Utility room vs utility cupboard?

[WorrisomeHeart]

We are in the initial planning stages for a 4m kitchen extension and have always planned for a separate utility room as part of that. However we’ve now had the schematics through from the architect and have realised how much room that will eat up from the main kitchen/dining/second living space we want. The other alternative is a utility ‘cupboard’- it will be approx 2.5m wide and about 1m deep and have folding doors in front. It will have some sort of vent to the outside for extraction. I can see the benefit of the extra space in the main room but am worried that I’ll regret not going for the self contained room. Any thoughts? Pics attached - ignore the yellow stickies, those are the comments to the architect. Also the pic with the cupboard shows the extension at 3m but it will be 4m.

If you are spending money on extending and a new kitchen, do you really want to have washing drying in that kitchen? I know I wouldn't. If you have a separate utility room you can fit an extractor which means you can have quick and economical drying separate from your main living space. I think the kitchen looks as though it works better with the utility room and tall kitchen cabinets in the space that would otherwise be a utility cupboard. You are not short of space there, so why have everything in one room?

The plans with the utility room looks much more spacious as the (?) extension is bigger and so the living space actually looks/feels bigger than in the plans with the utility cupboard.

Having read the responses here and thought about how I do laundry (sadly I have a tiny kitchen with under-counter washing machine and no tumble dryer plus ceiling airer on the landing/outside line), I would go for the utility room - space to wash without noise in the living space, able to have piles of clothes sorted for washing and folded to put away, space for ceiling/wall airers etc not in living space, extraction of moist air to outside (no noise to living space) plus massive sink space (small sink is really not big enough for bike tyres, soaking of big pans or welly washing etc!) and other storage.

It's not like your living space or kitchen is going to be tiny with the utility room taking valuable space and having a decent sized utility space imo would be well used and appreciated.

@PazRaz10

Utility cupboard option creates a darker kitchen as the kitchen is pushed further back into the internal part of the house.

I know you have a skylight but it will mainly shed light downwards. That central part of the house will be dark, and so best used for a utility room IMO.

Also noise, mess etc as everyone else said.

It’s not just about making your open plan area bigger, it’s about making it nicer to be in - lighter, tidier, quieter.

I definitely prefer the utility room option.

I can't help thinking that there is a better way of organising the layout (but I am not an architect). Do you have houses either side of you?

What works for you rather depends on how many there are of you and how you live. The corridor is going to seem quite long and thin with the utility cupboard and, with my family, there would always be somebody wanting to get in and out of the kitchen when you are loading/unloading the washing.

I'm another one that often has to have a load of washing running in the evening and at weekends. I suppose it is what you get used to, but a washing machine large extension like that (presumably tiled/stone) is going to produce quite a bit of noise.

I don't think a cupboard really cuts the mustard if you want to use it for drying. I think in the cupboard option, in reality bits of drying or laundry baskets would spill out and block the main thoroughfare into your kitchen - living - dining room, which would get really annoying.

What about keeping the walls as per cupboard option, but instead of accessing kitchen through the Utility corridor, you enter through the top right corner - where the utility door would be Inthe option option. The utility cupboard becomes a blind end room. It would cost you a couple of kitchen cabinets but you could gain those back in the utility through clever planning, I reckon.

I have never ironed in a utility room but I do like to have a sink and good ventilation & space for drying. Ours also has some giant cupboards which we use for overflow storage from the kitchen.

Following with interest as we are planning a simmilar extension but were going with the utility cupboard option.

I'd get rid of the kitchen island/ breakfast bar - what's the point of it when you have a kitchen-dinner? Keep the proper utility room which is far more useful and keeps laundry separate from food, the two shouldn't mix.

Do you space for a utility cupboard upstairs? More practical than hauling everything to the kitchen and back. Makes sense to me to put the washing machine and drier in the bathroom, iron in the bedroom and only carry the clothes to hang outside.

The utility room option looks so much better to me. Otherwise you still end up with noise in the kitchen. And lose the place to chuck all the clutter. It looks far more spacious and open.

