How To Create A Utility Room

Utility rooms can enable you to make the most of your space in the kitchen. They provide space for appliances, such as your washing machine and tumble dryer, which lets you fill their space with more storage. In addition, you can fill the utility out with more cupboards, enabling you to store non-kitchen goods somewhere more suitable.

Step 1: Assess the area

Creating a utility room requires a free area. This could be a boiler room, a walk-in cupboard, or any small room which is not currently in use. Once you have figured out which room you want to use, you will need to see what exists within the area. Here are the key things to look out for:

·        A hot and cold water feed

·        Plug sockets

·        A flat wall

If it has the above, it should be suitable for a utility room. If it does not, this will add extra work to the job, as they will need to be fitted.

Step 2: How will you fill the area?

Utilities are usually small rooms, and as such you will want to take advantage of what space you do have within it. Cupboards, both wall and floor, provide a great place for keeping your possessions. Everyone has their “junk drawer”, so adding a drawer unit will allow you to move that out of the way.

If you want to include appliances in the utility area, think about integrated appliances. These can give a more attractive design because they are hidden inside a unit and require slightly less space than a freestanding appliance.

Finally, tall units are a fantastic way to fill an empty wall and are by far the best way to add extra storage space. They make use of almost the full height of the room and can be adapted for pull-out shelf storage.

Step 3: Tackling Obstacles

Sometimes the area you want to use as a utility room may contain obstacles that can make the space more awkward. However, these can be planned around. If the room you choose contains a boiler, you can source a boiler wall unit that can contain your boiler to make the space more attractive.

You may also have boxing in the area which gets in the way of where the units could go. To solve this issue, you can use a reduced depth unit which can sit in front of this and run level with the rest of the units. We can supply any of our base units in this reduced depth.  

If the area is too shallow for cupboard doors to open, open storage is a great alternative, as you do not need to make room for the door to swing open. This could include open shelf units with baskets, or just open shelf units. If you don’t want to use open storage, splitting the doors in two can reduce the amount of space needed to open them.

Step 4: Design

Next, you can figure out what kind of look you’re going for. If the area is out of the way, some people opt for a simplistic and cost-effective style, such as an MFC door. At Larks we offer two ranges of MFC doors, either the Gravity range or the Zurfiz range This can still be made attractive by using a modern colour, like a blue or a grey.

If the area is a through-way or open to the kitchen area you can continue the style of the kitchen into the utility area. This keeps the theme and provides an attractive consistency to the property. If you want to mix things up a bit, but keep the general look, using a contrasting colour in the same style can be a fantastic way to do this.

Step 5: Plan the area

Now that you have decided what you want to fit into the space and what you need to account for, you can start to plan the area for the utility. This can be done through DIY, or you can provide the measurements and requirements to one of our sales team and we can help you create the perfect space.

Overall, the process of creating a utility is fairly simple and can really enhance your property.

Practical Reasons For A Utility Room

·        Provides extra storage

·        Makes use of empty space

·  Frees up space in the kitchen for appliances

Cosmetic Reasons For A Utility Room

·        Can be used to carry the kitchen theme on throughout the property

·        Renovates a previously underused or bare space

·        Holds some appliances, allowing for more visual freedom within the kitchen

We hope this has helped you with planning your new utility space. If you need any help with the technical side, or have questions about our ranges, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, or would like some further advice, then please contact us via phone or email.