Downstairs shower room & tiny utility room Vs Larger utility and just a downstairs toilet

[Katz]

We are converting our old kitchen into utility room and downstairs toilet.

We can arrange the space in two main ways one is to have a 1m x 1m downstairs toilet and then a 2.4m x 2.4m utility, the other is a 2.4m x 1m shower room with a 1.3m x 2.4m utility room

which would you go for?

We have a good sized family bathroom upstairs.

Can you block off the two doors that aren't the kitchen door, which would then lose the weird hallway and open up the space? You could then have equal sized shower & utility rooms with shower room door off the utility, accessed via the kitchen.
Also, if you're going for built in utility have you thought about stacking washer & dryer, which will free up wall space.

We use the door into our large utility room as our main way into the house. It's great because we can all pile in in the winter and there's space for everybody to take muddy shoes off at the same time, rather than having a queue through a narrow hallway. The mud is then contained in the utility room rather than spread over the house. How will you be getting in and out of the house?

Our downstairs shower is currently storing the highchair, we never use it.

I'd try and loose the extra hallway and just access the bathroom from the utility room, it'd give you loads more space.

Or ignore you can't block those doors off, try an L-shaped shower room and L-shaped utility?

We have just got a new utility and cloakroom toilet after an extension. Utility dimensions are 1.6 x 2.3.
We chose to have stacked dryer/washer and tall cupboard at one (shorter) end, and work tops/wall cupboards at the other end. This gave wall space on the longer wall for retractable drying line over a radiator. Don't know if that config may work for your dimensions?

Mungo - I'd love to block of those doors but sadly it would just be too costly to move the door into the living room.

Lots more ideas - thanks - I've had a play with an all in one room (will put a floor plan up tonight when on computer rather than phone)

Interesting idea about having a utility cupboard - we have one at the moment but which works but what I hate is that the washing gets sorted on to the breakfast bar and the airer has to stand in the dining room. But with a bigger bathroom that could work - will have a go at drafting that too.

I'll post later the whole ground floor layout so show where this space sits in relation to the rest of the rooms.

quick lunch break at work to add the all in one shower room utility - would put a pocket door into the toilet which slides into the wall behind the shower.

Hi. Haven't read all replies as ours is done now and it's too late!! :). Don't think ours is as big as your but we always said 'utility' but also needed a downstairs toilet in there as only one toilet in our three bed semi. We definitely wanted boiler and washing machine in there as they are noisy and our extension was going to be all open plan (kitchen, diner, living space). Then we saw a neighbour who had put a shower in theirs and we thought that was handy. My in laws are quite elderly and my step mum has MS and finds our stairs tricky so we thought we would put a shower in ours. Now it's done I would definitely say it is more of a downstairs bathroom with a washing machine. No room for drying clothes. Only time will tell whether we have done the right thing but we have two boys, one a teenager and one sport mad. Can send a picture later but currently have a builder making a big mess in my 'not quite finished' kitchen!! 😛 I am quite happy with it, DH not so much (not that he ever does any laundry)

i have just finished my renovation. I put in an understairs wetroom (to get an extra shower) and have a small utility. I would like the utility bigger but we didnt have another option really. My 2 boys are young but we thought it would be worth it when they get bigger and also have the elderly parents issue. Only time will tell.
We have a pocket door elsewhere in the house and i love it. it is soooo cool :) We also have a sliding door (which doesnt go into the wall) and it it great to get extra space in a small room.

Personally i wouldn't like a toilet or shower in the utility especially if it is the guest toilet.

Little star - picture would be great, thanks

Could you do something like this? (Sorry for pathetic plan - used the Homebase one which didn't quite do what I wanted). It means moving door from kitchen - is that possible?

I've used a 60cm sink to equal appliances - I'd stack them in corner opposite door. And put a worktop over the others, cut to fit into side by washer. Can put laundry baskets under.

I'd put a partition wall with pocket door near toilet to get into bathroom.

So, bathroom would be 1.2 x 2.4 and utility 1.2 (1 at narrowest point) x 3.4 (that's if I've got dimensions right?). Would that work at all?

interesting and thought provoking - thank you.

Sadly the toilet couldn't go there because of where our current soil stack is but I hadn't thought of splitting the space long ways - shall have a play over the weekend.

Think my DH is fed up with me changing m mind on this!

I spent years trying to work out how to do ours. Once it started, the builder said, "Why don't you do x instead?" Was so obvious but I hadn't "seen" it!

DH should be happy you are giving it so much thought! It's all in the planning.

Here you go, excuse the little pile of builders stuff still on the floor. As you can see more of a downstairs bathroom. ☺

Bigger utility definitely. Mine is 2m x 3m, and easily the most used room in the house. I would also recommend a tall pull out unit for storing cleaning products and a ceiling mounted drying rack. We have a down stairs loo too, but I have not felt the need to include a shower. Works well for us.

Larger utility room and toilet downstairs (sorry but I hate downstairs showers)

Katz I like your last plan

littlestar34 that looks great! kind of what i was meaning with a bigger shower room then washer/dryer in cupboard.

A point worth considering is that if you have a shower in the room it will be considered as a bathroom and your household insurance premiums could go up.

We have a shower and loo in our utility and it made a chunky difference to the premium. Which is a bit annoying as we don't use the shower in there

thank you all for your feedback - i think i've cracked it - slight change from the open plan is to put a wall across where the shower is and have the pocket door there. means cupboards can go up to it and the shower room is more roomy and the utility space better arranged. I've missed the sink out of the downstairs toilet but there would be one!

How is that different in terms of utility sizing to your first narrow bathroom plan?

We had this debate last year. I won. Big utility with lots of hanging rails, separate toilet and storage area. Love it.

My main objections to another shower were that it would be something else to clean and reduce drying space.

Second shower would be my preference - 2 teenagers and only 1 shower is difficult at times, especially when we have friends staying. Also dd likes a 2 hr bath to relax, second shower would enable her to bathe more often

Separate shower room and tiny utility as kids get older or if have visitors you will really appreciate it. We went for toilet and a room/study (study is just a dumping ground in reality).

@katz what software are you using to plan this out please?