ᐅ Floor Plan for a Family. Comments, Criticism, and Suggestions for Improvement
Created on: 16 Sep 2014 19:05
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SivolefeWe would also like to present a floor plan. We received an offer from a homebuilding company with a finalized floor plan. We think it’s not bad, but we would really appreciate additional feedback, criticism, and suggestions for improvement.
A few facts:
- Semi-detached house in timber frame construction, 8.48 x 10.23 m (28 x 34 ft)
- The house is located in a newly developed residential area
- The house will be built into a slope approximately 2 m (6.5 ft) high (so that the entrance is at the basement level, but the ground floor leads out to the southwest-facing garden)
- The neighboring semi-detached unit is not yet built (but we can still proceed with construction)
- The pitched roof may only be 7.5 m (24.6 ft) high, with a roof pitch of 30 degrees
About the floor plan:
- “Top” represents a residential street
- Utility connections come from the street
- The “bottom” side is oriented southwest, left is northwest, top is northeast
- On the ground floor level, the garden with a terrace is at the “bottom” and “left” (southwest)
- The gentle valley lies at “top left,” so in the north, there should be nicer views
- The basement is a living basement
- The knee wall on the upper floor is about 2 m (6.5 ft)
- The furniture shown is only for illustration
We would like to sincerely thank everyone in advance for all responses!
Here are the floor plans:
A few facts:
- Semi-detached house in timber frame construction, 8.48 x 10.23 m (28 x 34 ft)
- The house is located in a newly developed residential area
- The house will be built into a slope approximately 2 m (6.5 ft) high (so that the entrance is at the basement level, but the ground floor leads out to the southwest-facing garden)
- The neighboring semi-detached unit is not yet built (but we can still proceed with construction)
- The pitched roof may only be 7.5 m (24.6 ft) high, with a roof pitch of 30 degrees
About the floor plan:
- “Top” represents a residential street
- Utility connections come from the street
- The “bottom” side is oriented southwest, left is northwest, top is northeast
- On the ground floor level, the garden with a terrace is at the “bottom” and “left” (southwest)
- The gentle valley lies at “top left,” so in the north, there should be nicer views
- The basement is a living basement
- The knee wall on the upper floor is about 2 m (6.5 ft)
- The furniture shown is only for illustration
We would like to sincerely thank everyone in advance for all responses!
Here are the floor plans:
Do you need the study on the ground floor? If not, I would add this room to the living room. 29m² (313 sq ft) is quite small for a family of four.
Skip the pantry in the kitchen. It only makes the space feel more cramped, and a tall cabinet would serve you better.
Otherwise, I think the floor plan for a semi-detached house is really good.
Skip the pantry in the kitchen. It only makes the space feel more cramped, and a tall cabinet would serve you better.
Otherwise, I think the floor plan for a semi-detached house is really good.
N
nordanney16 Sep 2014 20:32I can only agree with that. The only downside is that you have to go up one floor from the entrance to the ground floor. However, that probably can’t be changed given your plot.
Do you need a shower on the ground floor? Is it okay for your children to have rooms of different sizes? You might still be able to adjust that.
Good luck with the build!
Do you need a shower on the ground floor? Is it okay for your children to have rooms of different sizes? You might still be able to adjust that.
Good luck with the build!
Nice floor plan!
I think "work" is just a placeholder. I also considered whether the room on the ground floor should be added as a living space. However, a guest room near the shower bathroom would also be a good option.
Maybe remove the door and instead use large sliding doors to the living area. That would give more flexibility in using the space—for example, a play area for children, a workspace close to family life, a cozy corner there, or… It really depends on your habits, or whether you (as a single person) might already need a retreat on the ground floor, even while the children are still around.
So, looking again, I found an error: remove the pantry to make room for tall cabinets, then place the door from the hallway to the kitchen.
You can do it, but you don’t have to. I find it better—after all, you’ll be using the stairs enough already.
Swap the toilet and shower—this makes the hallway less boring (you can look out the window), and the hallway from the shower won’t become a neighborhood cinema.
I think "work" is just a placeholder. I also considered whether the room on the ground floor should be added as a living space. However, a guest room near the shower bathroom would also be a good option.
Maybe remove the door and instead use large sliding doors to the living area. That would give more flexibility in using the space—for example, a play area for children, a workspace close to family life, a cozy corner there, or… It really depends on your habits, or whether you (as a single person) might already need a retreat on the ground floor, even while the children are still around.
So, looking again, I found an error: remove the pantry to make room for tall cabinets, then place the door from the hallway to the kitchen.
You can do it, but you don’t have to. I find it better—after all, you’ll be using the stairs enough already.
Swap the toilet and shower—this makes the hallway less boring (you can look out the window), and the hallway from the shower won’t become a neighborhood cinema.
