Please help - utility/toilet/office layout?!!!

7 years ago

Hey all! Hope you can help us - we are trying to decide on the layout of a room we are splitting up as part of some extension works. Thank you in advance.

We've attached three plans (two options plus a blank(ish) base plan) plus two photos of what the Option 2 rooms could look like (albeit we don't know the sizes of these).

We want to end up with:

a) utility

- to include space for a washing machine and dryer (both to be inside a below worktop cupboard), sink and wall-mounted combi boiler, plus wall cupboards above worktop

- if possible but not essential also space to dry clothes / iron.

b) toilet

c) if possible, we would have space for a small office including desk

But we don't want (c) if it means that the combined toilet/utility in one of the options below is not actually workable.

The two options are:

1. Separate utility (with space for drying clothes / ironing) and separate toilet

2. Combined toilet/utility and a small home office

We've tried to account for the necessary space but don't know exactly how much space is needed for a toilet (and around a toilet) and whether having the sink next to the toilet in Option 2 is workable? Could the toilet be squashed up against the wall to give more space to stand by the sink?

If anyone has any other bigger ideas then then feel free to look at the kitchen/dining room to give any ideas either just for the kitchen layout or if you see a big benefit in taking the wall out at the bottom of the kitchen / top of the toilet / above the chimney breast to complete change the kitchen / utility / toilet layout then feel free to shoot across some ideas but we're hoping that one of the options below will work!

To give some context, it's a Victorian semi-detached house and we have a hallway leading to where you can see on the plans, and also a large (2 rooms knocked-through) living room. We are building a single storey rear extension roughly where it goes out wider on the plan and whilst this is an awkward shaped room, there are reasons (mainly cost) for doing it like we are.

Thank you!!!

Contemporary Home Office · More Info

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PRO

OnePlan

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi - ah ... I feel the need to point out that your sketch currently looks like you are putting a major walk way to your new lounge /dining area through your kitchen !

It's not a great idea - not only as your guests and family have to walk through the kitchen - but from a safely view too - you'd be crossing that major route with heavy pots to drain in the sink from hob or oven area on other side !

It's an accident waiting to happen.

If you wanted input into the design - but with a pro to guide you on safety aspects etc - then there are people (like us) about who can offer years of design skills and practical advise etc .

I'd strongly suggest you invest in a bit of time with a designer to cover the whole area to come up with a solution that looks good, works well and is safe .

This is your home, your biggest investment ! And where you want to keep your family safe !

The cost for us , for example, to re plan this whole space professionally, would be about the same price as a good washing machine !

Not too expensive when you consider you can then shop around with your own set of plans and compare like for like quotes from varied companies of you own choice !

See our pro page for example and even read reviews from past clients !

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Comments (17)

Dundrum 16
7 years ago
Just an observation - in the second picture the toilet is so close to the wall I can foresee difficulties reaching the fittings if you ever needed to change the toilet seat.
lkirk44
7 years ago
Second better as it frees up the office to be separate as if washer and dryer on may be noisy or distracting if working
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It would be possible however the rest of the build is 90% complete now so this room is where we are to house these amenities It's now deciding on the best layout and maximising the space we do have Thank you for your time
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I’m confused about the layout. It looks like the entrance is directly into the kitchen area. Perhaps it would be useful to create a hall with storage. This then also means there is no access to the garden- would French doors from the lounge be useful? You say there are table in both rooms and the space is crowded. Presumably the plan is to reduce to one table- would you actually have to take down a wall to make that change? It seems like your parents are short of living space. Of course an extension would help but perhaps there are other possibilities such as converting the smaller bedroom into a full downstairs bathroom with laundry facilities. The cloakroom could be a new entrance in order to free up space in the kitchen area and create more space for dining. Since you are likely going to do some work to the house consider if there are things you could do now to future proof it. This means a walk in shower and a comfort height toilet, a raised washer and dryer, an eye level oven, door handles rather than knobs, innovative pull outs to make access to wardrobes and kitchen cabinets easier. If they don’t already use it consider smartening up the larger of the two downstairs bedrooms so it’s inviting rather than an inevitability. You might also consider outside lighting for security, relaying uneven patios to remove trip hazards, an electric garage door etc. And if your only concern about an open plan arrangement is cooking smells consider a really great extractor such as a Bora cooktop extractor.
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Midcenturylass
7 years ago
I think you need to check building regulations, my understanding is that there must be particular separation between toilets and living areas.
Yongpei You
7 years ago
Hi i've seen your own drawing of the blue print and it does seems like a headaech to design the rooms. However I am an interior design student on my final year moving onto university and the final project needs a client and i am wondering if you would like be me my client and i will help you complete a design for your little house?
temple274
7 years ago
Say you're sorry. You thought it would look great in (whatever place you care to say, possibly bedroom) but that unfortunately it just doesn't fit or that you've tried but just can't squeeze it in. Lovely of her to think of you but please can she take it back... And if you choose bedroom as its possible location it's easy to fob her off with an easy excuse if she wants to check the space for herself, or quickly offer a cup of tea to keep her mind off the suggestion. Good luck.
temple274
7 years ago
Ignore comment, by some glitch my answer to another question ended up here.
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
Hi Pratik,

In order to look at the space requirements for the toilet and your appliances you need to look at Ergonomics which is the study of people's efficiency in their working environment. The metric handbook for example gives you all these measurements.