Depends on your lifestyle really. If you have a dog or think you will ever have a dog keep the utility room. All our muddy dog walking shoes stay in there. We go inside via utility room after daily walks so dog is dried off in there before going into rest of house. Extra sink also very useful when cleaning said dog equipment.

Also how tidy are you op? My friends have super lovely big kitchen with no utility. They are lovely organised tidy people and it always looks amazing. I am super untidy so being able to close the door on my lazy ways keeps my kitchen looking a bit more reasonable

Following with interest as we are planning a similar (smaller) extension. My worry about utility cupboards is the noise in the open plan space. We are thinking of putting the washer and dryer in a cupboard under the stairs and then having a full height cupboard in the kitchen for cleaning/ironing board and airer etc
Excuse the rubbish drawing.

Another option is a mini stacked utility where the pantry is in my sketch-up

My non-utility room plan is for a dedicated shelf in one of the cupboards for a big washing up bowl to soak things in hidden away

Personally I don't see the point in a separate utility room unless it has a door to the outside. If it doesn't have a door/window it's basically a giant cupboard anyway, I wouldn't want to use it for drying clothes unless you're going to dehumidify/heat it constantly, you can't confine muddy shoes etc to there if you have to go through the house first to get to it. So I'd go for the cupboard and a bigger kitchen, the kitchen being set further back wouldn't bother me as with decent spotlights it would be plenty bright enough.

P.S. Could you go for the cupboard option but have it as a really small self-contained room? Similar to the WC, maybe with the door in the middle, washing machine/tumble drier on one side, shelves on the other, and a sink where it fits? That might limit the noise better?

I like the first plan!

On a separate note, is that a split height island? Have you found a good one? That's what I want but can't seem to find.

I would go room. You will have so much drying and general crap. Also noise.

I think the island is unnecessary in the utility room design. I would tweak the kitchen design a bit and I think it could be really really lovely and is totally spacious enough.

Your utility cupboard will be a decent size so I'd go for that. I prefer cupboards and I think a lot of houses just waste the space in utility rooms.

Can you play with the layout to have cupboard but move it and the kitchen around bit?

Thanks all.

The room option would mean that there is no ventilation to an outside wall as that is the attached wall (semi). The cupboard means ventilation to the outside. I tend to agree re the room being seen as a cupboard if there’s no external door tbh.
Re the two diff plans and the space - the room one has a 4m extension while the cupboard one shows a 3m extension which is why it looks less spacious. We will be having a 4m one.

Good call about having a more ‘solid’ walled cupboard and I’ve asked if that’s feasible.

My gut is saying cupboard, simply because I feel like the walkway part of the U room just becomes wasted space.

I’d go for the full utility room. Can have heaps of storage. A dirty sink (cleaning shoes and wellies, soaking clothes etc. Much more useful than a cupboard. The kitchen seems like a decent size still.

I prefer the layout with the room so if it were me would go with that. The kitchen still seems a nice size and better laid out imo. I'm surprised I feel that way as I posted as well with a similar utility room dilemma and don't get the hype about them at all (having lived both with and without utility rooms)

However, I think reading your thread and what you yourself have actually written I think you would prefer the cupboard and so should go with that.

What are the dimensions of the room? If you have a cupboard, where will the folding doors go? Would a sliding door be better - either pocket or barn door style depending on style of kitchen?

I'd contact @OnePlan you can find her on Houzz. She's a Mumsnetter and brilliant. She designed our kitchen and she would explain exactly everything and find you an alternative that works if necessary.

To be honest neither options are indicating a utility room in my opinion both are cupboards - the room option will be unpleasant space to stand in with no natural light and very little space. So in that sense the other option is better.

However a 4m extension and your kitchen units will not have any natural light. Are you having velux over the extension, if it's single storey I would to stop your kitchen being in darkness.

Do you really need the utility as in my view the plan, light and flexibility of the space would be better without it.