ᐅ Seeking Floor Plan Feedback: Uncertainty About Upper Floor (Extra Half Bath Yes/No?), Pantry on Ground Floor, Kitchen/Windows and Bathroom Layouts

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning our house and would really appreciate suggestions and ideas for improvement. I will upload the floor plans (ground floor + upper floor) shortly.

zoning plan / restrictions
• Plot size: 625 m² (6729 sq ft)
• Floor area ratio: basement + ground floor + upper floor
• Parking spaces: 2
• Roof type: hipped roof
• Orientation: street to the south, terrace to the north

Owners’ requirements
• Style / building type: modern new build with hipped roof
• Floors: basement (ceiling height 2.27 m (7 ft 5 in)) + ground floor + upper floor
• Residents: 2 adults, 2 children planned
• Home office / study required
• open layout, modern construction style
• open kitchen with island
• roof terrace
• double garage

House design – current status & gut feeling
• Design by: planner from a construction company + do-it-yourself adjustments
• What we like most: open living/dining area
• What we like less: bathroom layout and kitchen layout

Brief about the framework / what is planned:
• Terrace: north side
• Living room windows: west side
• Roof terrace: planned, ideally with water connection
• Upper floor currently: separate WC planned (considering removing it to gain storage/closet space + a “shaft” in the wardrobe)
• Ground floor currently: pantry planned (unsure if it makes sense)
• Ground floor bathroom: I have 2–3 floor plan variants (question: which is most functional?)
• Entrance cloakroom niche: currently about 115 × 60 cm (45 × 24 inches) (question: is that enough or should it be enlarged?)
• Kitchen: please assess the dimensions; also planning a floor-to-ceiling window (question: is that good or better to extend the countertop around the corner?)

I am especially uncertain about the upper floor and look forward to your experiences there—but also to feedback on the ground floor, kitchen, and natural light/orientation. Thank you in advance!

⸻

What I am particularly focused on:

Upper floor – this is where I need the most help:

1) Room dimensions & proportions
• Are the room dimensions and proportions overall balanced and practical for everyday use?
• Are there any awkward traffic routes or “dead” spaces?

2) Extra WC on the upper floor: useful or better to use the space differently?

There is currently a separate WC on the upper floor. I’m considering whether to remove it to better use the space.

Questions about this:
• Would you keep or remove the separate WC upstairs?
• If removed:
• would you prefer storage/utility space or a closet (e.g., for children/storage)?
• should it be a built-in closet solution or a fully walled-off room?

3) Roof terrace & water connection
• If we want a water connection on the roof terrace, would removing the upstairs WC cause problems (e.g., with plumbing)?

4) Bedroom
• Are the dimensions suitable for a bedroom including walkway and closet/wardrobe space?

5) Upper floor bathroom decision (depending on whether the WC stays or goes)
• If the WC is removed: how would you integrate a toilet into the large bathroom? Ideally somewhat separated. I am still struggling with this room’s design.
• If the WC remains: would you still integrate a WC in the large bathroom or prefer a “master bathroom” without a toilet and keep the WC separate?

⸻

Ground floor – your opinions mainly on the pantry & kitchen

1) Pantry: practical or unnecessary?
• Do you find a pantry on the ground floor useful (storage, organization, bulk shopping) or a waste of space?

2) Kitchen / window / dimensions
• Do the kitchen dimensions work well (workflows, storage, everyday practicality, island/line)? The worktop length is 3.60 m (12 ft), the walkway is 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in) wide, and the kitchen island measures 1 m x 2.30 m (3 ft 3 in x 7 ft 7 in).
• Floor-to-ceiling window in the kitchen: this is planned in the kitchen:
• Do you think this is good (light / appearance), or
• would you prefer to extend the countertop around the corner (more workspace, less window area)?

3) Entrance cloakroom niche
• Currently planned: 115 × 60 cm (45 × 24 inches)
• Is this enough for seasonal jackets/shoes/bench/mirror, or would you enlarge it?

4) Ground floor bathroom – variants
• I have two (or three) bathroom layouts: which is more functional (door, shower, WC, sink, circulation space)?

⸻

What is important to me
• Everyday practicality (storage, paths, doors, “where stuff ends up”)
• Minimize unnecessary shafts caused by dispersed pipes throughout the house
• Good natural light despite a north-facing terrace and western living room windows

I am curious about your assessments—especially regarding the upper floor because I am unsure there. Thanks a lot!

Floor plans:

Ground floor bathrooms:

Hello dear Houzz community,
I am currently planning our house and would really appreciate suggestions and ideas for improvement. I will upload the floor plan (ground floor + first floor) shortly.
1) Room dimensions & proportions • Are the overall room dimensions and proportions balanced and practical for everyday use? [...]
• If we want a water connection on the roof terrace: Would it become more complicated if the upstairs toilet is removed (pipe routing or similar)?

Room dimensions: if I remember correctly, this concerns a building contract that is already legally binding, where only wall openings and non-load-bearing walls can be shifted keeping their dimensions. The latter likely only applies to non-structural walls, as any changes to load-bearing walls would require recalculating the structural engineering. This greatly reduces the potential for changing room dimensions, regardless of how desirable any changes to proportions might be.
Water connection on the roof terrace: the riser pipe to that location does not care whether it passes a fixture for a toilet or not.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/