Thinking About Utility Spaces
Most of our projects that include a brand new kitchen space will also need a utility room or utility area. Larger open plan kitchens often flow into entertaining and socialising spaces. Consequently, there’s usually a requirement that the practical, hard-working utility areas are positioned away from the main kitchen space, where family and friends are welcomed.
The Kitchen Utility
A utility room that is almost part of the kitchen is a convenient solution to the utility question. The quest for sleek, streamlined kitchens has heralded the use of pocket and sliding doors that can lead to a hidden utility room, meaning that the main area can look neat and presentable. The cooking and preparation areas are still centre-stage - often on the island, but everyday storage can be concealed behind bi-fold doors, such as a breakfast cupboard or coffee station. If space allows, a walk-in pantry is a great option, providing storage for everyday groceries, as well as items such as food prep gadgets that are only used occasionally, large-scale serving items and perhaps party glassware and crockery.
The Laundry Utility
A laundry-utility room is very high on the wanted list for our larger kitchen projects. If our clients are fond of entertaining and have lots of visitors, they’re not keen on having laundry facilities in the kitchen. A laundry utility can be the room that is almost a ‘second kitchen’, with a deep sink, a good area of work surface space, and washing and drying machines. We can add drying racks, pull-out shelves, an ironing board cupboard and perhaps even an airing cupboard. Whilst this room can be focused on laundry, it’s also a good space for household and grocery storage. Pocket doors or sliding doors can disguise this area, keeping it separate from the main kitchen or it can be designed as a completely separate room. Some projects may involve the transformation of a complete ground floor area that was previously several separate rooms, so there may be the opportunity to retain one or more smaller rooms as utility spaces.
The Boot Room Utility, or ‘Bootility’
A boot-room is a popular choice, and can be considered to be the ‘couldn’t live without it’ room, especially for homes with pets and sporty children where there is always muddy kit being brought in and out. The boot-room or ‘bootility’ can include a cloakroom or even a shower room, and we’ve also discussed dog showers a few times too! Owners of enthusiastic mud-jumping dogs can bring them in from a muddy walk and head straight for the pet shower. Bespoke fitted furniture is ideal for a boot room; we can provide a tailored space for coats and bad weather gear, perhaps with a storage bench for shoes and boots too. Underfloor heating and a strategically positioned radiator will help dry out damp shoes and coats and keep the room feeling cosy. Of course, this room can also be fitted with regular utility room requirements – perhaps a tall cupboard for the ironing board and cleaning equipment, as well as cabinetry that conceals the washing and drying machines.
The Multi-Purpose Overflow Utility
There’s another type of utility room, which can be considered to be the ‘engine room’ of the home. Sometimes this space is a garage-type room, and our designers usually refer to it as the Plant room. It’s often where boiler is located, and where the controls/manifold for underfloor heating are positioned, as well as the central control panel for any automated systems in the home. This room can also be given over to storage, perhaps with tailored racking and shelving. The positioning of this type of utility room depends on the facilities needed, but an under-stairs or basement area could also tick all those practical boxes.
Whatever utility additions the home needs, our Architects will design exactly the right space to fulfil those requirements. The result is a beautifully organised home with a place for everything.
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