Larger lootility or small loo and small utility?

[Friedbanana]

We live in a 3 bed Victorian terrace (with 2 reception rooms) but only 1 bathroom so I’m looking to redo our kitchen/diner (currently 6.85m by 2.6m) and adding a stud wall at the end to create a separate utility/downstairs loo. The total space would be 2.6m x 1.4m. If we separated the toilet then the toilet would have to be 1.4m x 0.8m (minimum dimensions recommended for the toilet) which would make the utility area 1.4m x 1.8m which I’m worried would be too small? Also, I’ve been looking online and saw most people expect a utility to house a sink but obviously the sink would then be in the separate toilet.

Should we therefore maximise the space by just having a toilet in the corner and the rest of the room is the utility? Attaching a couple of photos so you can see what I mean. We’re also redoing our bathroom so I can just send guests up there instead of this weird hybrid space 😅

I’ve never lived in a house with a utility room so not too sure what we should be considering. Basically we’d like a space for washer/drier, room for hanging clothes (we’ll do underfloor heating too), cupboard for mop/brush/hoover, and if there’s any room some storage for DH bike but I understand that might just not be possible in the space. I’m happy to spend on quality fittings to make it an appealing space, and round where we live there are a lot of similar character houses to ours with no utility/downstairs loo so I’m sure it will add value even if it’s not huge.

Any input will be gratefully received!!

I'd go for a full on bathroom vibe with the washing machine hidden. One idea here (a traditional styled home) https://www.frenchforpineapple.com/blog/first-floor-utility-room-small-but-perfectly-formed
If you scroll down this one there is a more modern/elegant looking solution with a double cupboard where one half hides the washing machine and the other half has a counter top sink https://www.houszed.com/hide-washing-machine/

Both spaces look cohesive - the second one should be quite simple to replicate with a double kitchen cabinet and a counter top bathroom sink

I was thinking this but then I’d feel like there would need to be a little sink in the toilet too in that case as it would feel like a separate room? And since we’ll already be installing a new sink for the utility it seems a bit pointless!

I love this (that first one was already on my Pinterest board!) I’m def thinking built in cabinets for the appliances and these are very good inspo, thank you!

I really wouldn’t want to be drying clean clothes etc in a room that has a toilet in it, and I wouldn’t like to have a toilet opening out on to the kitchen. Would definitely keep them separate.

I’ve actually got a similar layout to what you are proposing, with a toilet at the end - I’ve got the boiler in there too, and a sink and washing machine in the cloakroom - I keep hand wash and a hand towel next to the sink.
The whole space is wider and longer than yours though - 1.8m x 3.3m overall and it leads off the hall rather than the kitchen.

Incidentally, the toilet section is about 75cm wide internally, and I wouldn’t want to go much narrower than that.

All I have is a small lootility more or less under the stairs in the hall - I took some space off the hallway too which is large. It's square and small (bijou lol 😊). Has loo, shelving, skinny cupboard for mops and things, sink, and in the understairs part is the washing machine with decent shelf on top to hold wash tablets etc. The washing machine is hidden behind a door so on entering it looks just like a downstairs loo. There's room for a clothes airer which is wall mounted so folds flat, and clothes dry quickly with the fan on and the dehumidifier in Winter.

My builder did all the suggesting and had great ideas for maximising space. I didn't want couldn't afford drier or an extension, so this is just perfect for me. Just me, no one else lives here!

This is really helpful as I was wondering if 70cm was enough but good to know I should try and allow a few extra cm if possible!

do you have a sink in your toilet area too? And then the sink in the utility also?

This sounds genius! I’m hoping my kitchen/bathroom designer has some good ideas to maximise the space but just wanted to have a think myself too!

I hope it all works out for you. One thing I will say is to make absolutely sure your builder/kitchen company will take instructions and will listen to you and what you need, which is often at the expense of what you want or what they'll try to convince you to buy!

I'm older now and thankfully a healthy and mobile retiree, but my builder suggested plumbing one wall of the "bijou" utility ready for an electric shower - I did this and it's ready to go if I ever need it, electrics and plumbing installed. I would have to get rid of some shelving and the wall mounted airer to put the tray etc. in but that's ok. It is just a bit of future proofing given my age, but you probably don't need to go that far!!

I have a utility room with a bathroom within it with a separate door, works well

Absolutely hate people getting up from the table where we are eating and taking three steps into the toilet. Not that this happens a lot because we have an extra loo but some people have no cop-on at all and just get up and go. It’s a bad layout! You need some sort of buffer. I rent so can do nothing.

I’m not very tidy so suspect I wouldn’t like hanging clothes to dry where the toilet is actually like a PP pointed out 🤔 never thought of it before but it might be the case … I know some places here that have a lootility room off the kitchen but the toilet is at the far end and shut off by a door. I could compromise with that!

Just the sink in the utility room. There wouldn’t really be room in the toilet area unless you had a tiny corner one.

70cm round the toilet would probably be ok tbf. You need to prop up some hardboard sheets or something next to an existing toilet to see what it would feel like.

Small point to add as so many good things covered for the basics already, but I recommend not having washing machines and tumblers behind cupboard doors.

it looks so smart in pictures and feels so neat, but in reality the washing machine door really needs to be open quite a lot when it’s not in use, to avoid any smells building up.

Such a boring point, but I’d factor that in so you don’t end up not being able to close the lootility door unless the washing machine door is also closed as they won’t pass each other, or not being able to shut that smart cupboard door when you’re not using the machine.

With no consideration to money, could you do those doors that slide away alongside? I've seen them in home design shows for home office spaces.
Or just curtains maybe depending on your design style.

If you're going to do a single room this is the only way, in my opinion. @Wahsingday has hit the nail on the head for me - a utility is too close a cousin to the kitchen to have a toilet pan in. A washing machine in the toilet would be a bit more palatable.

I voted for separate though because in reality I wouldn't even consider a house that combined the two. I'd rather no utility at all than a mix

It’s such a mess in there at the moment I would be mortified to post photos, sorry. I was also thinking if you went the motility route you could have the toilet and sink partitioned off with frosted glass maybe?

no worries at all!! Yes I think that’s what I’m going to do, just a little privacy ! I’ve lived in lots of flats where the toilet was through the kitchen, it’s very common round here, so I think that will feel ok!

That’s an old rule which has long since been abandoned. The only rules now are that the toilet needs its own hand washing basin, and ventilation (which can be either an opening window or extractor fan).