ᐅ Smart ideas that make everyday life easier incorporated into the home
Created on: 20 Nov 2015 23:36
S
Slintrebla
Hello everyone,
We are currently in the construction phase of our single-family home. We are actively gathering ideas to make daily life in the new house easier.
So far, we have:
- A laundry chute from the bathroom on the upper floor to the washing machine in the basement
- A platform for the washing machine to allow easy loading and unloading
- Pantry shelving with rotating trays
We have also considered:
- Building a small utility room behind the living room cabinet (sideboard) to house all the TV equipment (satellite box, DVD player, receiver, hard drive, etc.) out of sight
To illustrate, I’m attaching three photos.
Maybe some of you have a nice REALISTIC idea that could be implemented.
Thank you in advance for your ideas!
Best regards,
Slintrebla
We are currently in the construction phase of our single-family home. We are actively gathering ideas to make daily life in the new house easier.
So far, we have:
- A laundry chute from the bathroom on the upper floor to the washing machine in the basement
- A platform for the washing machine to allow easy loading and unloading
- Pantry shelving with rotating trays
We have also considered:
- Building a small utility room behind the living room cabinet (sideboard) to house all the TV equipment (satellite box, DVD player, receiver, hard drive, etc.) out of sight
To illustrate, I’m attaching three photos.
Maybe some of you have a nice REALISTIC idea that could be implemented.
Thank you in advance for your ideas!
Best regards,
Slintrebla
ypg schrieb:
Then you shouldn’t build your own home! I mean that honestly and without sarcasm! Why not? In the last five years, I’ve had more contractor appointments in this older apartment than my parents had in their developer-built house in 15 years. It’s not a huge problem, but I can definitely imagine better ways to spend my time than watching the heating technician working on heat meters, thermostats, and such.
Yes! It is nice! Besides the slow response time of underfloor heating, many people have the issue that it doesn’t provide radiant heat. In that case, the fireplace can be a small “compensation,” when needed— for example, after a frosty walk or other cold activities, you can light the fire and feel the radiant warmth on your body. Others use the built-in sauna or a hot bath instead— though those two alternatives have the drawback of being temporary. No, I don’t find that nice. But that’s a matter of taste, so no need to argue further here. I prefer it evenly warm and don’t want the floor to feel cold. After a cold walk (if you’ve been outside for several hours in the snow, possibly with wet clothes, or standing for hours at a Christmas market), I’d rather take a shower (sometimes even half an hour under running water—contrary to the idea that showers use less water than baths) or have a warm bath.
If the front side heats up from the fireplace while the back side is freezing, or if the front side is blazing while the back side is just at normal temperature, I don’t find that comfortable—and I’m definitely not alone in that view. Additionally, a fireplace produces soot and dust, which affects indoor air quality. And in a modern, well-insulated house built to current standards, you’d overheat very quickly.
But if you enjoy it, that’s fine. We just don’t want such a thing.
We are getting a gas fireplace. I’m really looking forward to it! Downsides – no cozy crackling of wood logs, no pleasant wood smell...
Advantages
- If the husband is on a business trip and the wife comes home in autumn feeling chilly... She can just lie down on the sofa, press a button on the remote control, and turn the fireplace on. No hauling or stacking wood, no lighting fires, no cleaning up mess.
- If you come home late in the evening and feel like a glass of wine... Just sit on the couch, turn the fireplace on, and maybe turn it off again with the push of a button half an hour later.
- If it gets too warm, just press a button and the unit shuts off immediately, no waiting for a thick log to burn out.
I think people will probably use a gas unit more often than a wood stove (at least the average user, excluding true enthusiasts).
That’s the theory; hopefully, the practice will prove it next winter.
I don’t want to start a pro/contra gas versus wood debate here, just to highlight the practical advantages of a gas fireplace. I think it will create a cozy atmosphere, but of course, it will never match the unique ambiance of a wood-burning fireplace.
Advantages
- If the husband is on a business trip and the wife comes home in autumn feeling chilly... She can just lie down on the sofa, press a button on the remote control, and turn the fireplace on. No hauling or stacking wood, no lighting fires, no cleaning up mess.
- If you come home late in the evening and feel like a glass of wine... Just sit on the couch, turn the fireplace on, and maybe turn it off again with the push of a button half an hour later.
- If it gets too warm, just press a button and the unit shuts off immediately, no waiting for a thick log to burn out.
I think people will probably use a gas unit more often than a wood stove (at least the average user, excluding true enthusiasts).
That’s the theory; hopefully, the practice will prove it next winter.
I don’t want to start a pro/contra gas versus wood debate here, just to highlight the practical advantages of a gas fireplace. I think it will create a cozy atmosphere, but of course, it will never match the unique ambiance of a wood-burning fireplace.
@Grym, we are not talking about a fireplace that is supposed to provide heat without any additional heating system. Build your house without a fireplace if you want, but please don’t rely on hearsay arguments and present them as facts in the forum.
You yourself have no experience yet, neither for nor against in a new build!
This forum thrives on real experiences that have been made. You are welcome to ask any questions you have here!
You yourself have no experience yet, neither for nor against in a new build!
