Small utility rooms

[hangoninaminute]

We're planning our kitchen at the moment and need to know where to put the washing machine and tumble dryer. The problem is I really want a utility room but this won't be possible until we have built our extension and this will be in many years. We know we can put the appliances in the kitchen and then make these in to cupboards at a later date but the me in me needs to know whether a utility room is possible. If so, I am contemplating making the kitchen plan with no washing machine or tumble dryer and putting them in a long term temporary location somewhere else in the house.

I would love to see how small I could go with a utility room. I don't want to compromise on the new family room or access to garden for it. But want to make my kitchen work better without having to find space for 2 more appliances.

Please talk to me about your utility rooms and show me pics if poss :) x

Interested in this too as we are about to start an extension. Our plans originally included a utility room, but it really interfered with the flow of the house wherever I put it so have gone without in the end. The obvious answer would have been to extend out to the side, but I didn't want to lose any of the outside space there and it would have added quite a lot of cost.

What type of house do you have hangonaminute?

It's a hard one isn't it deankoontz. I've been on Pinterest and seen many utility rooms in a cupboard but not sure how practical these are. I'm in a 1870 cottage and we're thinking of a single storey extension. What's your layout of your house at the moment?

neigbours just had a tiny utility extension built. it's tiny but useful.
it's got 2 doors (off the kitchen into the garden).
it holds tumble dryer and washer (on either side) and a retractable washing line above. so maybe 2.5 meters by 1 meter if that.

Our garage which is accessed from the kitchen has been converted into storage and utility. I was seriously tempted to make our spare bed a laundry room though, it makes so much sense for laundry to be done upstairs.

Sounds like what you need is a laundry cupboard, preferably located near the bathroom and bedrooms where (presumably) all your dressing and undressing takes place. i haven't got one myself but I know someone who put one in.

We're in the process of putting one into the back of our garage - so it's 2.7 wide by 1.5 deep. So enough room for machines side by side and worktop and shelves over. And to have ironing board etc set up in there all the time (I hope). Has a new glass door looking out onto the garden too which will be lovely when I'm in there sorting things out.
Our laundry is almost always out of control though and the house will look much better if I can shut a door on it. Think kitchen / diner / lounge will be much quieter without these two machines too.
Have contemplated stacking the machines (space upstairs for a cupboard) and have seen a stacker with an inbuilt drawer to sort the wash as you empty the machines. But I never get round to putting it away immediately so I think this in unrealistic for me. Had an arrangement on holiday last year where the machines were stacked, there was a door opening into the cupboard and a 30cm deep worktop in the remaining space on the other side of the machines. Was too cramped to be anything other than a cramped little miserable space though and there was no lighting in there so pretty horrible for anyone sorting the wash.

We converted downstairs wet room into utility room. Still have the loo in there changed hand basin for a belfast sink and have washing machine and dryer stacked in there. Have a cupboard under sink for cleaning stuff and shelf with a hanging rail below and some bike hooks on wall to store airers.

Works great and the whole room is 7 by 5 foot. Stacking machines definitely helps with space. Was a bit worried as am very short but have no probs using the dryer (on top)!

Our utility apace is tiny. Big enough for a boiler, a small cupboard (just a tad bigger than a medicine cabinet), a laundry basket, ironing board and out top-loader washing machine.

When this washing machine has finally given up, we will buy a condenser dryer. I can't share pictures because it would most definitely out me.

I would say it's like a cupboard more than a full utility room, but it does serve a good purpose.

Thank you for your replies. I've been looking at the floor plan again today and we could put access in to the garden in a different position which would give us a bigger utility and a bigger living/family room. We've left it for the time being with a downstairs loo in the utility area. So a door from the living/family room leading to the utility. Then a door leading to downstairs loo. Think of a square within a square if you like. If you understand my waffle do you think this would be a problem or would we find it annoying?