Hello everyone,
After almost a year’s break, we have resumed our building project and are planning a new floor plan.
We’re stuck when it comes to the open-plan living area, so I would like to hear your opinions!
Our garden faces west, and to the south, the neighboring property begins after three meters (10 feet).
Option 1:
Overall, we like this option best. BUT: Is it possibly too tight? About one meter (3 feet) between the sofa and table—is that too cramped? It’s enough for walking through, but maybe it compromises comfort on the couch? Currently, we have much more space between the couch and table, but not as much room depth as in the planned layout. We are thinking of trying to place the table this close to the sofa in our current apartment to get a feel for it.
Pros: Great window view to the west, a skylight to the south (brings in plenty of light but prevents the neighbor from looking into our house), from the couch you can see the room, the garden, and the TV.
Cons: Is it too narrow in width?
Option 2:
Same setup, only the table is rotated. Basically, a table with a footprint of 1.00 x 2.00 meters (3 x 6.5 feet) requires a total space of 2.00 x 2.00 meters (6.5 x 6.5 feet) to accommodate chairs. In this arrangement, all guests could look out to the garden. In option 1, both the sofa and the kitchen island have visual contact with all guests.
Option 3:
The sofa and the entertainment wall are swapped. The skylight to the south changes to a floor-to-ceiling window, but the window to the west is removed.
Pros: More freedom of movement in the room, sofa hidden behind the fireplace, more coziness.
Cons: No view of the garden from the sofa, loss of a west window, view of the fireplace only from the side.
We have gotten so lost in the planning that we can’t see the forest for the trees right now.
What do you think?
Thanks and best regards,
Ypsi
After almost a year’s break, we have resumed our building project and are planning a new floor plan.
We’re stuck when it comes to the open-plan living area, so I would like to hear your opinions!
Our garden faces west, and to the south, the neighboring property begins after three meters (10 feet).
Option 1:
Overall, we like this option best. BUT: Is it possibly too tight? About one meter (3 feet) between the sofa and table—is that too cramped? It’s enough for walking through, but maybe it compromises comfort on the couch? Currently, we have much more space between the couch and table, but not as much room depth as in the planned layout. We are thinking of trying to place the table this close to the sofa in our current apartment to get a feel for it.
Pros: Great window view to the west, a skylight to the south (brings in plenty of light but prevents the neighbor from looking into our house), from the couch you can see the room, the garden, and the TV.
Cons: Is it too narrow in width?
Option 2:
Same setup, only the table is rotated. Basically, a table with a footprint of 1.00 x 2.00 meters (3 x 6.5 feet) requires a total space of 2.00 x 2.00 meters (6.5 x 6.5 feet) to accommodate chairs. In this arrangement, all guests could look out to the garden. In option 1, both the sofa and the kitchen island have visual contact with all guests.
Option 3:
The sofa and the entertainment wall are swapped. The skylight to the south changes to a floor-to-ceiling window, but the window to the west is removed.
Pros: More freedom of movement in the room, sofa hidden behind the fireplace, more coziness.
Cons: No view of the garden from the sofa, loss of a west window, view of the fireplace only from the side.
We have gotten so lost in the planning that we can’t see the forest for the trees right now.
What do you think?
Thanks and best regards,
Ypsi
Y
Ypsi aus NI20 May 2021 14:35pagoni2020 schrieb:
So why doesn’t the idea of integrating the conservatory catch on?Conservatory integrated into living space:
Advantage: saves space by avoiding two dining areas
Disadvantage: the conservatory is not a separate room, no private retreat anymore, sitting at a large conservatory dining table just for two can feel lost, the exit from the open-plan area to the garden goes through the conservatory
Conservatory attached to living space:
Advantage: like a separate room, can also serve as a retreat
Disadvantage: requires more space since the dining area is essentially doubled
Nevertheless, I gave it a quick and informal sketch.
Additional advantage: the room can lose about one meter (3 feet) in depth without any loss of quality.
vonBYnachSH20 May 2021 14:40It's definitely not perfect yet, but it feels a thousand times more exciting!
vonBYnachSH20 May 2021 14:42Some bar stools would definitely fit there now, so I already think it looks much better.
H
hampshire20 May 2021 14:43Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
You don’t have children yet! Talk to parents, and they will tell you how it really is. Don’t let it stress you out. Children need a lot of love, care, and interest in what they do and what moves them. They adapt extremely well to circumstances and learn very quickly how to deal with dangers if you let them gain experience and give them space. With dogs, people often say the problem is usually at the other end of the leash. It’s almost always the parents’ stress that affects the children. Is my child safe? Am I doing everything right? How does my child compare? I can’t just put my phone away… — if you talk to parents, you will notice that what they say about children often reveals much more about themselves than about the children.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
I still tried to sketch it quite casually.
Another advantage: the room can lose one meter (3 feet) in depth without any loss of quality. The passage into the room might become annoying in the long run if the kitchen island is parallel to the table. That creates a bottleneck. I really like the idea of placing the table in the conservatory.
P
pagoni202020 May 2021 14:55Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
A shared living space is no longer a separate room or retreat, this can be addressed with lightweight furniture among other things and adapted or changed as needed; that’s why we love such furniture.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
sitting together at a huge winter garden table The two of us often just sit at the bar counter and look outside while eating. We have a large dining table that we rarely use just for two, so we are now planning the attached version.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
it can feel lost, ...or it can feel appropriate and fitting! It might seem unusual at first, but you quickly get used to it; it would be harder the other way around. Maybe you have thoughts like “you don’t do that” or “I wouldn’t like that” 😀. It’s very difficult to develop your own sense for this; I tend to be quite bold.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
access from the open-plan area to the garden is through the winter garden That could be solved later… something could be found for that. The TV area doesn’t have to stay as it is.
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
so the dining area is basically doubled. That’s exactly what I see, which limits the needed space elsewhere. My “dining area in the winter garden”… what wouldn’t be great about that? We had a plan where the sofa was placed centrally in the open area and the dining room came after that. Almost no one would do it like that, but for the two of us and our habits, it would have worked well.
Y
Ypsi aus NI20 May 2021 14:56hampshire schrieb:
Don’t let yourself get confused. Children need lots of love, attention, and interest in the things they do and care about. They adapt extremely well to circumstances and learn very quickly how to handle dangers if you let them gain experience and give them space. When it comes to dogs, people often say the problem is usually at the other end of the leash. It’s almost always the parents’ stress that affects the children. Is my child safe? Am I doing everything right? How do we compare? I can’t just put my phone down… – if you talk to parents, you’ll realize that what they say about their children reveals more about themselves than about the kids.
The passage into the room could get annoying over time if the kitchen island is parallel to the table. That creates a bottleneck. I really like the idea of putting the table in the conservatory. Thank you very much for your reassuring words regarding children, how to interact with them, and personal habits.
As I said, asking questions and being selective is probably the right approach. In the end, you have to find your own way to live together with your child.
For example, we are planning our parents’ area downstairs, children’s area upstairs. You wouldn’t believe the range of opinions we hear:
From “Why do you want children if you don’t sleep on the same level as them?”
To “Best idea ever, especially once they are three or older, it works perfectly.”
In the end: we shall see! :-)
If I turn the kitchen island back 90 degrees, I will either have to shorten it in length or keep the open-plan area at the previous size plus shared living space integration.
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