ᐅ Floor Plan for a 150 sqm Single-Family Home – Window and Bathroom Design Planning
Created on: 6 Apr 2022 11:49
R
RIU2807
Dear forum members,
Our detailed planning phase for our new build (solid construction) single-family house for 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) is coming up soon. Since I have followed the forum discussions several times and find every opinion valuable, I would like to share our overall design and describe the details below in the questionnaire. Basically, due to high construction costs and the size of the plot, we tried to keep the total floor area as small as possible. The basic room layout and house dimensions are no longer changeable. However, we are very satisfied with the location of the house and the orientation of the rooms on the plot (a 90° rotation of the house was tested but then discarded). Therefore, our main focus is on the interior and facade design.
From a cost-benefit perspective, the design appears to be a good compromise that addresses the most important aspects for us.
I would like to ask if anyone sees any fundamental issues with the design?
We are aware that on the ground floor, separating the living area from the kitchen and dining area limits movement space; however, this separation is essential for us – we have experience with both open living/dining areas and with separating the kitchen from eating and living areas, and this arrangement suits our lifestyle best.
The straight staircase was originally not a must-have, but it is now the preferred type.
We are particularly unsure about the window planning, which is still completely open – starting with the master bedroom on the upper floor.
Here, we would like the option to place the bed against either the northwest or southwest wall but are uncertain how to plan the windows accordingly, as a symmetrical view of the house from the street side (northwest) is important to us. It is generally acceptable to us if the bed would be under a window in one of the variants. How large would a window need to be, with a sill height of 120cm (47 inches), to provide sufficient light in the room? Or would you definitely plan a window on the other wall as well (which means the bed would be under a window in both options)? How would you design the other windows on the southwest side of the house (dressing room, children’s rooms)? Do you have completely different suggestions?
Currently, on the upper floor, the two children’s rooms on the southeast side have windows with a sill height of 55cm (22 inches) shown – we would probably change these to a standard sill height for better furniture placement. On the upper floor, shading is done using roller shutters.
On the ground floor, in the living area, there is a floor-to-ceiling element next to the terrace door — we would also set this to a standard sill height, as a sofa will likely be placed in front of it. In the kitchen, the window is intended to be positioned differently from the plan — at countertop height, meaning the countertop should integrate into the window.
We are still completely uncertain about the window planning in the dining area. The shading on the ground floor will be with venetian blinds. From our point of view, the lift-and-slide door makes little sense because the opening cannot be fully used. I am attaching two ideas for the dining area’s window design: (1) two terrace doors with window fronts, (2) one terrace door with a window front plus one window with a sill height of 55cm (22 inches) that could be used as a seating window. What do you think of these ideas?
Another point is the bathroom planning:
The architect and two bathroom planners recommend a T-shaped layout with a bathtub on the northwest wall (window above). However, the limited storage space bothers us (no room for a tall cabinet). Do you have any ideas or suggestions regarding storage or even alternative bathroom layouts?
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 490sqm (5270 sq ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Client requirements
Basement, floors: Basement + 2 full floors
Number of people, ages
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
Office: home office for one person
Fireplace: no, but laundry chute
Garage, carport: garage with carport
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why some things should or should not be:
In the basement, we want: one mandatory utility room with washing machine and dryer, one workshop and storage room, one additional storage room, and one hobby room (with underfloor heating).
On the ground floor, we want: one office for home office (alternatively usable as a bedroom for one person), kitchen and dining separated from the living area, L-shaped living/dining/kitchen arrangement, kitchen with peninsula, guest toilet with optional shower, and storage room. The final ceiling height on the ground floor will be 2.60m (8ft 6in).
On the upper floor, our wish is: family bathroom (T-shape recommended here by the architect and two bathroom planners), small storage room, two children’s rooms, master bedroom, dressing room (the entrance from the corridor is intentionally chosen and preferred).
House design
Designed by: architect from a construction company
What do you like most? Why?
Basic wishes considered; good use of space; room orientation; small “circular flow” on the ground floor (hallway, kitchen/dining, living); little hallway space on upper floor; equally sized children’s rooms; corner terrace possible; laundry chute.
What do you dislike? Why?
Bathroom layout; concern about too small dining area; current window planning.
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump.
If you had to give up, on which details / extensions
- can you give up: T-shaped bathroom layout, high window sill heights
- cannot give up: separation of living area
Why is the design the way it is?
Good space utilization, good room orientation, the above-mentioned wishes.
What is your key/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What storage solutions or alternatives do you see for the T-shaped bathroom? Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations regarding window planning?
We look forward to your suggestions, recommendations, and opinions!
Our detailed planning phase for our new build (solid construction) single-family house for 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) is coming up soon. Since I have followed the forum discussions several times and find every opinion valuable, I would like to share our overall design and describe the details below in the questionnaire. Basically, due to high construction costs and the size of the plot, we tried to keep the total floor area as small as possible. The basic room layout and house dimensions are no longer changeable. However, we are very satisfied with the location of the house and the orientation of the rooms on the plot (a 90° rotation of the house was tested but then discarded). Therefore, our main focus is on the interior and facade design.