D
Doc.Schnaggls17 Sep 2014 09:23Hello,
I also like the floor plan.
Unlike some others here, I would keep the pantry. The kitchen size allows for it, and a pantry offers better storage for different items than a tall cabinet.
I would also assign the ground floor study more to the living room.
The smaller study in the basement could potentially serve as a guest room.
In the bathroom on the top floor, I would recommend swapping the shower and toilet—or even reconsidering the T-layout altogether. I know the T-layout is very popular right now, but a skilled bathroom planner can usually make better use of the space.
Regards,
Dirk
I also like the floor plan.
Unlike some others here, I would keep the pantry. The kitchen size allows for it, and a pantry offers better storage for different items than a tall cabinet.
I would also assign the ground floor study more to the living room.
The smaller study in the basement could potentially serve as a guest room.
In the bathroom on the top floor, I would recommend swapping the shower and toilet—or even reconsidering the T-layout altogether. I know the T-layout is very popular right now, but a skilled bathroom planner can usually make better use of the space.
Regards,
Dirk
Thank you very much for the quick responses! We’re glad that the floor plan is generally well-received. We also think it turned out quite well, but since we don’t really have much experience, we wanted to consult the combined expertise of the forum to see if there might be any fundamental mistakes.
Yes, our biggest concern is the relatively small living room. In addition, there is a patio door and three large floor-to-ceiling windows, so we can hardly place our furniture along a wall, which makes the already small room feel even more crowded. On the other side of the room, there will be a stove near the fireplace, which also requires some clearance, making the room feel tighter than expected. As a solution, we are considering possibly widening the house (which we probably won’t be able to afford) or replacing the large floor-to-ceiling windows with smaller ones, below which we could place a sideboard or a sofa. Maybe the office could be made smaller as well (we need a proper workspace since my wife will work from home a lot - we find the suggestion to install a sliding door very helpful).
Regarding the bathroom (attic), we are wondering where a bathroom cabinet could fit. We like the “T-layout,” but we are open to ideas... what could be a smarter solution? And where can you find a clever bathroom planner?
Thank you for the suggestion about a tall cabinet in the kitchen. A pantry was our wish – probably mostly because we’re not the tidiest and such a pantry can be a bit messy without affecting the rest of the kitchen. But we’re not sure if it will make the kitchen feel too cramped. We’re used to carrying groceries anyway – if we’re lucky, our car currently parks about 30m (100 feet) away from the current house, where we also have to go up to the fourth floor.
And then there is the question of the right heating system for the house. It will probably be the air-to-water heat pump recommended by the seller, but we’re not completely convinced about this type of system. Does anyone have experience with it? Maybe gas would be better? Or maybe the innovative cloud data center server heating system could be possible? (This is offered by another provider; it involves placing a computer server in the basement that belongs to a cloud provider, and the waste heat from the server is used to heat the house and hot water – amazing what technology exists nowadays).
We continue to be very grateful for any hints, tips, and suggestions of any kind!
Yes, our biggest concern is the relatively small living room. In addition, there is a patio door and three large floor-to-ceiling windows, so we can hardly place our furniture along a wall, which makes the already small room feel even more crowded. On the other side of the room, there will be a stove near the fireplace, which also requires some clearance, making the room feel tighter than expected. As a solution, we are considering possibly widening the house (which we probably won’t be able to afford) or replacing the large floor-to-ceiling windows with smaller ones, below which we could place a sideboard or a sofa. Maybe the office could be made smaller as well (we need a proper workspace since my wife will work from home a lot - we find the suggestion to install a sliding door very helpful).
Regarding the bathroom (attic), we are wondering where a bathroom cabinet could fit. We like the “T-layout,” but we are open to ideas... what could be a smarter solution? And where can you find a clever bathroom planner?
Thank you for the suggestion about a tall cabinet in the kitchen. A pantry was our wish – probably mostly because we’re not the tidiest and such a pantry can be a bit messy without affecting the rest of the kitchen. But we’re not sure if it will make the kitchen feel too cramped. We’re used to carrying groceries anyway – if we’re lucky, our car currently parks about 30m (100 feet) away from the current house, where we also have to go up to the fourth floor.
And then there is the question of the right heating system for the house. It will probably be the air-to-water heat pump recommended by the seller, but we’re not completely convinced about this type of system. Does anyone have experience with it? Maybe gas would be better? Or maybe the innovative cloud data center server heating system could be possible? (This is offered by another provider; it involves placing a computer server in the basement that belongs to a cloud provider, and the waste heat from the server is used to heat the house and hot water – amazing what technology exists nowadays).
We continue to be very grateful for any hints, tips, and suggestions of any kind!
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