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

haydee schrieb:

@K a t j a
I do think you often have to pass through there. It’s especially inconvenient when you’re working in the kitchen.
There have even been times when someone’s shin got caught on a drawer.

As I said, it’s mostly just the parents back there anyway. I don’t find it that bad. Shin caught on a drawer? Aren’t they usually soft-close these days? 😉

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

I rather imagine the grieving widow clutching the kitchen counter in shock or sitting in the Barcelona chair during the interrogation, staring out into the garden. 😀

I had to look up Barcelona Chair first. Ordering one now :p

haydee schrieb:

Is the kitchen traffic flow manageable with children?

The main traffic route on the ground floor is between the island and the kitchen units.

2.5 meters (8 feet) is too little space for dining. At most, you could place a bench along the partition wall.

Currently, we coincidentally have an almost identical setup. The room is about 30 cm (12 inches) narrower, but the kitchen island is slightly closer to the units compared to your plan. Admittedly, it’s not a spacious area, but it’s not cramped either. The main difference is that here the primary traffic flow is between the table and the island, whereas, as you correctly noted, in your plan it probably runs mostly between the island and the units. I need to think about whether that would bother me much.

K a t j a schrieb:

I don’t find it that bad. The washing machine is supposed to be in the utility room, so the most important laundry-related trip is covered there. Only the parents really need to go to the office. The pantry is part of the kitchen anyway, and after that, they rarely use it. Guests don’t come so often that they would end up lining up from the guest bathroom all the way to the kitchen.

Yes, that would also be my intuitive impression. Does anyone have a setup like the one in the plan and can provide an objective assessment? I would be very interested. Often, you might dismiss options simply because you assume they would be inconvenient. Does anyone have ideas on how to adjust it without having to completely redesign the layout?

ypg schrieb:

It’s not about taste, nor about my kitchen or my appliances. When I plan layouts here in the forum, I’m not doing it for myself but for the original poster. That’s also why I use the questionnaire.
My kitchen should and can’t be part of the discussion, since we built a house for two people. However, I used the length as an example. And yes, you asked: it looks different now because we had to extend the building. The coffee machine no longer had space, even though we had 180cm (71 inches) of 60cm (24 inches) cabinets next to the sink for placing and preparing items. That’s without counting an island. What will your setup be like?

No, it’s not about your kitchen. But based on your kitchen, I can get a better idea of your perspective than before. That helps me evaluate your suggestions better. Much of what’s said here isn’t objective but influenced by personal perception. Of course, there are objective points (e.g., everyone passes between the island and the counter – that’s the shortest route), but many aspects can also be influenced by individual taste.

ypg schrieb:

Part of the compromise. Ideally, a compromise should only be a minor part of an otherwise very nice functional house. @Myrna_Loy has clearly shown that your work area is also your "hallway" within the open plan space.
Explain to me how the Christmas baking should work when three other people are either playing, doing schoolwork at the dining table, running daily tasks like laundry (main floor/upper floor), etc.: You end up in each other’s way. That just can’t be ignored.

It’s true that the shortest path from the entrance/stairs to the extension will always go through the workspace in this layout. I’m still undecided whether that really bothers me that much. If someone is unloading the dishwasher, you can just walk around. Once again, a call: does anyone have such a setup and absolutely hate it?
I can understand the rest of the argument. Sounds stressful. But I can’t base the entire design around extreme situations (baking and homework! – honestly, that would stress me out no matter the kitchen layout). I also don’t drive a bus in case I need to transport more than four people sometimes.

ypg schrieb:

Until now, you lived as a couple. Now you have a child… more planning is needed… living as two or with a baby is very different from living as four with teenagers.

The little one isn’t that small anymore. We have some experience living as three. How bad it’s going to be with teenagers I can’t say yet. I thought they were pretty low-maintenance by now. If there’s Wi-Fi, they’ll just sit somewhere in a corner with their phone. Maybe under the stairs would be a good spot. I still don’t fully understand what else should change. Let me try to summarize your points: 1. The workspace is too small. 2. Storage is insufficient. 3. The walking routes aren’t liked, because you often walk behind the island.

ypg schrieb:

I would pay more attention to bringing light into the house. And yes, some sunshine is actually quite good, especially in winter. Plenty of daylight is helpful at the dining table, where playing and homework happen under supervision…

Yes, I think that’s a conclusion I’m grateful for and will act on. More light must enter from the south. Does anyone have experience with elegant solutions that don’t open the house completely to the street? Would a tall strip window suffice?

ypg schrieb:

That was a swing and a miss :p

Too bad that’s the impression. I promise I will reconsider everything. You can’t always arrive at the same conclusions (especially since discussion—exchange of pros and cons over several rounds—seems somewhat frowned upon here ;-)).

ypg schrieb:

Enough criticism: make something of it!
Maybe I’ll find time to sketch your kitchen or come up with some more concrete suggestions.

I’d be glad – but please, no crooked islands ;-P

ypg schrieb:

P.S. For me, the house unfortunately has little to do with an atrium bungalow. The extension/hallway/office lacks a patio door with a nice view into the courtyard, which would bring daylight from the southwest.

Hey, the atrium thing came from you guys. I’m happy with the L-shape. But the idea of a glazed door in the workspace is great. That will be implemented, thanks! I think I’d also extend it further toward the end of the room, so you can look outside from the desk.

KED1234 schrieb:

If someone is just unloading the dishwasher, you can walk around them.

You could also angrily kick the thing shut so you don’t have to walk around it.

KED1234 schrieb:

One more time: Does anyone have a setup like this and hate it?

Haha...

KED1234 schrieb:

Hey, the atrium stuff came from you guys.

I’m also debating this with the others 😉

Here’s the kitchen: The island is a bit smaller.
Child with Mom, needs to go to the toilet, teen is messing with their phone, doesn’t want to move aside, dad is cooking (unloading the dishwasher)... the noise and family stress are basically guaranteed for years to come 😉

Edit: I forgot to include your waste pipe in the kitchen 😱