ᐅ Floor Plan Evaluation Single-Family Home 147 m² Gable Roof with Extension

I quite like the changes you have already planned. I think the southeast-facing windows in the dining area and the skylight in the guest bathroom are important. If necessary, I would even consider making the former fixed glazing behind the staircase—no compromises there. But maybe your architect has more elegant solutions.

The main issue for me is the too small children’s bedroom and the entire upper floor. In comparison, the office on the ground floor seems relatively oversized. Is that necessary? One might wonder whether it would make sense to move the bedroom downstairs from the start and find a different layout upstairs.

My primary criticism concerns the orientation of the terrace – it remains mostly in the shade throughout the year. Only during the weeks when the sun is at its highest will it receive direct midday sun – precisely when it is least needed.

I would rotate the house 90° counterclockwise and plant a dense hedge facing the street. I would cover the terrace, located in the corner of the house (3m x 5m (10ft x 16ft)), and add sun protection.

Additionally, I would rearrange the interior of the house. The kitchen would be placed at the end of the house where the study is now; next to it the dining area; and on the opposite side of the house the living room and the study with bathroom. The main entrance would then be on the east side, accessed from the carport. The garden room would be located in the northeast corner of the property.

Do you use the garage as a storage space or is it meant to fit a car? It is a bit narrow, so only a very slim driver would be able to use it.

I also find the terrace somewhat shady. I would agree with YPG's changes.

North-facing windows – we have several – and you quickly notice in the winter months that it is darker and you need more artificial lighting. Right now, in the heat, they are great. No direct sunlight that makes you squint or heats up the rooms.

ypg schrieb:


Then think about how a kitchen really functions day-to-day with two kids. Clean looks great, but it’s not practical for everyday life.

“Clean” might be the wrong word here. I wasn’t referring to the daily condition, but rather the design language. Overall, I get the impression that many here are neat freaks. That’s not my goal at all. We have few “things,” which doesn’t mean the kitchen island never gets cluttered. That actually doesn’t bother me.

ypg schrieb:

You probably have nothing to do with the kitchen and just let others cook? That’s how your opening post sounded, since you would tolerate the noise.

On the contrary. I cook 99% of the time. The original post talked about “both” – it’s more the other side tolerating it ;-). It’s not like I just turned 18 and am unfamiliar with a stranger’s kitchen. The basic kitchen concept (details not yet planned, as mentioned) is based on my needs. I found your 2019 post in the kitchen thread you linked. I don’t get the impression you have significantly more space there. Your kitchen island is much smaller, and the cabinets don’t use the full room height. Overall, it was very educational to see your post there. It makes clear that we have very different tastes (I couldn’t stand a kitchen island angled awkwardly in the room).

ypg schrieb:

I wasn’t talking about the table, but about things that just stay in the kitchen because they’re used all the time. If you put everything in the pantry, you’re basically building a show kitchen in the dining room, but the real kitchen is a tiny room in the back (Sweetheart, I can’t watch you work like that—please close the door).

Show kitchen is an exaggeration, but quite a few things will move to the pantry (SodaStream, toaster, microwave—things not used multiple times daily or ugly enough I’m willing to make that trade-off) or otherwise disappear off the countertops so they can be used. We do this already, and it works well. That said, it doesn’t change the usual chaos found in a busy kitchen. I don’t think doubling the kitchen size would fix that. I think that’s less about size and more about the inevitable entropy. There’s nothing (I!) can do about that ;-)

ypg schrieb:

We have about 7.8 meters (26 feet) kitchen length for two people, of which only about 3 meters (10 feet) of countertop is dedicated to prep and keeping the coffee machine and knives. The utility room has a kitchenette for cleaning supplies, tools, bags, empties, and drinks. So I think you underestimate the space needed.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/die-liste-die-jeden-bauherren-zu-interessieren-hat.34418/

Not sure if the 2019 pictures still show your current kitchen. I don’t see a significantly larger work surface there. You also have several things on the countertops that we either don’t own or put away. We actually don’t want other kitchen “must-haves” like side-by-side fridge, steam oven, or coffee machine. The oven doesn’t have to be at worktop height—I have it like that now and think that’s overrated.

ypg schrieb:

I would start with a 180° stair turn, with a quarter turn at the bottom. I don’t think that would solve the problems satisfactorily. I think you’re not fully considering how much surface area you need for daily use and chores—the more space you have, the cleaner everything else stays. If you keep it too small, laundry will pile up with the ironing board out, hobbies and such can’t be put away and just stay lying around, etc. If there’s no storage space in the kitchen, bedroom, or living room, things just end up lying around somewhere. Maybe you should look at lived-in and occupied kitchens in the kitchen thread.
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/kuechenbilder-thread-zeigt-her-eure-Küchen.28518/

Turning the staircase at the bottom to move it away from the kids’ rooms upstairs? That could make those rooms larger but you’d lose space in the bathroom or bedroom. The bedroom loss would be tolerable, though the wardrobe might be at risk. I’d actually prefer the current stair layout downstairs. Well, maybe it’s also a matter of perspective. We can compare the space to our current living arrangements, where we do a normal day’s work. Our current open-plan living area is 36 m² (about 387 sq ft) with a kitchen of similar size, and it works perfectly. We’d be increasing to about 55 m² (around 592 sq ft). Basically, I agree that the planned storage space is limited (though I exclude the kitchen plus pantry from that—they’re sufficiently large to me). There will be a small attic storage area too, but that’s only for seldom-accessed items. I’m not sure about the conclusion yet; maybe it depends on personality. Do you benefit more from the gained living space (even if it means a bit more clutter) in your main living area, or is order more important even if you have to accept a smaller living room? I tend toward the former.

