ᐅ Floor Plan Design for a Single-Family Home of Approximately 150 m²
Created on: 12 Feb 2018 18:09
C
chrisw81
Hello,
After a long search, we signed the notarized contract for the land purchase at the end of December. We are now actively planning the floor plan. Unfortunately, the plot is somewhat awkwardly shaped (not rectangular), which creates some limitations for the layout from our perspective. We already have a first draft, but there are several areas we don’t like and are unsure how to improve. Maybe you have some ideas; we would appreciate your input.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 601 m² (6465 sq ft)
Building envelope, building line, boundary: Building line with the house on the west side
Peripheral setbacks: 7 m (23 ft) from the street (north), otherwise the usual 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: 1 full story allowed
Roof style: Gable roof
Design style: open construction method
Orientation: South
Maximum heights / limits: Ridge height max. 8.5 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: Max. 100 m² (1076 sq ft) of built-up area
Client Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: Solid construction house, rectangular, no bay windows, no projections, etc., gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 stories
Number and age of residents: 2 people, age between 30 and 40, possibly children later
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor – living/dining room, kitchen, guest toilet, utility room, office
Office: family use or home office?: family use
Guest stays per year: 20 days
Open or closed architecture: open living area, closed hallway
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, island without cooktop
Number of dining seats: 2-4
Fireplace: yes, chimney planned
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes, special features, daily routine, and reasons for preferences:
- A wardrobe area on the ground floor is important where coats can be stored relatively out of sight.
- On the upper floor, it would be nice to have an open gallery with a desk or similar (not a must and not necessarily next to the stairs).
- A walk-in closet would be nice but not essential.
- A storage room on the upper floor is very important since we do not have a basement.
House Design
Who created the design:
- Basic design by the construction company (FIBAV Stadthaus Vision Studio)
- DIY modifications based on online floor plans (especially Viebrockhaus Maxime 330)
What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Layout of the living/dining area and the narrowing kitchen reduces the hallway effect a bit
- Many windows in the living/dining area
- Wide hallway on the ground floor
What do you dislike? Why?:
- Few options to place furniture (dresser, wardrobe) in the ground floor hallway due to many doors
- Very large hallway upstairs, considered wasted space
- Bedroom is quite small; should be the largest room upstairs (preferably 16 m² (172 sq ft), children’s rooms rather 14 m² (151 sq ft))
- Stair placement limited by chimney location
- Door placement upstairs limited by chimney
- A staircase rotated 90 degrees (entrance next to front door) would appeal more
- Difficult to align windows upstairs and downstairs on the gable end vertically
- Floor-to-ceiling windows upstairs; wider windows with a sill height around 100 cm (40 inches) would be preferred
Price estimate by architect/planner: 200,000 €
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: 210,000 €
Preferred heating technology: gas heating
What details or expansions could you give up?
- Can do without: gallery next to stairs upstairs. Living area could also be narrower (e.g., 4.20 m (14 ft) instead of 4.47 m (15 ft))
- Cannot do without: storage room upstairs, shower in guest toilet, extra natural light in the ground floor hallway (e.g., side panel on front door or window)
Why was the design made this way? For example, standard plan from planner?
- Since the house has very little space on the south side, the house should be very narrow in order not to waste more space to the south. It should be wider so that living, dining, and kitchen areas face south as much as possible.
Were corresponding wishes from the architect implemented? No architect meeting has taken place yet.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can the ground floor hallway be better designed to fit a wardrobe? Can the stairs be positioned better or replaced? Should the hallway be enlarged and living space reduced? How can the upstairs hallway be better utilized? Can the bedroom be enlarged? Is it possible to swap the bedroom with another room, e.g., move it to the southeast to allow a walk-in closet?
Thank you very much in advance for your criticism and suggestions!
After a long search, we signed the notarized contract for the land purchase at the end of December. We are now actively planning the floor plan. Unfortunately, the plot is somewhat awkwardly shaped (not rectangular), which creates some limitations for the layout from our perspective. We already have a first draft, but there are several areas we don’t like and are unsure how to improve. Maybe you have some ideas; we would appreciate your input.
