building inspector passed it along with anyone else. I recommend a nice big butler's type sink so you can soak hand washing easily.

We also put up nice pictures and a mirror, vase and flowers when there're guests coming, so it felt more than a utilitarian space.

(No room for an ironing board, alas!)

Along with everything else...

We've done this and I'm really pleased with it. I have a Belfast sink which is great for laundry, lots of storage and a big worktop. When the children were babies I bathed them in the sink and had a changing mat on the worktop.
If you have nice towels, soaps and pictures it looks quite smart.
The only downside is when DH locks himself in the loo for ages and I need to wash three loads of rugby kit!

Ours is like this, sockets are no-where near the sink or shower & hidden behind the washing machine & tumble dryer.
Was done in 2008 (before we moved in) but was signed off by building inspector so assume its all ok

My in laws had this in their new build - washer, dryer and pull out ironing board were inside an enormous cupboard along one wall. Looked really nice, and we considered doing this in our extension before our utility grew unexpectedly.

we had this arrangement in a previous property and was fine - also signed off by building regs. my mother in law hated it though!! like a gave a flying ....

there's no problem with having sockets in a room with a sink (think of kitchens!) but they need to be a certain distance from any water source - can't remember what but it's not a huge distance.
Friends of mine have got combined utility and loo. It would be fine except they are not very tidy and in order to go to their loo you usually end up climbing over baskets of washing....
I think the suggestion made by pippop1 of having big cupboard doors is a good one. I'd ratehr have a combined loo/utility room than no utility room.

I wish I had such a room......
(and a walk in wardrobe upstairs too!)

Thanks everyone. I'm actually getting quite excited about this now. My husband doesn't believe that it's worth getting a pull down ironing board though as I haven't ironed for years. But maybe it will be the start of a new me!
Good idea about ceiling height cupboards pippop1. Any idea where I can get these? Ikea? I know they do lots of cool laundry fittings, but it would be nice to be able to shut everything away behind a cupboard. Do you think I need to go for integrated washing machine and dryer or do you think I should just buy cupboards big enough to slot them into? I'm thinkng the second option could be cumbersome.
If anyone has any ideas about suppliers for the cupboards and fittings, I'd love to know.
I like the idea of a Butler's sink Lomaamina and NewBlueShoesToo but don't think there is enought space for one that is separate from the basin for the loo. The area we are talking about for the cupboards/worktop/and machines is only the length of a bath.

My pull out ironing board came from Ikea and fits behind a drawer front - don't know if they still make it though.

Ikea certainly do some very tall cupboard doors OP. I think you might need to measure the height to the ceiling and width of the machines and see what you can find, door wise.

You might need to buy the doors only (say in white) and then get a carpenter to make a outer carcass part to put them onto and thus hide the machines. Remember that you will need to pull the machines out from time to time so make sure the bottom of the cupboard comes off somehow (sometimes they put a piece of wood which is held on by magnets across the bottom so it is easily removed).

Loads f good pics here
www.pinterest.com/search/?q=laundry+closet

You could use IKEA Pax wardrobe doors perhaps and as pippop says have a frame built round them to take it to the ceiling.
Using mdf or hardboard is another option.
I would the frame built from the floor (so no base) so you can pull the machines out for repairs.

Maybe look at kitchen fitters?

Our bathroom cupboards are actually kitchen cupboards - more choice and cheaper too!

Went to see s new build today that had this arrangement. They had nice integrated appliances though so they couldn't be seen.

You don't need a separate basin for the loo! Just one sink to serve both purposes.

Ours our kitchen cupboards too (from Howden's). Just plain gloss white with satin steel handles and all the accessories (loo and towel holders) are in the same material (satin steel, not gloss white!)

Oh and I recommend www.worldofbrass.co.uk/ordering.htm for the fittings.

we bought the

Product: Contract Towel Holder
Product Code: LV05

Product: Contract Paper Holder
Product Code: LV07

as well as their excellent door handles:

Product: Vision Door Lever Handles C010
Product Code: LRZ010