A utility does one job better than any other room in an Irish house: it takes the washing machine, the drier, the airer, the mop and the recycling out of the kitchen. In an open plan house that is not a nice extra, it is what makes the open plan bearable, because a spin cycle no longer competes with the television.
How much space does a utility actually need?
Three square metres is enough for a working utility. Two will take a machine, a sink and some storage if it is planned properly.
People assume a utility needs a room. It does not. A run of about two metres against one wall, with a door on it, does most of the work: machine, worktop over, sink at one end, tall storage at the other.
What it does need is plumbing on that wall run and somewhere for the machines to drain. Adding a utility to a spot with no services nearby is where the cost goes.
Where do the machines go?
Under a continuous worktop, side by side, with the drier next to the washing machine rather than stacked if there is width.
Stacking saves floor space and costs you a working surface, so it is a trade rather than a win. Where width allows, side by side under a worktop gives you somewhere to fold, which is the thing people miss most in a cramped utility.
Leave a gap you can reach behind. Machines need pulling out occasionally, and a run built tight to both walls makes that a two person job.
What about drying clothes indoors?
Plan for it, because in an Irish winter it is happening whether the design allows for it or not.
A pull down or ceiling mounted airer over the machines uses space that is otherwise dead, and it keeps wet clothes out of the kitchen and the sitting room. It needs the ceiling fixing planned and the head height checked.
Ventilation matters as much. A utility drying clothes with no extraction pushes that moisture into the rest of the house, so an extractor or a vented drier is part of the design rather than an afterthought.
What else earns its place in there?
A deep sink, a tall cupboard for the vacuum and the ironing board, and somewhere for the recycling.
A deep sink is the most used thing in most utilities: filling buckets, soaking, washing things that should not go in the kitchen sink. A shallow one is a false economy.
Full height storage takes the awkward tall items that otherwise live in a corner of the kitchen. Recycling bins under the worktop keep them out of sight and near the back door.
Everything we make in wood carries a two year warranty against defects.
How it works
We call out, measure the space and talk through what you want. Our designers draw it in 3D so you see the finished piece in your own room, and you get one complete itemised quote within two working days. Nothing is ordered and nothing is charged until you say yes.
One team for this and the rest of the job
The same team that makes this fits it, and we also do kitchens, fitted wardrobes, internal doors and windows. If more than one thing needs doing, it is one contractor, one schedule and one point of contact rather than four. See the rest of our work.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fit a utility into a large press or under the stairs?
Sometimes, and it depends on plumbing and ventilation. Under stairs suits storage better than machines in most houses.
Can the utility match the kitchen?
Yes, and most people do it in the same doors and finish so the two rooms read together.
Do I need a separate sink in the utility?
Not strictly, but it is the thing people who skip it most often regret.
What areas do you cover?
Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The design visit is free and there is no obligation.