As OnePlan states, I think you should sit with a designer and look at your plans in a more depth. They (we) would be able to answer all these questions for you and complete them as part of a design service.

Looking at what you have said so far, I agree it would be good to have the the toilet and appliances together and the office as a separate space but it really depends on what the space is actually available.

I love your drawings and really like how you're getting your ideas down on paper. Are these to scale?

I would recommend looking into the metric handbook and/or contacting a designer. We and several other interior designers, offer a free consultation which is good to get an idea of what can be achieved and how much it is likely to cost.

I hope this information helps. All the best, Gina
pratik_shah30
Original Author
7 years ago
Hello all, thanks for all the comments! I'll reply one by one...:

dundrum16 - thank you, yes that is one concern - do you know how much space ideally should be left either side of the toilet (and is access always needed from both sides?)?

lkirk44 - great thank you for your view. If we did have a separate toilet and utility we would not use the utility as an office space (which is one of the drawbacks of this option). If we can make it work with a separate office in this location then we will go with that option!

Midcenturylass - cheers for your comment although I wonder if you have misunderstood the drawings? The toilet (in either scenario) will be completely separate from the kitchen/living area - there will be a door to get into the toilet room, and another door to get from the hallway into the kitchen.

OnePlan - Thanks for your various comments. Yes you are correct we are putting a walkway through the kitchen but unfortunately unless we completely re-jig the ground floor layout, the only way to avoid this would be to massively eat into the kitchen/dining area with an extended hallway. One good thing is that we have side access outside to get into the garden and back into the dining/living area so when we have quite a few guests that will be the entrance and not through the kitchen. Incidentally, we do also have a large front room which will be the formal sitting room.

There will be a sink on the island to serve the hob which does contain that element although I accept the oven is still interrupted by the walkway through to the living area.

Yongpei You - Thank you. We would be open to you helping us and us helping you but I suspect it may be difficult as we have just started demolitiion and foundations for the extension are about to be dug, so in terms of the layouts in my query, we need to decide those in the next two weeks or so - would that work for you?

temple274 - Thanks for both your comments. I was going to ask if I could have some of what you were having but your second comment clarified matters!!!

CreatePerfect - thank you, appreciate your comments and that is exactly why we have come on this board, to get others' opinions on our ideas. The space/dimensions available are all on the drawing so any feedback you have on that basis would be appreciated as we need to decide this soon (the office idea only came about a few nights ago - we were set to go with the first option of a separate utility). I do have the plans to scale but for some reason I can't seem to upload a PDF so had to take a picture of my plans and upload that! Do you know how to upload a PDF?

Cheers all, any further comments and suggestions very welcome.

Pratik
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
I would convert the file to a JPEG and then upload. You can always feel free to email it to enquiries@createperfect.co.uk and I'll take a look although I am sure others would like to see them too.
Pratik Shah
7 years ago
Thank you Gina, will try to do this tomorrow! Really appreciate your help.
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
No problem. It's important when we are talking about your home, that you get it right. It's hard to change such important work once it's started :)

Look forward to hearing more from you and hopefully looking at your space in more detail.

For you:

https://www.uop.edu.jo/download/research/members/[Architecture_Ebook]_Metric_Handbook_Planning_and_Design_Data.pdf
pratik_shah30
Original Author
7 years ago
Toilet / utility · More Info

Hi Gina / all,

Attached are the plans as JPEGs which should be to scale 1:50 at A4.

I’m not sure why but the island in the kitchen is not showing up – this will be in the wider bid of the kitchen, in between the two lengths of worktop at either side. The island will contain a small sink to aid in filling up kettles and preparing veg etc.

Look forward to hearing any comments and suggestions, particularly with respect to Option 2 where we would combine the toilet and utility and then have space left over for a small home office.

Cheers,

Pratik
Toilet / utility · More Info

Toilet / utility · More Info
A B
7 years ago
I don't think my previous comment posted properly. I was just saying that in the past I was considering having a 'utility cupboard' behind sliding doors in a family room. You could do something similar in the office. Stack w/m and t/d plus lots of storage on the back wall, all hidden but accessible, then still have a smart look and office desk.
pratik_shah30
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi Jen,

Thanks for your comment - something for us to consider certainly. Do you know if there are any special considerations when stacking one above the other in terms of weight / what is the top one actually sitting on?
A B
7 years ago
you just need to buy something like this (and obviously have the tumble dryer on top)

http://www.johnlewis.com/bosch-wtz11310-stacking-kit/p231598581?sku=231598581&s_kwcid=2dx92700012712612861&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CIGkj_uejM8CFSpGcgodm7kHng&gclsrc=ds
A B
7 years ago

Berkeley Kitchen · More Info

Please help - utility/toilet/office layout?!!!

OnePlan

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Dundrum 16

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