Utility room dilemma

[ShyTallSun]

We're about to start designing an extension to our home and I'm hoping we'll have space for a utility room.

However, having never had one I'm struggling to work out best layout and whether the back door to the garden should go through the utility room or come off the kitchen. I think it makes more sense to have all muddy shoes/wellies come through a utility room rather than into kitchen but are there reasons to have no back door in the utility?

I think the issue may be more would you like to access your garden directly from your kitchen. It is far easier to carry a coffee out if you only have one door to negotiate. Do you have dogs though? You might prefer a 'buffer zone' if you like to keep a tidy kitchen floor.

I have direct access to the garden from my kitchen but I make sure I have doormats.

My whole reason for having a utility room would be to avoid muddy feet in my kitchen. So I would definitely have the outside door in the utility.

Are there any other doors which will access the garden, e.g. From a conservatory or patio doors from the lounge?
I'd say a door from the utility room makes most sense because of muddy boots, and also ease of taking washing out to the line etc. Also does having a door in the kitchen compromise the kitchen layout, or mean you can have less appliances or work surface in the kitchen?

I think it depends on how much space there will be in the utility room once you've filled it with washing machines/freezers/coats/boots/other junk.
Unless there is enough room it will become a bottleneck.

Thanks all. There will be patio or French or bi-fold doors from the kitchen out to the garden and we also have French doors from sitting room out to the garden....but muddy feet are not allowed in the sitting room! Sounds like a door to the garden from the utility makes most sense.

Definitely a door in the utility to dump muddy boots shoes and boots, but also to take washing in and out to the line.

I would say both- if you can afford the wall space.

We have bi-folds from the kitchen and dining room- the latter open onto the patio so it acts like an extended dining room in the summer. I like to potter in and out of the kitchen doors.

The utility opens onto the garage, which in turn has a door to the garden so that is the mud zone.

That's another option for us sister as we could attach extension to the garage but suspect there won't be enough wall space for 3 doors (garage, garden, kitchen).

Any disadvantages to the mud route having to go through the garage?

For me, this issue was solved by cabinets and wall space. I planned my kitchen and utility, and it became obvious that there simply wasn't space in the utility to fit everything I needed and a door.

If you have Pinterest search mud room. I am determined to have a utility room/mud room when we build our house

I'd go for back door in utility room only. You don't need access from the kitchen as well. That's just waste of wall space. We have an extension (done before we moved in so not laid out like I would have planned it) and we have a bigger kitchen and no utility room. The kids are forever bring mud through the kitchen when they have been outside. It drives me mad. I'd kill for a utility room with a back door in there. We also have other access through the patio doors in the dining room so not having it in the kitchen wouldn't bother me.

Obviously, everyone's lay out will be different but when we had door only via utility it was too cramped.

Children had to negotiate mop, bucket etc. Also, always seemed to want in or out as I was loading washing machine (utility is small and untidy).

When guests were visiting wasn't great going into garden via the recycling bin and ironing board.

We now also have double doors from kitchen diner. Much better! Utility room door hasn't been opened in ages. They know to take shoes off if muddy.

Only downside to me about mud route being via the garage is that I have to go through said chilly garage to let dog in and out.

A door from the utility is fine as long as there's room to separate mud areas and clean washing. My current utility layout, which WILL be changed one day, has clean washing coming out on top of the giant usually muddy doormat. Drives me potty but I have plans to refit the utility with floor to ceiling cupboards which will keep everything separate.

I agree that it comes down to space. I definitely wanted a utility room in extension (had one before the work) but wanted big open plan kitchen & counter / cupboard space more than I wanted a back door. We don't really have a muddy boot problem but use the front door anyway!