The Utility Room is, technically, a new room. It was built in the former Conservatory at the back of the house. This, in a sense, gives the house a similarity with my own – that is, the construction of the The Laundry Room in my own home inside an unused and unloved space.
Let’s see how it looked close to the beginning of the project. This photo was taken with a lot of the materials being stored in the room, but that’s really the only difference compared to a true “before” shot.
What we wanted to do here was install some kitchen units in an L shape at the back, including a sink, and clad the brick wall to the left and rear of the shot.
There were also some new windows to install, and an ugly pipe to the right of the shot to box in.
The installation of new windows and the cladding of the walls were the first things to be done.
The cladding needed to be primed before painting, but before that it was necessary to seal the knots in the wood. This prevents them from leaking sap over time and ruining the paintwork.
Once that was done, we were able to plumb in the washing machine, dryer and sink. The units went in soon after that.
Well, maybe not quite, because it was time to get that pipe boxed in…
This got tricky in places, as there were times when we had to cut along an entire length of tongue and groove wood. This takes a lot more effort to do than cutting across the grain. Even more challenging when you have to do it accurately. I remember standing there nervously holding it to prevent it splintering apart as dad was sawing away at it.
Then went in the units and appliances.
Some exterior photos of the Utility Room here. The new windows open from the bottom, which makes them more usable, especially when units are in front of them.
Then we just needed to reinstall the radiator, lay the floor and do some general finishing off and we could call the renovation work here done.
I really don’t know why, but Laundry Rooms, or Utility Rooms, however you choose to call them, are among my favourite types of rooms. Not every house has them so they absolutely deserve to be treasured. They don’t have to be boring, either – put a little time and effort in and you really can make them into rooms that are not just useful, but attractive too.
Until next time,
Lx
The Norfolk Home Diaries 