Hello forum
We are building a city villa, 180 sqm (1,938 sq ft) according to residential space requirements, and we are currently struggling with the floor plan for the ground floor. Attached are the first two draft sketches from our builder. Both are almost identical, except that in the second version, due to a larger kitchen, the door from the hallway to the utility room is positioned further under the stairs, which eliminates the planned storage area there.
Would you completely give up the access to the utility room from the hallway?
How advantageous or disadvantageous is the rather square shape of the living/dining area?
We are building a city villa, 180 sqm (1,938 sq ft) according to residential space requirements, and we are currently struggling with the floor plan for the ground floor. Attached are the first two draft sketches from our builder. Both are almost identical, except that in the second version, due to a larger kitchen, the door from the hallway to the utility room is positioned further under the stairs, which eliminates the planned storage area there.
Would you completely give up the access to the utility room from the hallway?
How advantageous or disadvantageous is the rather square shape of the living/dining area?
Hello ypg,
Regarding the layouts where the staircase is adjacent to the utility room, the upper floor plan is basically fixed and it works. Depending on whether the "angle" of the staircase is on the ground floor or the upper floor, the room arrangement on the upper floor can be mirrored along an imaginary central axis, and it still works. We have already checked this.
We have essentially created a modular system of floor plans, allowing us to apply different upper floor layouts depending on the staircase position.
What do you think of this idea? My wife and I are feeling quite creative right now and have already produced the 4th draft in a very short time. The downside: this involves additional costs because a bay window is planned :-( BUT the living room would be more spacious and no longer such an awkward square shape. For reference, the wall in the living room adjacent to the guest bathroom is approximately 4m (13 feet) long.
We are looking forward to your opinions.
Regarding the layouts where the staircase is adjacent to the utility room, the upper floor plan is basically fixed and it works. Depending on whether the "angle" of the staircase is on the ground floor or the upper floor, the room arrangement on the upper floor can be mirrored along an imaginary central axis, and it still works. We have already checked this.
We have essentially created a modular system of floor plans, allowing us to apply different upper floor layouts depending on the staircase position.
What do you think of this idea? My wife and I are feeling quite creative right now and have already produced the 4th draft in a very short time. The downside: this involves additional costs because a bay window is planned :-( BUT the living room would be more spacious and no longer such an awkward square shape. For reference, the wall in the living room adjacent to the guest bathroom is approximately 4m (13 feet) long.
We are looking forward to your opinions.
Hi Aytex,
I would personally prefer to keep the access from the utility room to the hallway rather than to the kitchen. At least we have our washing machine and dryer there, along with a pile of laundry. You don’t have to throw the laundry down the chute, but you do have to carry it back up. And quite often, too. In your case, you would have to carry the laundry basket—probably full with both hands—through the door to the kitchen, halfway through the living room, through another door, almost to the front entrance, and then upstairs. It hardly gets more inconvenient than that.
Quickly grabbing a bottle of sparkling water or something similar from the utility room while you’re in the kitchen or dining area also works fine with hallway access. But of course, that’s just my opinion. And that’s what you wanted, hehe. The bay window gives you a nice opportunity to move the dining table in a bit, which sounds quite pleasant. What are the extra costs for that?
Good luck,
Mecc
I would personally prefer to keep the access from the utility room to the hallway rather than to the kitchen. At least we have our washing machine and dryer there, along with a pile of laundry. You don’t have to throw the laundry down the chute, but you do have to carry it back up. And quite often, too. In your case, you would have to carry the laundry basket—probably full with both hands—through the door to the kitchen, halfway through the living room, through another door, almost to the front entrance, and then upstairs. It hardly gets more inconvenient than that.
Quickly grabbing a bottle of sparkling water or something similar from the utility room while you’re in the kitchen or dining area also works fine with hallway access. But of course, that’s just my opinion. And that’s what you wanted, hehe. The bay window gives you a nice opportunity to move the dining table in a bit, which sounds quite pleasant. What are the extra costs for that?
Good luck,
Mecc
T
Teufelchen198523 May 2013 15:10Hello aytex,
just one more idea:
if you omit the door from the kitchen to the utility room, you can fit in more kitchen cabinets, possibly even line the entire "lower" wall of the kitchen with tall cabinets, allowing you to store some supplies directly in the kitchen. This way, you might not need to go to the utility room from the kitchen as often.
Best regards
Teufelchen
just one more idea:
if you omit the door from the kitchen to the utility room, you can fit in more kitchen cabinets, possibly even line the entire "lower" wall of the kitchen with tall cabinets, allowing you to store some supplies directly in the kitchen. This way, you might not need to go to the utility room from the kitchen as often.
Best regards
Teufelchen
It would be amusing if every coffee gathering of the wife or the chat between men happens while the spouse needs to do household chores and constantly has to walk through the living room. Having a door between the utility room and the hallway is a must.
Consider washing laundry upstairs (where it is generated -> a second utility room) or sealing off the corner in the utility room to create a pantry. Shelves on all three sides, space at the bottom for boxes, and plenty of room at the top for supplies and a bread maker. You would hardly need any kitchen cabinets then.
Consider washing laundry upstairs (where it is generated -> a second utility room) or sealing off the corner in the utility room to create a pantry. Shelves on all three sides, space at the bottom for boxes, and plenty of room at the top for supplies and a bread maker. You would hardly need any kitchen cabinets then.
Maybe it’s a personal feeling because the floor area is quite large, but could it be that the staircase length doesn’t fit?
To avoid feeling overwhelmed in rooms that are as spacious as your living room, the floor-to-ceiling height must not be too low. Otherwise, with 13 steps, the staircase will end up more like a ladder.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed in rooms that are as spacious as your living room, the floor-to-ceiling height must not be too low. Otherwise, with 13 steps, the staircase will end up more like a ladder.
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