Hello,
My wife and I visited a model home park for prefabricated houses yesterday, and we noticed that each house offered various features and floor plans whose practical benefits I don’t quite understand. That’s why I’m starting this thread, hoping you can explain the advantages of these choices or point out what I might be missing and why it still makes sense to design a house that way:
1. Almost every house had floor-to-ceiling windows installed. What’s the purpose of these? I imagine they would be terrible both in summer and winter. Wouldn’t it get extremely hot in summer? And in winter, don’t you constantly have to lower the blinds so that anyone passing by can’t look directly into the living room or inside the house? Also, isn’t the effort to clean those windows huge? Am I missing something? Do they have advantages that I don’t see?
2. There wasn’t a single house where the kitchen and dining area were separated from the living space; at best, the kitchen was separated from the dining area. I understand that having everything open makes the space appear larger and is better for hosting many people, but isn’t it very impractical? If I’m frying or cooking something in the kitchen, doesn’t the whole living room end up smelling like food? It would also bother me that as soon as my wife or I have guests over, the other person couldn’t sit in the living room and watch TV quietly, for example. This might sound a bit picky, but for me, it’s important that everyone can invite their friends without the other person always being within earshot or needing to get out of the way somehow. Why are open-plan ground floors so common? What are the real advantages?
3. The balconies on the upper floor are always accessible from one of the children’s bedrooms and the parents’ bedroom. Doesn’t that significantly affect privacy? I can’t imagine it’s great if my child can constantly knock on our bedroom door via the balcony, for example. Also, if you have two children, wouldn’t the one without a balcony be at a disadvantage?
I don’t want to bias you with my opinions here—I’m completely open to your views because I’d like to be convinced of the benefits. So I would like to know your reasons for including such features in your plans. Alternatively, has anyone built in a more “traditional” way and can speak to the practicality of these layout choices?
Best regards
My wife and I visited a model home park for prefabricated houses yesterday, and we noticed that each house offered various features and floor plans whose practical benefits I don’t quite understand. That’s why I’m starting this thread, hoping you can explain the advantages of these choices or point out what I might be missing and why it still makes sense to design a house that way:
1. Almost every house had floor-to-ceiling windows installed. What’s the purpose of these? I imagine they would be terrible both in summer and winter. Wouldn’t it get extremely hot in summer? And in winter, don’t you constantly have to lower the blinds so that anyone passing by can’t look directly into the living room or inside the house? Also, isn’t the effort to clean those windows huge? Am I missing something? Do they have advantages that I don’t see?
2. There wasn’t a single house where the kitchen and dining area were separated from the living space; at best, the kitchen was separated from the dining area. I understand that having everything open makes the space appear larger and is better for hosting many people, but isn’t it very impractical? If I’m frying or cooking something in the kitchen, doesn’t the whole living room end up smelling like food? It would also bother me that as soon as my wife or I have guests over, the other person couldn’t sit in the living room and watch TV quietly, for example. This might sound a bit picky, but for me, it’s important that everyone can invite their friends without the other person always being within earshot or needing to get out of the way somehow. Why are open-plan ground floors so common? What are the real advantages?
3. The balconies on the upper floor are always accessible from one of the children’s bedrooms and the parents’ bedroom. Doesn’t that significantly affect privacy? I can’t imagine it’s great if my child can constantly knock on our bedroom door via the balcony, for example. Also, if you have two children, wouldn’t the one without a balcony be at a disadvantage?
I don’t want to bias you with my opinions here—I’m completely open to your views because I’d like to be convinced of the benefits. So I would like to know your reasons for including such features in your plans. Alternatively, has anyone built in a more “traditional” way and can speak to the practicality of these layout choices?
Best regards
kaho674 schrieb:
Have we already discussed the pros and cons of double-leaf doors leading into the living room? Without the attendants who open both leaves of the door when royalty wishes to pass through, it just ends up being a faint imitation of castle ambiance.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
It can be attractive, but it doesn’t have to be. It must suit the type of house. In a 250 sqm (2,690 sq ft) old apartment with 270 cm (106 inches) high ceilings, it’s nice. In a 120 sqm (1,290 sq ft) single-family home where the lady of the house has fallen in love with the French door from that old apartment and absolutely wants it in her 120 sqm (1,290 sq ft) house because it looks so grand, it becomes a joke (not even a funny one).
And I know several apartments where this is the case... and where those doors are ALWAYS left open. Then I wonder why I would bother spending the money on it in a new build. In an old property where the door is already there, well, you live with it and enjoy the atmosphere. But I have never seen any practical benefit.
And I know several apartments where this is the case... and where those doors are ALWAYS left open. Then I wonder why I would bother spending the money on it in a new build. In an old property where the door is already there, well, you live with it and enjoy the atmosphere. But I have never seen any practical benefit.
kaho674 schrieb:
The little man wants to offer his wife something, who dreams of a fairy tale prince from a castle, but then you end up compromisingI would advise the lady: straighten your crown and keep searching – for the prince
Curly, it might still make sense for the hallway, but in my opinion, these double doors between the dining and living areas (which are often found in older apartments) don’t really serve a purpose, and if they do, it’s only in homes with enough space. And as I said: in the apartments I know that have them, these doors are ALWAYS left open.
I’m willing to accept the admittedly somewhat exaggerated comparison between the living room and dining area.
We have planned the mentioned double door from the hallway into the living-dining area. I think this has several advantages. When you enter the front door, your view is immediately drawn to it, and a larger opening looks much nicer than a standard door. Having an open concept was not an option because, especially in the evenings and during the colder seasons when it’s unpleasant outside, I prefer to have it closed.
Additionally, the glass panels let light into all the rooms and make the entire ground floor feel more open and inviting. It’s still far from being overly fancy—even with only 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space.
We have planned the mentioned double door from the hallway into the living-dining area. I think this has several advantages. When you enter the front door, your view is immediately drawn to it, and a larger opening looks much nicer than a standard door. Having an open concept was not an option because, especially in the evenings and during the colder seasons when it’s unpleasant outside, I prefer to have it closed.
Additionally, the glass panels let light into all the rooms and make the entire ground floor feel more open and inviting. It’s still far from being overly fancy—even with only 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space.
Similar topics