Practical advice: garden utility room ideas

Utility rooms are no longer just for big stately houses. Ideal for keeping the clutter and mess of everyday living out of open plan areas, a utility room is perfect for any home.

Utility rooms are no longer just for big stately houses. Ideal for keeping the clutter and mess of everyday living out of open-plan areas, a utility room is considered an addition to any home.

With open-plan living increasing in popularity, many homeowners are facing a new dilemma: no longer being able to keep the clutter and mess of day-to-day living behind closed doors. The solution? Incorporate a utility room into your downstairs floor plan, or explore a garden utility room as part of a new extension, to conceal items like laundry, worktop appliances that see occasional use, and dirty outdoor clothing, so you can keep your open-plan area clean and clutter-free.

The benefits of a utility room?

A utility room not only hides clutter and evidence of day-to-day chores, but is a space where the washing machine and tumble dryer can run without disturbing dinner time with background noise. In a mutually beneficial way, laundry is protected from cooking smells. Having space to store and use an ironing board and iron is also beneficial, as it keeps laundry supplies in one place.

Larger items of crockery, big pots, and appliances like bread makers and ice cream machines that do not get used every day can also be stored there, freeing up precious kitchen storage space for everyday items.

It is not uncommon for a utility room to serve as a sort of overflow kitchen, where appliances and gadgets are hidden away. For this reason, many people choose to include additional food storage, with a secondary fridge and/or freezer and cabinets for grocery overflow. If this is the case, it’s also a good idea to include a sink and some clear worktop area, so that you don’t have to travel far during food prep. Even a small utility room can absorb a surprising amount of kitchen overflow when the layout is well considered.

Placement

It makes sense to place a utility room as close to the kitchen as possible for several reasons. Firstly, it is much more convenient to have all the appliances in the same area, especially if you use the utility room for storage of kitchen utensils or food and drink, rather than solely for laundry. However, it is also much more affordable to have all the utilities connected, even if your utility room is devoted to washing and ironing.

In addition, it’s a good idea to locate the utility room on an exterior wall, so you can include a door to the garden. This is particularly useful, as it provides a place for muddy boots and coats to be removed before entering the rest of the living area, minimising dirt. Positioning a utility room on the garden side also provides direct access for drying laundry outdoors, which is another practical reason to consider an outdoor utility room arrangement.

Planning a utility room outside the main footprint

For homes where the existing floor plan has no room to spare, creating a utility room outside the original building line is an increasingly popular option. A purpose-built garden utility room, designed as part of a timber extension or garden room, can provide a dedicated space for laundry, storage and household tasks without sacrificing living areas indoors.

An outdoor utility room of this kind works particularly well when it connects directly to the kitchen or a rear hallway, maintaining the convenience of an internal utility space while freeing up square footage in the main house. Because the room sits on an external wall by default, plumbing, ventilation and garden access are all straightforward to incorporate from the outset.

Storage

However you intend to use the utility room, it will undoubtedly serve as an overflow room at some stage, so it’s probably best to allow for more storage than you actually need.

Open shelving and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry will serve well as storage for vacuum cleaners, mops, brushes, bottled products, and recycling bins, keeping the utility area tidy and clutter-free. Hanging pegs, towel rails, and lidded boxes that double as seats for putting on shoes will all help save valuable space in the room.

Decor

Importantly, even though the room is designed to be closed off at times, using the same cabinetry and colour schemes as in your open plan space will help it feel like a continuation of the room when in use.

It’s not always possible for the utility room to receive as much natural light as other rooms, so in these cases, opting for a plain, neutral colour palette works best to create an airy, inviting atmosphere. Flooring should be hardwearing and easy to clean in order to make way for the wet coats and muddy boots in the winter months. Stone is a fantastic flooring option, and in a light colour will help the room feel more spacious.

What to consider when designing a utility room?

A utility room doesn’t need to be huge, but it does need to be big enough for all the appliances you want in there and for you to use them effectively. Make sure there is enough room for doors to open and for you to manoeuvre around them. For example, you’ll need plenty of clearance around the washing machine and tumble dryer, so you can load/unload and fold items comfortably. If you are working with a small utility room, vertical storage and stacked appliances can make a significant difference.

Storage is imperative. It will undoubtedly be a home to more than you expect; overflow from the kitchen, stacks of laundry waiting to be washed or ironed and all the miscellaneous things that could clutter up the kitchen, dining or living space. Incorporate a cabinet or two more than you immediately need, or leave room for shelving, as you might be grateful in the long term. Ultimately, think about how you want to use the space and how the placement of the room and its appliances will be affected; is there enough ventilation? Can water pipes be accessed? It might also sound obvious, but make sure that there are ample power points for all your static appliances, as well as ones that you’ll want to use once in a while.