The dream of owning your own four walls usually begins with planning. First the planning takes place in the mind, then the ideas are slowly put down on paper. Whether on your own or with the support of a professional planning office, you should not forget to plan the Utility Room. These days, new builds in particular often do without a basement. The Utility Room, also known as a utility room, storage room, ironing room, laundry room, storage room or laundry room, is a multifunctional room that can help solve storage space problems.
What should be considered when planning the Utility Room? We have addressed this topic and want to provide an overview of the most important functions and associated requirements.
Planning is everything: how to turn your room into a dream
Before we navigate step by step through the requirements of a Utility Room, let’s take a quick look at what a utility room actually is. As the name implies, a Utility Room is a room that is used to carry out household activities. These are, for example: Washing or drying laundry, ironing, cleaning bulky items or grill grates, storing supplies, storage space for vacuum cleaners and other cleaning utensils.
A utility room is used in many different ways and should therefore be well planned.
The following things should be taken into account when planning the Utility Room:
The function: How do you want to use your Utility Room?
This is the first question you should ask yourself. Will the room mainly be used for washing laundry or should it also be possible to store food? This is an important point, as the function determines the space and equipment required. If you opt for a pure laundry and ironing room, you will need, among other things :
- Washing machine
- Dryer
- Storage space for ironing board and iron
- A functional washbasin for soaking heavily soiled clothes
If your room is also used as a larder (pantry), you should consider how to separate the laundry and food areas from each other. In addition to the laundry room equipment, you will also need
- Shelves for your supplies (preserves, jams, etc.)
The space: How big does your Utility Room need to be?
Basically, the function that the utility room has to fulfill also determines its size. It can be very practical if you can iron directly in the Utility Room or if there is enough space for a clothes horse. If you also want to use your utility room as a storage room or utility room, then you should plan for more space.
Or maybe you’d rather bathe your beloved four-legged friend, who isn’t always quite so clean, in the Utility Room sink?
So you should bear this in mind:
- Ironing in the HWR?
- Use the washbasin for other purposes (cleaning bulky items, dog bath etc.)? The size of the washing area and washbasin should be selected accordingly.
The connections: What happens now?
You now know how much space you need for your needs in your Utility Room. Now you can take care of the necessary water connections:
Seek advice from experts (installers, technicians, architects), it pays off!
Sockets: How many sockets are needed?
A seemingly small question, but one that is essential. Without power sockets in the right place, it can be very tedious. Think everything through again:
- Consider distances to washbasins and the like
- Set ironing station and washing machine position
The rule here is: Better one socket too many than one too few!
Ventilation: how do you prevent mold?
Ventilation is the be-all and end-all in a new build (but also later on). Good ventilation is essential, especially in the bathroom, but also in the Utility Room. After all, high humidity levels can hardly be prevented where washing and drying take place.
You have two options here:
- Have a good ventilation system installed
- Sufficient windows also in the HWR
The floor: Which floor fits into your housekeeping dream?
When choosing a floor, you should first and foremost pay attention to how easy it is to clean. It can be wet and dirty in the utility room, so the following flooring options are suitable for your Utility Room:
The equipment: Which appliances and co. should you choose?
Our tip: When selecting appliances and other equipment (washing machine, dryer, shelves, washbasin, etc.), make sure they are of good quality. Because good quality pays off in the long term. Don’t save money in the wrong place, because if you save on quality today, you will often pay more later.
- Pay attention to quality
- Play it safe
The longevity of electrical appliances, washbasins and the like is also good for the environment!
The design: can your HWR also be beautiful?
Yes, it can. There are countless ways to make the Utility Room a feel-good place. You can also find numerous creative ideas on platforms such as Pinterest.
Our tip: The NOVUM designer washbasin is not only elegant and simple, but also robust and functional.