Development Plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 601 m² (6465 sq ft)
Building envelope, building line, boundary: Building line with the house on the west side
Peripheral setbacks: 7 m (23 ft) from the street (north), otherwise the usual 3 m (10 ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2 desired
Number of floors: 1 full story allowed
Roof style: Gable roof
Design style: open construction method
Orientation: South
Maximum heights / limits: Ridge height max. 8.5 m (28 ft)
Additional requirements: Max. 100 m² (1076 sq ft) of built-up area
Client Requirements
Style, roof form, building type: Solid construction house, rectangular, no bay windows, no projections, etc., gable roof
Basement, floors: no basement; 1.5 stories
Number and age of residents: 2 people, age between 30 and 40, possibly children later
Space needs on ground floor and upper floor: Ground floor – living/dining room, kitchen, guest toilet, utility room, office
Office: family use or home office?: family use
Guest stays per year: 20 days
Open or closed architecture: open living area, closed hallway
Conservative or modern style: conservative
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, island without cooktop
Number of dining seats: 2-4
Fireplace: yes, chimney planned
Music/stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: carport
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Further wishes, special features, daily routine, and reasons for preferences:
- A wardrobe area on the ground floor is important where coats can be stored relatively out of sight.
- On the upper floor, it would be nice to have an open gallery with a desk or similar (not a must and not necessarily next to the stairs).
- A walk-in closet would be nice but not essential.
- A storage room on the upper floor is very important since we do not have a basement.
House Design
Who created the design:
- Basic design by the construction company (FIBAV Stadthaus Vision Studio)
- DIY modifications based on online floor plans (especially Viebrockhaus Maxime 330)
What do you particularly like? Why?:
- Layout of the living/dining area and the narrowing kitchen reduces the hallway effect a bit
- Many windows in the living/dining area
- Wide hallway on the ground floor
What do you dislike? Why?:
- Few options to place furniture (dresser, wardrobe) in the ground floor hallway due to many doors
- Very large hallway upstairs, considered wasted space
- Bedroom is quite small; should be the largest room upstairs (preferably 16 m² (172 sq ft), children’s rooms rather 14 m² (151 sq ft))
- Stair placement limited by chimney location
- Door placement upstairs limited by chimney
- A staircase rotated 90 degrees (entrance next to front door) would appeal more
- Difficult to align windows upstairs and downstairs on the gable end vertically
- Floor-to-ceiling windows upstairs; wider windows with a sill height around 100 cm (40 inches) would be preferred
Price estimate by architect/planner: 200,000 €
Personal price limit for the house including equipment: 210,000 €
Preferred heating technology: gas heating
What details or expansions could you give up?
- Can do without: gallery next to stairs upstairs. Living area could also be narrower (e.g., 4.20 m (14 ft) instead of 4.47 m (15 ft))
- Cannot do without: storage room upstairs, shower in guest toilet, extra natural light in the ground floor hallway (e.g., side panel on front door or window)
Why was the design made this way? For example, standard plan from planner?
- Since the house has very little space on the south side, the house should be very narrow in order not to waste more space to the south. It should be wider so that living, dining, and kitchen areas face south as much as possible.
Were corresponding wishes from the architect implemented? No architect meeting has taken place yet.
What is the most important/basic question about the floor plan summarized in 130 characters?
How can the ground floor hallway be better designed to fit a wardrobe? Can the stairs be positioned better or replaced? Should the hallway be enlarged and living space reduced? How can the upstairs hallway be better utilized? Can the bedroom be enlarged? Is it possible to swap the bedroom with another room, e.g., move it to the southeast to allow a walk-in closet?
Thank you very much in advance for your criticism and suggestions!
I was just about to say the same: the sofa in post #437 is only freely placed in one dimension (the short side with some distance from the window), while the other side (the long side) is against the wall. Still, it hopefully makes it clear that it requires "space," because otherwise there wouldn’t be any "roominess" left in between – and without that, it would feel overwhelming, despite the minimalist style.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Hmm, I really think that’s your main issue. You see something you like somewhere, but you can’t quite imagine how it would work in your own situation. You’re not alone in that—many people have the same problem. Since you seem to have certain expectations about how the final result should look, I think you should seriously consider getting someone to help you. Otherwise, you might end up buying a great sofa that simply doesn’t fit your space at all.
The sofa in the picture is lovely, no question. But it’s just a sofa that definitely doesn’t work for you. As 11ant already pointed out: even the sofa you currently have is actually too bulky for the space. And it’s not just because it lacks slender legs. I don’t think a sofa like that is a good choice for your place. You already have a lot of wall space, and with a sofa like that, you add another “layer” of density. So I’d deliberately look for a sofa solution that isn’t such a solid block, but feels lighter and more open. A slim two-seater sofa along the wall under the west-facing window, a single armchair where the sofa is now, since the little piano (it really is nothing more than that *g*) also takes up space—beside it, I wouldn’t put another sofa. Then add another chair in the room or maybe better a matching ottoman, rather than a second armchair. In between, consider the lighting solutions I’ve already mentioned – side tables with lamps, floor lamps, or standing lamps.
