ᐅ Ground floor – open-plan kitchen with dining area or living room with dining area
Created on: 19 Mar 2026 11:04
J
jolovyn
We have received the first draft for our semi-detached house. The architect put a lot of effort into it (symmetry with the other side of the house, etc.) and has generally incorporated our wishes very well, but we had actually envisioned an open-plan kitchen and a separate living room—not the other way around. Now we are considering swapping the rooms. Into the corner where the couch is currently drawn, there would be a kitchen unit (3.75 m / 12.3 feet) and an island (1.80 m / 5.9 feet with a cooktop). There would be a passage of 1.20 m (3.9 feet) and 75 cm (2.5 feet) on the right and left sides of the island. The island should be no more than 90 cm (35 inches) deep. A pantry would fit under the stairs (possibly with a custom-made door allowing direct access from the kitchen). The dining table could then be placed by the island or as currently shown. The windows should be turned into a large window front.
In the living room, we would use the back wall to place a terrarium somewhat hidden (200 x 60 cm / 79 x 24 inches). The only unclear point is where the TV (1 m / 3.3 feet wide) would go.
I’m torn, because the architect’s design also makes sense to me. The window symmetry (even though I’m not a fan of floor-to-ceiling windows right in front of the couch), more space behind the dining chairs, and a nice large kitchen with plenty of storage. Overall, it might feel a bit more “classic” and tidy this way.
I’m attaching the current ground floor draft and, for context, the entire house plan as well as a picture of how I roughly imagined our kitchen. Any advice would be very appreciated.
In the living room, we would use the back wall to place a terrarium somewhat hidden (200 x 60 cm / 79 x 24 inches). The only unclear point is where the TV (1 m / 3.3 feet wide) would go.
I’m torn, because the architect’s design also makes sense to me. The window symmetry (even though I’m not a fan of floor-to-ceiling windows right in front of the couch), more space behind the dining chairs, and a nice large kitchen with plenty of storage. Overall, it might feel a bit more “classic” and tidy this way.
I’m attaching the current ground floor draft and, for context, the entire house plan as well as a picture of how I roughly imagined our kitchen. Any advice would be very appreciated.
jolovyn schrieb:
and recreated the kitchen It is too small.
jolovyn schrieb:
but it could work. Our current kitchen is smaller, it’s all a matter of perspective ? It could work is enough. You can convince yourself of that if you want. In the end, you will constantly get frustrated that a) there aren’t enough kitchen cabinets, and b) you always have to move chairs around. You can barely get through when guests are sitting on the chairs, to the kitchen, bathroom, or terrace. It feels very cramped. The cabinets at the back of the island can be filled with items you don’t use often, but you practically have almost no countertop space left for anything else. 5.64 meters (18 feet 6 inches) is too little. You can consider 6 meters (20 feet) as a minimum.
jolovyn schrieb:
We are considering a dining table measuring 200x78cm. You can consider that, but it’s not comfortable if you want to nicely set the dining table.
jolovyn schrieb:
I also invest a lot of time and can’t stop thinking about it anyway. Then try filling your kitchen cabinets when a child suddenly develops an intolerance or you want a new appliance.
Yes, many things are possible when space is limited. But needs grow, which is why you eventually plan a house to have it optimized.
As mentioned before: this is the first layout and the architect didn’t consider that wish. You have every right to tell them to plan it differently. Nothing is set in stone yet. Nothing is final. If you look closely, not even the exterior dimensions, the position of the bay window, dormer, or the placement of the front door and stairs are fixed. By the way, the stairs seem very short to me. Maybe you could share a readable version of the stairs?!
ypg schrieb:
It is your right to tell him to plan it differently. Nothing is set in stone yet. Nothing is a fact. Thank you for the encouragement. Unfortunately, the exterior dimensions are largely determined by the plot, so there’s not much room for adjustment. Possibly, I could leave out the bay windows to slightly lengthen the rooms, but that would create an unattractive terrace directly on the property boundary, and I would really prefer the extra 50cm (20 inches) for a hedge. We will certainly have to make some compromises somewhere.
Overall, we think the designs are good as first drafts and considering the conditions! (It seems some here don’t share that view, but we have already managed to include quite a few of our wishes.) If you notice any further major flaws, I would be very grateful for your advice! We are now trying fine-tuning: removing angled doors, possibly shortening the utility room by half a meter (20 inches), shifting things a bit so we can add another kitchen cabinet in the row, gaining a few centimeters from the guest bathroom—things like that. I really don’t have the imagination to start completely over, and we have already optimized quite a lot. For example, we have an additional "front garden" because the main entrance is not on the gable side—there is space for a swing and raised beds that I don’t want to give up. The house location and setback requirements have already been thoroughly discussed. But I would be grateful for any ideas that improve the current floor plan!
jolovyn schrieb:
I completely lack the imagination to plan from scratch You don’t need to have it. Imagination is the expert’s job when creating an optimal design.
jolovyn schrieb:
I also invest a lot of time and just can’t stop thinking anyway. Don’t waste your time on almost frantic busywork, but rather on contemplation: hay wagons. Hiking, rowing, boxing, singing, … – there are many alternatives to relieve restlessness besides drawing. Breathing into a small paper bag helps against hyperventilation. Go into the forest to scream. Mentally calculate the Collatz sequence starting at 27. Ommmmmmmmmmmmm!
jolovyn schrieb:
We’re now just trying fine-tuning, painting slanted doors, possibly shortening the utility room by half a meter (about 20 inches) and shifting things around a bit so that another kitchen cabinet can fit in the row, taking a few centimeters (inches) out of the guest bathroom, things like that… [...] But I would be grateful for any idea that optimizes the current floor plan! EVERY idea to optimize the current floor plan can only increase your obsession. The cat in the sack only stops doing the frantic dance when it runs out of breath. Reason is switched off during this process, and any accidentally discovered brilliant idea wouldn’t even reach consciousness. So just stop the nonsense and unuse the time – that alone is the path to enlightenment.
11ant schrieb:
The important thing is to clarify your spatial requirements before starting the detailed drawing, not during it. I don’t understand why this is done so clumsily: most people asking questions are not homeless or living in hotels, but already have stable living situations that can be analyzed. First, write down and review your spatial program: if you continue it 1:1, the two children will each want their own room; should the dining area be located in the kitchen, the living room, or should there be a multipurpose room; should the wardrobe be moved out of the bedroom, [...] and so on. Then sketch the rooms of your current home once and mark the bottlenecks (absolute bottlenecks: places where you get bruises / relative bottlenecks: a more comfortable waistband as a hopeful wish). This creates a list of rooms with their current and desired sizes. [...] 11ant schrieb:
That’s exactly why you first plan before you start drawing: a floor plan already has concrete dimensions, and every change at this stage affects something else – and it’s a bit like an ultrasound image of your own child, which can cause hesitation. So try even more to overcome your urge to act impulsively. Only if this absolutely doesn’t work, then go back to “start” – and not just a few steps back! – and re-enter the pre-drawing planning phase. Also instruct your architect to proceed this way, explicitly not to keep tweaking the existing plan!
I would like to remind you again of my suggestion from your previous thread to not arrange the housing units in a conventional semi-detached manner. A pseudo-symmetry will be lost in the process, but I assume Klaus Wowereit’s fitting closing phrase is well known.
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