Utility rooms are already among the most versatile areas within the residence, dealing with muddy boots, piles of laundry and all of the cleansing gear you’d fairly not preserve underneath the sink. However what if this behind-the-scenes area might work even tougher?
A utility room with a bathroom would possibly sound unconventional, nevertheless it’s a design transfer rising in reputation – particularly in houses the place area is tight or loos are restricted.
“Utility rooms doubling as a bathroom area may be tremendous sensible,” explains Gareth Davies, design director at Basic Interiors. “I’ve seen shoppers respect the comfort throughout busy family occasions. The secret is good air flow and smoothing harsh edges with delicate lighting, fostering a comfortable environment even within the smallest rooms.”
On this information, we cowl the whole lot you should know, from plumbing and format tricks to design tips that make this hybrid area each sensible and classy.
Plumbing, format and air flow
(Picture credit score: Annie Sloan)
Combining a utility room and bathroom is a great transfer, however provided that the infrastructure is as much as the duty. Right here’s how you can get the crucial particulars proper from the outset:
Plumbing & Electrics
Very like including a rest room to every other room of the home, your new WC will want connection to a soil pipe and applicable fall for drainage. In case you’re not close to present plumbing, anticipate this to be a major a part of the construct prices. Washing machines and basins additionally want sizzling, chilly and waste strains, so it’s value grouping the whole lot alongside one wall the place doable.
Don’t underestimate the electrics both. Any work in a moist zone should meet Half P of the Constructing Laws. Meaning positioning sockets safely away from splash zones, and bringing in a certified electrician to design and log out the format
Structure & privateness
The perfect mixed areas are thoughtfully zoned, so it’s sensible to maintain the bathroom tucked away – whether or not behind a stud wall, tall cabinetry or in its personal cubicle. Even in small rooms, the format ought to keep away from direct sightlines from the hallway or kitchen to the john.
For windowless rooms, inner glazing generally is a intelligent method to borrow mild, however for privateness, contemplate fluted or reeded glass, or perhaps a easy curtain. Likewise, pocket or sliding doorways work brilliantly in slim utility areas, providing flexibility with out consuming into the floorplan.
Finally, it’s best to take into consideration how the area will work each day. Can somebody throw on a wash whereas another person nips in to make use of the john? If not, it is likely to be value rethinking the setup.
Air flow
With each a bathroom and laundry home equipment working arduous, you will want an extractor fan that may sort out moisture, odours and warmth . A mannequin with a humidity sensor is a great selection, activating routinely when wanted and serving to to scale back the chance of condensation or mould. In case you’re utilizing inner glazing or doorways, airflow turns into much more necessary, as you don’t need the room to really feel like a sealed field. In these circumstances, contemplate including a door vent or leaving a small hole underneath the door to encourage pure air flow.
Designing a cohesive look that flows
Utility rooms don’t should be purely sensible. In actual fact, on the subject of dual-purpose areas like these, a cohesive and thought of strategy to design works greatest.
“A utility room ought to really feel simply as thought of as the remainder of the house,” says Alex Primary from The Primary Firm. The identical rule applies when designing a hybrid utility and bathroom. “We’d advocate choosing comparable supplies and colors,” Alex continues. “This creates a continued sense of cohesion and means neither room seems like a totally separate area.”
That sense of movement can lengthen to the whole lot from flooring to finishes. Persevering with the identical tile or flooring materials can subtly hyperlink the 2 zones. Alternatively, in the event you’d favor the areas to really feel extra distinct, attempt laying tiles in a unique sample or utilizing bolder tones underfoot.
“As these rooms work arduous, there’s no purpose they’ll’t look good doing it,” says Grazzie Wilson, head of artistic at Ca’ Pietra. “You may proceed a ground into the subsequent room for a way of movement, or intentionally change materials or format to offer it its personal identification. Add a tiled splashback behind a sink or worktop for each practicality and polish, or use smaller format tiles on a plinth or boot bench to usher in element and texture.”
{Hardware} decisions can even assist visually unite the 2 areas. “To tie the bathroom and utility collectively visually, select the identical materials for the faucet and sink, even when the cabinetry is totally different,” says Nigel Palmer, head of communications advertising and marketing at Home of Rohl “Chrome is likely one of the hardest finishes accessible, however in the event you select an unlacquered brass, there’s no coating to wreck – the faucet will merely develop its personal distinctive patina over time.”
Alex Primary
Alex Primary is director at The Primary Firm, a family-run firm that has been creating bespoke kitchens because the Nineteen Seventies. The household enterprise has constructed up its data from the huge expertise gained from buying and selling inside the nationwide and worldwide markets.
Wilson’s Due
Grazzie has labored within the interiors business for greater than a decade. At Ca’ Pietra, one of many UK’s main stone and tile manufacturers, she heads up artistic, overseeing product collections in addition to the corporate’s distinctive model, feel and appear.
Ending Touches
(Picture credit score: deVOL Kitchens)
As soon as the plumbing’s sorted and your format is locked in, it’s the ending particulars that can elevate your utility room with rest room from purely practical to feeling like a seamless a part of your house. These extras won’t be important on paper, however they make a giant distinction to how the area feels and capabilities each day.
Begin with utility lighting. A single ceiling pendant gained’t reduce it in a room that serves each laundry duties and bathroom breaks. Purpose for layered lighting: ambient overheads, process lights above worktops or sinks, and softer, hotter tones across the WC space to make it really feel extra inviting. If pure mild is restricted, contemplate including inner glazing or a high-level window to borrow mild from neighbouring rooms.
Utility storage issues greater than ever in an area doing double responsibility. Tall cupboards can disguise the whole lot from laundry baskets to spare lavatory roll, whereas open shelving or peg rails deliver each character and practicality.
FAQs
Do I would like planning permission for a bathroom in a utility room?
Most often no, including a bathroom to an present utility room doesn’t require planning permission. Nonetheless, constructing laws do apply, particularly on the subject of drainage, air flow and protected electrical set up in moist zones. In case you’re planning a serious format change, like shifting the soil pipe or including exterior home windows, it’s value checking in together with your native authority or constructing management to remain compliant.
How a lot area do I would like for a bathroom in a utility room?
At the least, you’ll want round 700mm in width x 1300mm in size to suit a bathroom comfortably, as something smaller is more likely to really feel cramped. A extra sensible and comfy footprint is 800mm x 1400mm, notably if the area will likely be used continuously. The common cloakroom dimension is round 1200mm x 1200mm, so in the event you’ve received the room, intention nearer to that. Don’t neglect to consider door swing and air flow. If unsure, seek the advice of our full information to rest room dimensions.
In case you’re questioning whether or not a utility room provides worth the reply is sure – particularly when cleverly mixed with a bathroom. Patrons are more and more prioritising multifunctional areas, so merging utility and cloakroom capabilities could make your house extra engaging, sensible and future-proof.
