What would you do with this room/space?

We looked into a shower room, but it would involve major building work because of the concrete floor and the fact that there is no drainage. I would have liked that, as it would mean if one of us couldn't use the stairs for any reason they could live downstairs, but the labour costs alone made it unfeasible.

I have wondered about getting cupboards under the windows, and a tall one where the shelves are now. I might look into that. The fridge and freezer are stacked (the freezer is a small one that I was given, and the fridge came out of the kitchen when it was redone and I got an integrated one). I could replace them with a fridge freezer, and if a kitchen company did the work I could have that integrated too.

I don't know how sliding doors would work, as the back wall is all but taken up with doors, so there's nowhere for them to slide to.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll think them all over.

I think that's a great (abd practical) idea. A shower room. The big windows are still awkward though 🤔

Do you have a downstairs toilet and shower room? I converted our garage into a utility with storage cupboards. Washer and drier on one side, with wash basket and small freezer for dog food on top. Plaster wall and door leading into a small wet room shower, toilet and sink. Theresa new side door so I can bring muddy dogs straight in, saving the rest of the house till they’re showered and dry.
I hadn’t planned to future proof but realise I did. If I ever have to live downstairs -I can

I do know, Doodledog but a couple of citrus would still be lovely!

PPS replace spare fridge and freezer with a fridge freezer to save floor space.

PS replace hinged doors with sliding doors or curtains or simply do without doors where suitable.

It's not a good room for storage as others have noted. Small items can be stored in cupboards about two feet high. Ironing board and hoovers can be hidden in one of those trellis things they make for hiding wheelie bins, keep it indoors, paint it white maybe.
The spare fridge and freezer are not too unsightly or tall, and can get a worktop over them,

PS the doors can be made from MDF and the panelling added with quadrant, cheap as chips.
Straight modern handles, big wooden knobs or pretty flowery ones. Whatever suits your taste.

The loo doors would require handles inside too. Double doors would take up less space when opened.

Here’s an idea.

Laundry room with washing machine, drier, ironing board etc?

If it’s enclosed I think I’d get a carpenter to build a storage bench on the opposite side to the loo, make a nice box cushion and get the walls panelled and painted and hang up some nice pictures. Look at mud rooms on Pinterest, waste a couple of days. Start looking at narrow. Boats. Forget what you went on there for. Several weeks have passed and you’ve grown a beard. Room, what room?

Is the loo enclosed? Or do the windows look into someone in the loo 🙈 toilet dreams toilet dreams

Good morning Doodledog.
Does the 10 x 12 ish include the wc and cupboard?
Where are the power points (current fridge location)?
What sort of budget are you intending to use?

Depends how much you want to spend?
Me I would change it around, move the loo so it not in the middle of the wall, put it in the corner.
Get the kitchen wall down and open it out to make a bigger kitchen with more glass to let the light in.
You will be surprised how much you will use the area.

It sounds as if this might be a temporary arrangement. If grandchildren come along, you suggest that it may be repurposed as your craft room.
Therefore, it would seem that it's best kept as storage for now, but would benefit from "tittivating". Paint on the walls, and nice vinyl on the floor would make a difference for little cost.
Then, tackle the stuff : everything looks better tidied away. Invest in some low level storage cupboards ( IKEA and b&q, rather than handmade by Smallbone) and add one tall unit to box in the fridge/ hide the vacuum cleaner/ ironing board- whatever.
If there's any wall space, add a few prints etc.

Interesting thread as I have some of the same sort of problem myself.

For what it is worth, and it may not be much, I made it look like an extension of the kitchen, with eg the same flooring. And put less things in there, and spread one or two items around the house. For instance the ironing board.
It is never an ideal scenario whatever I do, but it got away from the "dumping room" feeling.

Perhaps it is better kept as a utility room, but better organised and with cohesive decorations. As previously said there are some lovely interior decor ideas on Pinterest which might inspire you. It would depend on your personal style and preferred colours.
Personally, I’d put down some waterproof flooring such as Aqualoc, which would be warm and practical. I’d paint and tile the walls in a light neutral tone of your preferred colour. Is there a sink? You probably have one in the toilet. Open shelving would enable you to soften the space with indoor plants.
They key to any decor is tying it all into an overall design.