This forum thrives on real experiences that have been made. You are welcome to ask any questions you have here!
@ypg: A gas fireplace provides real heating, with various options available in the range from about 2 kW (7,000 BTU/hr) up to over 10 kW (34,000 BTU/hr).
An ethanol fireplace mainly serves as decoration and offers negligible heating performance.
Regarding our experience with wood-burning stoves:
1. As was the case between 2000 and 2006, our wood stove runs almost every day.
Besides the cozy atmosphere, the heat output is very pleasant. More precisely, we personally find it very comfortable. Even friends and neighbors sometimes text us: "Fire going again?" Yes! "I might come by for a glass of wine/beer."
2. Of course, such a stove requires more effort than a central heating system. However, as mentioned here before, it is an add-on, not the primary heating source.
3. Aside from the investment, which is not small if you want good quality: Heating with wood, unless you cut your own, is probably not cheaper than central heating. On the contrary. In my view, a wood stove is pure luxury that people who appreciate and enjoy it will value accordingly.
4. With proper sizing, you won’t overheat your house. If the stove is too large, occasionally (sparingly, since it’s not great for the environment!) adding a few lignite briquettes can help. The temperature drops, the embers last for hours, and the fire can be easily rekindled. Alternatively, you can let it go out and start it again within 2-5 minutes.
5. When operating the stove in room air–independent mode, no poor indoor air quality is created!
On things that personally make our lives easier (and nicer) or will do so in the future:
1. Plenty of sockets and switches in the right places. Tons of outlets in the kitchen.
2. Three-phase power supply for carport/garage/garden shed (prepared for electric vehicle).
3. Adequate garden and house lighting plus sockets (switchable from inside) in the garden and in front of the house. Correspondingly powerful lighting at the front entrance area including a highly functional motion sensor.
4. External water tap that self-drains.
5. Stairway lighting (switchable, with additional dusk sensor).
6. Basic home automation with full integration of the heating system.
7. Bedroom: Bed perimeter lighting, switchable from the door and the bedside cabinets. Indirect orientation light that doesn’t wake the partner when getting up during the night.
8. Large terrace (approx. 50 m² (540 sq ft)) plus an additional separate terrace near the forest edge (not quite finished yet).
9. Sufficient SAT cables and Ethernet LAN at all necessary locations (e.g., office, TV).
10. Small TV in the bathroom. Replaces the radio and is a nice energizer in the morning as well as pleasant while bathing.
11. Coming soon, hopefully: photovoltaic system with 2 x 3.6 kWp and a small 2.5 kWh buffer battery.
12. Barrier-free main entrance.
13. Nearly (almost) barrier-free exits to the main terrace.
14. Last but not least: the wood stove.
Thorsten
An ethanol fireplace mainly serves as decoration and offers negligible heating performance.
Regarding our experience with wood-burning stoves:
1. As was the case between 2000 and 2006, our wood stove runs almost every day.
Besides the cozy atmosphere, the heat output is very pleasant. More precisely, we personally find it very comfortable. Even friends and neighbors sometimes text us: "Fire going again?" Yes! "I might come by for a glass of wine/beer."
2. Of course, such a stove requires more effort than a central heating system. However, as mentioned here before, it is an add-on, not the primary heating source.
3. Aside from the investment, which is not small if you want good quality: Heating with wood, unless you cut your own, is probably not cheaper than central heating. On the contrary. In my view, a wood stove is pure luxury that people who appreciate and enjoy it will value accordingly.
4. With proper sizing, you won’t overheat your house. If the stove is too large, occasionally (sparingly, since it’s not great for the environment!) adding a few lignite briquettes can help. The temperature drops, the embers last for hours, and the fire can be easily rekindled. Alternatively, you can let it go out and start it again within 2-5 minutes.
5. When operating the stove in room air–independent mode, no poor indoor air quality is created!
On things that personally make our lives easier (and nicer) or will do so in the future:
1. Plenty of sockets and switches in the right places. Tons of outlets in the kitchen.
2. Three-phase power supply for carport/garage/garden shed (prepared for electric vehicle).
3. Adequate garden and house lighting plus sockets (switchable from inside) in the garden and in front of the house. Correspondingly powerful lighting at the front entrance area including a highly functional motion sensor.
4. External water tap that self-drains.
5. Stairway lighting (switchable, with additional dusk sensor).
6. Basic home automation with full integration of the heating system.
7. Bedroom: Bed perimeter lighting, switchable from the door and the bedside cabinets. Indirect orientation light that doesn’t wake the partner when getting up during the night.
8. Large terrace (approx. 50 m² (540 sq ft)) plus an additional separate terrace near the forest edge (not quite finished yet).
9. Sufficient SAT cables and Ethernet LAN at all necessary locations (e.g., office, TV).
10. Small TV in the bathroom. Replaces the radio and is a nice energizer in the morning as well as pleasant while bathing.
11. Coming soon, hopefully: photovoltaic system with 2 x 3.6 kWp and a small 2.5 kWh buffer battery.
12. Barrier-free main entrance.
13. Nearly (almost) barrier-free exits to the main terrace.
14. Last but not least: the wood stove.
Thorsten
Similar topics