Which floor plan for utility and WC, your opinions please

4 months ago

Hi everyone, we have received our drawings back from the architect. The ask was to incorporate a utility room with a laundry chute (from upstairs family shower room), open up the kitchen/living/dining space, incorporate a window seat and storage. The architect has put forward two design ideas. I am finding it rather difficult to pick one as like both for different reasons, and would appreciate your opinions! Thank you!

Design 1.PNG (Separate utility & WC with 'broken' kitchen layout)

Design 2.PNG (Combined utility & WC with running cupboards in kitchen)

Featured Answer

Jonathan

4 months ago

I prefer option 1.

I do wonder if you are worrying about the wrong things though. Now it might be the case that the kitchen/ utility room are the only spaces getting renovated but I interpret this plan as a whole house renovation in which case I wonder if either of the sitting areas is big enough, if the hallway is grand enough and if the oversized bedroom works for furniture placement and privacy

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Comments (24)

PRO
AVN Granite
4 months ago
I perosnally like the continous run of cabinets in kitchen, but I rather have powder room and utlity room seprate. So it's a bit of a complicated one tbh
Trina Trina thanked AVN Granite
H A
4 months ago
Hi, we have similar utility/wc and it’s sectioned off as shown. Alternatively, if you don’t really need the door to outside from utility, have the utility off the hall and separate wc at the end with the window.
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H A
4 months ago
This is what I mean
Trina Trina thanked H A
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
4 months ago
Hi Trina,

Interesting challenge!! Of the two options proposed, I would pick Option 1 every day and twice on Sundays! Reason being that while you do lose one base and a wall unit in the main kitchen, you avoid an awkward corner (with any risk of dead space or expensive wireworks) while (1) gaining much more storage and a better, more functional layout in the utility and (2) a separate yet entirely functional WC. Indeed, this configuration gives you far more combined storage than Option 2.

I am no great fan of having a WC in any room that can be a "thoroughfare" (from your garden to the kitchen) given odours etc. and it would always be a "last resort" option for me. And if you were really concerned about kitchen storage, it looks easy enough to extend your island just a little more if you had to.

Hope that gives food for thought!

Caldicot Kitchens
Trina Trina thanked Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
Thank you for all your feedback. I am leaning more towards the separate WC and utility as well but wasn't entire certain if the separated kitchen units would look odd or bitty?
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
4 months ago
Hi @Trina Trina, I shouldn't worry. If you are concerned, then you could consider rounding off the corner a little - either with a unit or with a radius on the worktop (and a curved pilaster) but it is a configuration seen often enough.
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Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
Hi Jonathan, thanks for your feedback.

You hit on the nail on the head with the size of the sitting rooms as I aired this to the architect as well.

We will be doing a loft conversion at the same time and trying to avoid doing any extensions to the bungalow.

The family bathroom is being converted into a utility and WC.

The internal wall in the kitchen is being removed and a steel beam installed to open up the space to the sitting and dining area. Perhaps we could consider not having a utility if we could achieve a bigger kitchen/ living/ dining space. What would you do/suggest?

Thanks
Jonathan
4 months ago
Could you post a plan of what you have to work with
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
Hi Jonathan, this is the existing floor plan. The sitting room far right is currently used as the kids bedroom and the front smaller room is an office/play room.
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
Proposed floor plan for loft conversion on first floor below. Ground floor proposed plan can be viewed in the main question.

Thank you Jonathan
Jonathan
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
A lot more steel so it may be budget busting. But I do think it is better proportioned as i reckon the living space is about a third bigger
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
Thanks Jonathan. With your idea, now you have me thinking whether may be we should sacrifice a separate sitting space and have one big open space along the left hand side. We will have lovely views of the garden and to the sunlight from three directions. The front room can be a cosy quiet sitting space as we'll have two bedrooms upstairs. Do you think that would be proportioned or would it look off?
Jonathan
4 months ago
Slight tweak on your plan
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
Jonathan
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
Could you make the dormer bigger to put the laundry in the upstairs bathroom?
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
A lot for us to think about! Thanks so much Jonathan for your time and advice, very much appreciate it!
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
Jonathan hi, sorry but would it be possible if you could try rejigging the layout below to have the kitchen at the end where the dining table and office desks are? I tried to play with it but couldn't quite get it to work.

I have made some changes and made the snug a utility. The ensuite, WC and hallway needs tidying up, it doesn't look quite right here.

Thanks in advance for your consideration and time.
Jonathan
4 months ago
Is the front windows high enough to put kitchen units in front of it?
Jonathan
4 months ago
Option
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
The front windows measuring from the sill are 75cm above the ground. Is this sufficient height for lower kitchen units?
Jonathan
4 months ago
No - worktop height is 90cm.

So you either have to have the kitchen at the back or accept your work surface is only on the island. Or you have to change the window
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
Trina Trina
Original Author
4 months ago
The plan looks really good Jonathan, thanks so much!

As for the steel beams that we'd need to install to open up the space, if the cost is too high to install, is it an option to consider a supporting post just behind the kitchen island?
Jonathan
4 months ago
I suspect that will have no cost advantage
Trina Trina thanked Jonathan
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
4 months ago
Trina, you asked "The front windows measuring from the sill are 75cm above the ground. Is this sufficient height for lower kitchen units? "

Depending on the kitchen manufacturer, you can get lower units which will sit the worktop at around 75cm, though this is too low to use as "prep space" or to have a hob. But it can be done.

We have in the past done worktops that sit a little higher than window level, and have left a smaller "shelf" at window level next to the window into which pots or small troughs for kitchen herbs were put, which can be a useful way to tackle this challenge.
Trina Trina thanked Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Which floor plan for utility and WC, your opinions please

Jonathan

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