NotSpaghetti

Why not invest in some orange trees and other citrus then ...
I would love an orangery!

If it were four times bigger that might work - even better in a south facing room in a warm climate - but as it stands a couple of trees would crowd it out. The title of orangery is estate agent speak, rather than reality.

Mama66 it is currently a combination of a boot room and storage. Not particularly ugly, but not functioning as well as it might (the office is upstairs). The problem is the doors and windows, the concrete floor and the fact that it’s a thoroughfare - practical issues rather than lack of inspiration. Without those constraints I would have more options. I’d be happy with cupboards fitted around the walls for tidy storage, but for what I’d gain with the layout as it is it’s not really worth it.

Functional doesn’t have to be ugly. What about a combined utility, boot room and storage or office? We refurbished a house top to bottom. It took about three years and I spent hours on Pinterest for inspiration. Also magazines like Ideal Home have some really good ideas. It could be a real asset as a space. Good luck 🍀

Why not invest in some orange trees and other citrus then ...
I would love an orangery!

Skydancer

If you don’t mind spending money knock the middle wall down and extend the kitchen. You can move your existing kitchen units if taken out carefully. What was the original purpose of the room? It seems to make no sense.
If you don’t want to spend money then I’d paint the room white, fill with large plants and put a couple of big mirrors on the walls. Then add a couple of comfy sofas or turn it into a dining room. Definitely don’t use it just for storage as this will be your view from the kitchen. If there is heating there and if it’s well insulated why not take out the door to the kitchen and make it a feature square arch. I’d remove the cupboard altogether to increase the space.

We've just had the kitchen done out, so I won't be extending it.

The original purpose of the room was to incorporate what was an outside loo and fuel store into the house. I think it was a gardener's facility or similar, and when we moved in the architect suggested we build what he called an orangery* to make use of the 'outhouses', so we had a roof and walls put in between them and the old back wall.

It served us well when we had the children and dog living here, but it's not much use these days, and as I say, it needs to be decorated, and I need to decide how and what to do with it.

*Technically it is an orangery, as it has a glass wall and a solid roof, but that makes it sound much grander than it is

There are some good ideas there, already, thanks. I knew I could rely on you all.

We do have a dining room and I also have a sort of 'craft room' as this is a family house with just Mr Dog and me left in it, and we've taken over bedrooms to use for that sort of thing. I could put a sofa in there, but I can't imagine either of us wanting to sit on it, as there are other places to do that without being surrounded by cleaning products and hoovers . We don't have grandchildren yet, so if that happens and we need to repurpose bedrooms again, it could potentially be used in that way, though. Of course the fact that the downstairs loo is in there means that it is also something of a thoroughfare, which means it would make a poor study or reading nook.

I think it's better used as a boot room/storage space, but I'm not sure how best to achieve that and have it look less like a skip . Maybe built-in storage under the windows and as Grannmarie suggests, moving the fridge and freezer to the cupboard? That would involve running electricity to that area though, which may be more difficult than expected. I did get someone in to look at fitting a shower in there, and it was going to involve very complicated and expensive work because the whole area has a concrete floor, which I forgot to mention in my OP. That is also a limiting factor.

A tea/coffee station is a nice idea too, but I have an area of the kitchen for that, and there is no real gain to be made by relocating it.

Sorry to pour cold water on your excellent ideas. I really appreciate them all, and do please keep them coming. It's such an awkward space though, and I would like to find a way to utilise it. The dog used to sleep in there, and it was ideal for that, but sadly he is no longer with us.

Is the cupboard full? Could cupboard space lose the door and walls, with modernisation - thus holding the fridge, freezer, vacuum cleaners, airers (perhaps airers replaced with retractable lines?)

Could the loo and cupboard doors be replaced with slider doors, leaving no need for "swing out" space?

If you don’t mind spending money knock the middle wall down and extend the kitchen. You can move your existing kitchen units if taken out carefully. What was the original purpose of the room? It seems to make no sense.
If you don’t want to spend money then I’d paint the room white, fill with large plants and put a couple of big mirrors on the walls. Then add a couple of comfy sofas or turn it into a dining room. Definitely don’t use it just for storage as this will be your view from the kitchen. If there is heating there and if it’s well insulated why not take out the door to the kitchen and make it a feature square arch. I’d remove the cupboard altogether to increase the space.