Building Project: The Utility Room

[smellycoat]

I have just had an angry argument with hubby.
He really, really wants to make a coffee corner in the utility room we hope to create. As far as I am concerned this sabotages some of the ideas that I have concerning the uses for this room. Such as drying washing!
I spent ages working up a plan incorporating his coffee table and stuck it on the fridge 2 months ago, asking him for comments.
Not a thing for or against was said, until yesterday, when he reiterated his desire for a table and beverage space. I said I did not like it, and then spent 2 or 3 hours drawing up a plan of what I wanted, which he looked at and threw back in my face saying that I always dismiss everything he suggests.
Does this mean that I should put project " Utility" away in my mental back burner yet again?

A coffee corner in a utility room? Is he likely to spend a lot of time in there then???

We have a built in coffee machine in the kitchen. It’s brilliant. In the utility room would be bizarre. We get our guests coffees and don’t want to be running into the utility room to get them. Coffee is a family/friends activity and not to be confused with washing and drying clothes.

So, he’s wrong. Stand your ground. Would it be possible to get a decent coffee machine for the kitchen?

I do have my wine fridge in the laundry room (utility) but we move wine into the kitchen fridge if we have guests coming or open a red in advance.

We don’t have a table in the laundry either. I have stacked washer with dryer above, good size hand wash sink with drainer, wine fridge under the work surface. I have a towel rad for dying and a large drying rail too plus cupboards for cleaning materials, mops, ironing board etc. There are drawers for small items such as batteries, lightbulbs, candles, dusters etc and cubby holes for folded dry washing as well as two big baskets for paper recycling and our welly boots. It works for us but no space for coffee!

I've never heard of a coffee corner! Fair enough if he wants somewhere to sit and make/drink a coffee but the utility room doesn't seem the right place. It should, in my mind, be a place for laundry and storing all the associated bits and bobs to free up the kitchen.
Could you incorporate a breakfast bar type thing with stools that he could sit at? Or have an area with a small sofa and coffee table?

To be honest I don't think you need advice on a coffee corner, I think you need to understand what's really going on between you!
He's given you a very badly worded hint, which is probably not strictly true, but it's a good starting point "saying that I always dismiss everything he suggests."
My suggestion would be say you'd like to resolve this mutual feelings of frustration but you need each others help and you didn't realise he felt that you're dismissive, so what does he think you can do to help discuss issues constructively when they come up.
If you really can't think of a way to convince reach other you'd like to resolve it, or just a way to discuss, then counseling is a very valuable option.

If he suggests a coffee corner in a utility room and all his suggestions are equally odd, I guess they just have to be dismissed! The only thing that may be going on is a man with stupid ideas!

That sounds a weird idea. Who wants to drink coffee in a room with the washing?! Although, you could be onto something if you are creative. An ultra posh ironing board that doubles as a coffee bar? You wouldn't want him to be bored whilst he drinks his coffee!

Has he been on Pinterest?

We have a bean to cup coffee machine but it is in the kitchen.

The utility room has the washing machine, tumble dryer, recycling and a massive hanging rail for drying clothes. A coffee bar has no place in a utility.

So you are thinking practical and he is thinking fantasy.

Does he usually spend time at a table with a coffee? Maybe it is a romantic notion of spending time, sipping a coffee reading an online newspaper.

Can you create a coffee station in the kitchen or dining room? The dining room would have a table in there.

LTB. Coffee corner in a utility room! He obviously has some unresolved issues.