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 NI22 May 2021 14:30Hi everyone,
I wanted to share some feedback with you.
We have now decided to go with option 3 for our floor plan.
We do not want a fully integrated conservatory. We will implement the conservatory as an attached version, as sketched.
Here are a few reasons:
- The conservatory will be fully glazed, with walls and roof including a retractable awning and roller shutters / blinds. The walls will be fully sliding, so in the minimal case only the roof remains.
- During the transitional seasons of spring and autumn, a fully glazed box heats up quickly, making it very pleasant to sit there, for example, for Sunday coffee.
- A fully integrated conservatory could not be fully slid open and would probably not have a glass roof for energy efficiency reasons, or such a solution would be very expensive to meet energy standards like KfW.
- Both options involve some overlap in seating areas. A fully integrated conservatory requires a second proper outdoor space, which also needs shading. With an attached conservatory, the seating area doubles as an outdoor space.
- With the attached conservatory, the walls can be fully slid open, and the room merges with the garden. Still, heat or insects don’t enter the house as much, because there is a separate glass door from the conservatory into the house.
- The attached conservatory serves as a retreat / private space when guests are over, used by just one of us.
- The seating area in the main living space is for 6 to 10 people, which I can manage without stress. If there are more guests, we move into the conservatory, which is more separated from the kitchen / chaos.
- The separate conservatory reduces noise and prevents loud sounds / guests from spreading throughout the house so much.
Of course, many of the reasons mentioned could be addressed with other solutions or ideas on how to integrate the conservatory as a warm room into the house, but for us, this is not an option.
Thanks for your suggestions!
It’s good to question your decisions to make sure you choose the right option for the right reasons.
I wanted to share some feedback with you.
We have now decided to go with option 3 for our floor plan.
We do not want a fully integrated conservatory. We will implement the conservatory as an attached version, as sketched.
Here are a few reasons:
- The conservatory will be fully glazed, with walls and roof including a retractable awning and roller shutters / blinds. The walls will be fully sliding, so in the minimal case only the roof remains.
- During the transitional seasons of spring and autumn, a fully glazed box heats up quickly, making it very pleasant to sit there, for example, for Sunday coffee.
- A fully integrated conservatory could not be fully slid open and would probably not have a glass roof for energy efficiency reasons, or such a solution would be very expensive to meet energy standards like KfW.
- Both options involve some overlap in seating areas. A fully integrated conservatory requires a second proper outdoor space, which also needs shading. With an attached conservatory, the seating area doubles as an outdoor space.
- With the attached conservatory, the walls can be fully slid open, and the room merges with the garden. Still, heat or insects don’t enter the house as much, because there is a separate glass door from the conservatory into the house.
- The attached conservatory serves as a retreat / private space when guests are over, used by just one of us.
- The seating area in the main living space is for 6 to 10 people, which I can manage without stress. If there are more guests, we move into the conservatory, which is more separated from the kitchen / chaos.
- The separate conservatory reduces noise and prevents loud sounds / guests from spreading throughout the house so much.
Of course, many of the reasons mentioned could be addressed with other solutions or ideas on how to integrate the conservatory as a warm room into the house, but for us, this is not an option.
Thanks for your suggestions!
It’s good to question your decisions to make sure you choose the right option for the right reasons.
P
pagoni202022 May 2021 22:14Then hopefully you will keep us updated on the further development.
For me, this was a positive example of a constructive discussion!
It was really enjoyable, and you could tell that you are open to completely different ideas. It’s perfectly fine that in the end you implement something different or one of your original ideas, because ultimately only you need to feel comfortable there.
I always find it constructive to openly consider even ideas that might seem unusual at first, and besides, this can be fun too.
For me, this was a positive example of a constructive discussion!
It was really enjoyable, and you could tell that you are open to completely different ideas. It’s perfectly fine that in the end you implement something different or one of your original ideas, because ultimately only you need to feel comfortable there.
I always find it constructive to openly consider even ideas that might seem unusual at first, and besides, this can be fun too.
Y
Ypsi aus NI22 May 2021 22:34@Papagoni: Thank you very much for your kind words!
I also found the discussion and your suggestions really helpful!!!!
It's great how you don't interpret the rejection of the other (your) proposals as stubbornness, but rather as what it is for me: challenging my own idea to see if I might be mistaken or have a block in my thinking.
I also found the discussion and your suggestions really helpful!!!!
It's great how you don't interpret the rejection of the other (your) proposals as stubbornness, but rather as what it is for me: challenging my own idea to see if I might be mistaken or have a block in my thinking.
Y
Ypsi aus NI22 May 2021 22:35ypg schrieb:
I’m starting to feel a bit left hanging now 😕 Why is that???
Because I didn’t follow your idea?
Ypsi aus NI schrieb:
Why is that???
Because I didn’t follow your idea?No, why??? ... because you’re not sharing the new plans with us. You kind of got us involved. Now you have to keep us updated :pSimilar topics