Extra living space or large utility for a family?

[Angryosaurus]

We are planning the extension/remodel on our 'forever' home (until we downsize in 30 years or so). I want to get the layout right for us/not too concerned about resale.

We have 2 young DC and plan at least 1 more all being well. We will have a large kitchen diner and 2 separate reception rooms. There is a approx 3m x 4m space off the kitchen, that I could open up to the kitchen for a living space (creating an L shaped kitchen living diner)or I could turn it into a large utility/boot room. (there is space for a smaller utility elsewhere if needed, which could be a pantry instead (also off kitchen. I'm struggling to decide how we will use the space in 5 and 10 years time, and what will be most useful. Any comments gratefully welcomed!

Is there a garage option? We have the utility outside and it’s great.

Utility for me,
We had a similar dilemma some years ago and have ended up with large kitchen diner, small tv room and further more formal reception room.
Young children ( and sometimes older) can do homework in kitchen ... most time by everyone is spent in little tv room... more than enough family space and I would be very happy to donate space from kitchen room to a utility if it was possible. As a PP said the teens spend time in their rooms . I would love to have ironing board and Airers up somewhere other than the kitchen! Coats and boots are always scattered around and likewise pet stuff. We are past small pet stage but utility space would have really helped then. Our kitchen always seems to have bikes/ fishing stuff/ tool boxes etc lying around and downstairs loo has plastic basins with soaking sports kit in. In earlier days it was the buggies and little tykes car type toys that were underfoot.I am at home more than anyone else and I would love clear decks!

No don't do that last option. Light is so important.

However I do wonder if you can make the small utility room option more appealing, by putting some "utility room" stuff elsewhere. For example a big coat cupboard under the stairs (may not work in your house but just an eg). And broom cupboard with hoover etc in the kitchen. So then the utility room is just for laundry - and then it's big enough. Does that make sense?

In earlier days it was the buggies and little tykes car type toys that were underfoot.

See this is the stage OP is at, and those kinds of toys are never going to end up in a utility - whereas if she does the snug option they can be kept there.

Snug seems best to me for the small years stage. Perhaps once the DC are older it could be partitioned off, put a sink in (put plumbing in NOW while you're doing the work) and it becomes a boot room/kit room/separated den.

I def wouldn’t shut off the light so no to the last option.
What size and use for your other reception room? Is it somewhere you can have a second tv, games console etc? Somewhere they can hang out with their friends between say, 11-15yrs? Because I have found that room to be my most useful space. We had it as a playroom when they were younger and it’s now a tv/games room where they spend lots of time.

Get an architect to give you some rough ideas.

Another vote for the utility room. Do you have a downstairs loo? If not, then incorporating one (possibly with an extra shower as well?) would be a best use of the space IMO.

Is there a route through to the downstairs WC that the children can get to from outside without having to take off their boots?
If not, then can you use part of the utility room space for it?

Will you have an door accessing outside to your utility? If so make the area a utility room , put a showerroom in there too. You will love a nice space to be able to clean up your kids before they enter the "house" toddlers fall in mud, kids purposefully fall in mud, and teenagers end up going on camps and bringing bags covered in mud home! You can always shower kids after a day at the beach instead of traipsing upstairs full of sand. Also if you ever had a hot tub - a downstairs shower in a utility would be brilliant!

OP - can you draw a rough floorplan and post here?

Keep the big living room definitely. I think I have similar to your small utility room option, although the L shaped kitchen diner only has space for a small sofa. Then we have a 6x4m living room, 3x3 m study, 3x1.8m utility. It works well for us but I'd like more storage which a larger utility room would give.

These are my designs. We will definitely be working with an architect, but just wanted to get a feel for how our growing family will use the space. It is the middle room that will be either the utility or living space. The main lounge will be our family room with TV, the small front room will be a study with desk and sofa. The thin room at the back on the left has the WC and could be a smaller utility or pantry. It has a sloping low ceiling and is more awkward than it looks.

After seeing the plans i would definitely use it as living space, that room would be amazing. We have to go through our utility to the wc i don't find that it's an issue. I would just try to ensure thay you've got storage for coats/shoes under the stairs or in the hallway if possible.

In this situation with a kitchen/diner AND two separate reception spaces I would 100% go for a nice utility.

That room would be amazing but as I pop downstairs this morning and look at the three drying frames I have of drying washing in the TV room and utility room I would still choose to have less living space and the washing out of the way. I don't use my dryer very often (did last night as I couldn't cope with the amount of washing). Only op knows whether she uses her dryer constantly and puts things away quickly (I don't) and whether she doesn't mind washing of 4 (possibly 5) people being out most of the time.

I totally posted that before looking at the plans!

I’ve changed my mind. That is a nice space that would make the kitchen diner quite ‘wow’ and you do have space for a smaller utility anyway!

Hmm how many seating areas can one house have.

Are you able to have a small seating area in the kitchen if you go for the big utility room? Or would you literally have nowhere apart from the dining table?

The suggested seating area in the kitchen is in a bit of an odd spot as it's far from the windows.

I think I'd go with the big utility room. I love ours and it's not as nice as yours will be. It's makes keeping the kitchen tidy and clutter free easy.

Would it be possible to square off the kitchen so the utility is smaller and the kitchen bigger? Or is that too tricky with load bearing walls etc

I have 4 kids (now age 9-18). So now we are 3 adults + 3 kids, still tend to cram into a space about 16m^2, and when they were younger the cram space might be 6m squared. It was my standing joke "Why do we have such a big house if we only need this little bit of living room space." This is a bunch of kids who fight a lot, as well. Big spaces are only useful if you do lots of parties.

Utility rooms are useful for dealing with wet things & provide extra cold storage.

we could end up with one whole sofa each scattered around the ground floor!

Squaring off that bit of the kitchen would involve removing lots of structural walls. However definitely one to run past the architect as it could work really well. Thanks

Definitely the utility room. Ours stores muddy boots, pet supplies, sports kit, laundry baskets, washer, dryer, craft supplies, brooms and mops, vases, wine and soft drinks, kitchen equipment we only use occasionally, steam cleaner and cleaning supplies, gardening equipment, seedlings and winter storage for bulbs.

In the past it has also housed chemistry sets and chemical experiments, guinea pigs in large cages, rows of rugby boots, Warhammer sets and paint.

Imagine all that stuff let loose in your main living area. Utility rooms are priceless. And you already have a kitchen diner, a family room and smarter living area.

I've thought of another option, based on moving the loo.

Use the middle room as large utility BUT put loo in there too.

Then you can knock through where your current loo is and add that space & to the kitchen diner. Will that give you space to have a sofa in the kitchen diner?

@gingerclementine you have convinced me!

@minipie thanks another idea to get the architect to look into/cost.

Seems like we need to try and get some seating in the kitchen plus have a large utility room, so that will be our brief! Thanks everyone

Definitely get an architect to come in and give you some suggestions. Ours did something totally different from our initial thoughts and it was way better than anything we’d envisaged!!

Personally I’d go for the smaller utility looking at those plans. I’d try and open up the kitchen diner as much as possible - maybe have the kitchen in the potential utility area and the dining/seating closer to the windows/doors.

Then you could easily have one adult lounge downstairs and a children’s playroom/lounge for when they are older.

I would just say, especially if your are little, do not underestimate the sheer space that just coats and shoes take up for 5 people. Especially if you have giant boys.