The central table in the middle is needed the least; I’d keep it small and delicate (when you lounge on the sofa, side tables are much more convenient!). And please, never put a doily on it *shudder*.
Clear off the windowsills—definitely not that collection of various struggling plants. A well-placed decorative object or a beautiful orchid—nothing else. The windows aren’t large enough to be cluttered like that.
The sofa in the picture is lovely, no question. But it’s just a sofa that definitely doesn’t work for you. As 11ant already pointed out: even the sofa you currently have is actually too bulky for the space. And it’s not just because it lacks slender legs. I don’t think a sofa like that is a good choice for your place. You already have a lot of wall space, and with a sofa like that, you add another “layer” of density. So I’d deliberately look for a sofa solution that isn’t such a solid block, but feels lighter and more open. A slim two-seater sofa along the wall under the west-facing window, a single armchair where the sofa is now, since the little piano (it really is nothing more than that *g*) also takes up space—beside it, I wouldn’t put another sofa. Then add another chair in the room or maybe better a matching ottoman, rather than a second armchair. In between, consider the lighting solutions I’ve already mentioned – side tables with lamps, floor lamps, or standing lamps.
The central table in the middle is needed the least; I’d keep it small and delicate (when you lounge on the sofa, side tables are much more convenient!). And please, never put a doily on it *shudder*.
Clear off the windowsills—definitely not that collection of various struggling plants. A well-placed decorative object or a beautiful orchid—nothing else. The windows aren’t large enough to be cluttered like that.
Don’t use too many colors in such a small space – choose one color scheme and stick to it consistently, for example, with the flower pots. They can be different, but all in white or in a color that matches your overall color concept.
The dark sofa, the red blanket, the colorful pots on the window sill, and the withering palm in the orange pot… then the gray chairs in a completely different style, and the kitchen, if I’m seeing it correctly, has paneled cabinet doors, right? There is no common thread connecting the different areas, neither in color nor in style.
Think about that. The kitchen is already installed and probably new. With paneled cabinet doors, it’s probably leaning toward a rustic style (please share some pictures!). You can carry that style through, but based on what you seem to like and how the fireplace is designed, I would leave the kitchen as a rustic stand-alone element and make the rest of the room deliberately simple, restrained, and contrasting to the kitchen. The kitchen’s rustic character can have a few pops of color (a bright red mixer, a blue toaster, or something similar), but the rest should remain very understated. Use natural colors, not dark tones, and choose minimalist, “light” forms. Avoid bulky furniture. Keep decoration restrained, not too much, definitely only a few selected items – it could even be a single flower in a simple vase. Don’t hang unnecessary decorations like garlands or chains on the windows. Keeping it minimalistic makes the windows look larger. I would also be cautious with too many and too colorful pictures. Those should also be used sparingly.
The dark sofa, the red blanket, the colorful pots on the window sill, and the withering palm in the orange pot… then the gray chairs in a completely different style, and the kitchen, if I’m seeing it correctly, has paneled cabinet doors, right? There is no common thread connecting the different areas, neither in color nor in style.
Think about that. The kitchen is already installed and probably new. With paneled cabinet doors, it’s probably leaning toward a rustic style (please share some pictures!). You can carry that style through, but based on what you seem to like and how the fireplace is designed, I would leave the kitchen as a rustic stand-alone element and make the rest of the room deliberately simple, restrained, and contrasting to the kitchen. The kitchen’s rustic character can have a few pops of color (a bright red mixer, a blue toaster, or something similar), but the rest should remain very understated. Use natural colors, not dark tones, and choose minimalist, “light” forms. Avoid bulky furniture. Keep decoration restrained, not too much, definitely only a few selected items – it could even be a single flower in a simple vase. Don’t hang unnecessary decorations like garlands or chains on the windows. Keeping it minimalistic makes the windows look larger. I would also be cautious with too many and too colorful pictures. Those should also be used sparingly.
Climbee schrieb:
because the little piano (that's really all it is *g*) also "makes it soundproof" Does it really need to be there all year round, or could it stay with the rest of the Christmas decorations up in the attic from after Epiphany until the next time it’s used?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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