ᐅ Floor plan for a 150 sqm single-family house with the living room facing north

Hello everyone,

We are currently considering a plot of land and have been thinking in more detail about the floor plan. I have created several versions, all differing in small details. I have uploaded the latest version of our ideas and an attempt to fit the floor plan into a slightly smaller footprint. Unfortunately, when reducing the size of the upper floor, the only idea I have is to recess the doors slightly, which creates small "bumps" in the rooms. Perhaps there are other suggestions for this.

Since it’s hard to see: The staircase in the regular version is quarter-turn and leads north on the upper floor. The staircase in the smaller version is half-turn and leads east.

Zoning/building restrictions: no zoning plan, i.e., according to neighboring buildings
Plot size: 800sqm (8,611 sq ft)
Slope: no
Site coverage ratio: no specification
Floor area ratio: no specification
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof
Orientation: living room faces north

Owners’ requirements
Basement: no basement
Number of people, ages: two adults, two preschool children
Space requirements on ground floor and upper floor: as shown in the floor plan
Office: home office
Guest nights per year: 30 nights annually
Open or closed architecture: rather closed
Conservative or modern construction: rather conservative
Open kitchen or kitchen island: no
Number of dining seats: 4 in kitchen, 6-8 in living room
Fireplace: no
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: not yet considered
Vegetable garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/particulars/daily routine, also reasons for preferences or exclusions: Living room facing north is preferred because we want access to the terrace without direct sunlight. South-facing study is fine as it is used during the day.

House design
Source of planning: own design, a mix of many floor plans from catalogs
What do you especially like? Why?: Space in the living room for family celebrations (joining two tables...), kitchen and living room connected to the terrace
What don’t you like? Why?: The house might be a bit too large for the budget – is it possible to reduce the size without major compromises?
Personal budget for the house, including fittings: 300,000 EUR
Preferred heating system: gas plus the minimum requirements to meet the 2017 energy saving regulations

If you had to give up some details/features, which ones could you do without?
- We could integrate the guest room upstairs into the study if necessary.

What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
Could the floor plan be reduced in size without significant compromises?

P.S.: The bathroom fixtures are only roughly placed for now, just so they are recognizable as bathrooms. Planning is not yet finalized.