ypg schrieb:

Regarding the toilet:

It’s generally logical to place the WC next to the office/guest room. But then everyone who can’t use the upstairs bathroom because it’s too tight has to go downstairs through the kitchen. That might not be an issue first thing in the morning; they can just make coffee…

That’s true and indisputable. It’s a question of whether one is willing to accept this inconvenience. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I wouldn’t mind appearing before my family in pajamas. The distance also seems reasonable. It’s part of the compromise. If you want a narrow, long house, there objectively isn’t space upstairs for a second bathroom.

ypg schrieb:

I mainly use the toilet when I really have to—whether with or without shoes. Preferably without when I have to walk through the entire house. But it could get tight taking off shoes if you’re in a hurry… That’s why a toilet near the entrance makes sense. After gardening, for example, you appreciate the short trip to the toilet. You usually want to wash your hands before going further into the house.

You only have to walk through the whole house if you enter from the front door; in other situations, the bathroom by the entrance is just as close as it is now. The bathroom location is definitely a controversial topic. For me it’s important, as besides practical considerations, you don’t want too eccentric features that might hurt resale value.

ypg schrieb:

You can’t avoid light in the kitchen solution here… yes, windows facing southeast would be important. Still, the kitchen is way too far from a window—if you look carefully, the kitchen isn’t really planned properly. It feels more like a bar for guests in a heavily trafficked area.

The kitchen being in the “traffic zone” is deliberate. To me, it’s the house’s central space from which everything else connects. And honestly, 99% of the time, it’s just the family there. It’s not that busy.

ypg schrieb:

No, I wouldn’t do that. But the bathroom only makes sense there combined with two equivalent children’s rooms. It basically just happened that way quickly.

One kid’s room is small. I’d like to make it bigger without giving up other aspects we like. The children’s rooms don’t have to be equal in size. That’s the penalty for being born late.

ypg schrieb:

I think the house concept—the living room location, room arrangement, and L-shape—came from you; the architect had to work with it. I can’t imagine a professional architect planning such proportionally small functional areas and placing the kitchen in the traffic flow. For two people, some compromises aren’t so bad, but a family home looks different.

On the contrary. My “designs” were basically all squares (cost-efficient!!!). This proposal is from the architect. The open kitchen and minimal hallway space were our requirements. Of course, areas must serve multiple purposes to avoid being just circulation space.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

To me, this already looks like an architect’s design. Someone hoping to at least get featured in a design magazine. 😉 As evelinoz mentioned, it strongly resembles atrium bungalows and also reminds me of some Case Study House adaptations. A floor plan more suitable for about 50 sqm (540 sq ft) larger spaces, to create built-in wardrobes and other fixtures for the desired look.

Okay, the bathroom on the ground floor is in an unusual spot and the house has an extension. Otherwise, I don’t find the design particularly special or spectacular. It’s a gable roof trying to maximize space with bay windows. Can you explain what exactly makes it so unusual?

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

You really have to be minimalist and disciplined, and that includes children (who are born maximalist and chaotic), so you don’t end up surrounded by chaos and makeshift solutions everywhere.

Or you accept the chaos ;-). But seriously, I try to always compare the design with previous living situations, and here we have better storage space and so far it has been manageable without issues. No doubt, more space is great, but it comes at the expense of other factors. We’re certainly not minimalists, but compared to acquaintances, we definitely have less stuff. What exactly would you change? Make the pantry bigger? The utility room? Wall niches for cabinets? Where?

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

For me, it would be better if the entrance was by the office, so you would pass the extension’s corner by the bathroom and pantry to reach the private area. Instead of, like now, going through the private living hall to the office, pantry, and bathroom. Having the kitchen as the main traffic axis is not a good idea.

I’ll have to think about that. It would mean you always have to walk past the car, and due to the small plot size, there’s just limited space. I wouldn’t want to expect visitors to do that. People I want to let into the house are allowed to see my “private living hall” anyway. Almost none of them need to go through to the office. So I don’t see that as a problem. As I said, the kitchen is intended as the central area. You have to like that.

K a t j a schrieb:

I quite like the changes you’ve already planned. I think the southeast-facing windows in the dining area and the skylight in the guest bathroom are important. If necessary, I wouldn’t hesitate to make the southeast windows fixed panes behind the stairs – I’m not worried about that. But maybe your architect has more elegant solutions.
The main issue for me is the children’s bedroom being too small, or rather the size of the entire upper floor. On the other hand, I find the office on the ground floor comparatively oversized. Is that really necessary? You might consider moving the bedroom downstairs right from the start and finding a different layout upstairs.

Yes, you’re right. Another window is needed on the southeast side plus better lighting for the entrance area. It’s not ideal, of course, since the street runs just 3m (10 feet) away. Maybe a strip window at ceiling height?

Having the bedroom downstairs could be a perspective to consider. Right now, with a small child, it’s not practical. That’s why the office needs to be a decent size – so it can potentially be repurposed later. I don’t think the children’s room is too small. It’s about 11.5 m² (124 sq ft) of floor space and, thanks to the steep roof, it can be used early on. One more square meter (about 11 sq ft) would be enough for me. I didn’t have more space when I was younger either. It doesn’t bother us if junior plays in the living room. He’s quite good at tidying up (for a child ;-) ).