From a cost-benefit perspective, the design appears to be a good compromise that addresses the most important aspects for us.
I would like to ask if anyone sees any fundamental issues with the design?
We are aware that on the ground floor, separating the living area from the kitchen and dining area limits movement space; however, this separation is essential for us – we have experience with both open living/dining areas and with separating the kitchen from eating and living areas, and this arrangement suits our lifestyle best.
The straight staircase was originally not a must-have, but it is now the preferred type.
We are particularly unsure about the window planning, which is still completely open – starting with the master bedroom on the upper floor.
Here, we would like the option to place the bed against either the northwest or southwest wall but are uncertain how to plan the windows accordingly, as a symmetrical view of the house from the street side (northwest) is important to us. It is generally acceptable to us if the bed would be under a window in one of the variants. How large would a window need to be, with a sill height of 120cm (47 inches), to provide sufficient light in the room? Or would you definitely plan a window on the other wall as well (which means the bed would be under a window in both options)? How would you design the other windows on the southwest side of the house (dressing room, children’s rooms)? Do you have completely different suggestions?
Currently, on the upper floor, the two children’s rooms on the southeast side have windows with a sill height of 55cm (22 inches) shown – we would probably change these to a standard sill height for better furniture placement. On the upper floor, shading is done using roller shutters.
On the ground floor, in the living area, there is a floor-to-ceiling element next to the terrace door — we would also set this to a standard sill height, as a sofa will likely be placed in front of it. In the kitchen, the window is intended to be positioned differently from the plan — at countertop height, meaning the countertop should integrate into the window.
We are still completely uncertain about the window planning in the dining area. The shading on the ground floor will be with venetian blinds. From our point of view, the lift-and-slide door makes little sense because the opening cannot be fully used. I am attaching two ideas for the dining area’s window design: (1) two terrace doors with window fronts, (2) one terrace door with a window front plus one window with a sill height of 55cm (22 inches) that could be used as a seating window. What do you think of these ideas?
Another point is the bathroom planning:
The architect and two bathroom planners recommend a T-shaped layout with a bathtub on the northwest wall (window above). However, the limited storage space bothers us (no room for a tall cabinet). Do you have any ideas or suggestions regarding storage or even alternative bathroom layouts?
Development plan / restrictions
Plot size: 490sqm (5270 sq ft)
Number of parking spaces: 2
Number of floors: 2
Client requirements
Basement, floors: Basement + 2 full floors
Number of people, ages
Space requirements on ground and upper floors
Office: home office for one person
Fireplace: no, but laundry chute
Garage, carport: garage with carport
Further wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why some things should or should not be:
In the basement, we want: one mandatory utility room with washing machine and dryer, one workshop and storage room, one additional storage room, and one hobby room (with underfloor heating).
On the ground floor, we want: one office for home office (alternatively usable as a bedroom for one person), kitchen and dining separated from the living area, L-shaped living/dining/kitchen arrangement, kitchen with peninsula, guest toilet with optional shower, and storage room. The final ceiling height on the ground floor will be 2.60m (8ft 6in).
On the upper floor, our wish is: family bathroom (T-shape recommended here by the architect and two bathroom planners), small storage room, two children’s rooms, master bedroom, dressing room (the entrance from the corridor is intentionally chosen and preferred).
House design
Designed by: architect from a construction company
What do you like most? Why?
Basic wishes considered; good use of space; room orientation; small “circular flow” on the ground floor (hallway, kitchen/dining, living); little hallway space on upper floor; equally sized children’s rooms; corner terrace possible; laundry chute.
What do you dislike? Why?
Bathroom layout; concern about too small dining area; current window planning.
Preferred heating technology: air-source heat pump.
If you had to give up, on which details / extensions
- can you give up: T-shaped bathroom layout, high window sill heights
- cannot give up: separation of living area
Why is the design the way it is?
Good space utilization, good room orientation, the above-mentioned wishes.
What is your key/basic question about the floor plan in 130 characters?
What storage solutions or alternatives do you see for the T-shaped bathroom? Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations regarding window planning?
We look forward to your suggestions, recommendations, and opinions!
Good idea!
That would also allow solutions for the upstairs bathroom where the toilet is placed on the north side. Otherwise, this is not possible due to the 100mm (4-inch) pipe and the entrance located underneath.
However, if the entrance and toilet are swapped, the entrance area will become very dark – which doesn’t bother us much in the guest toilet since it currently has no window at all. We are also a bit concerned that people might frequently bump into the car parked under the carport. Therefore, we thought about adding a cover over the front door afterwards.
I will definitely keep the swap in mind. Thanks!
That would also allow solutions for the upstairs bathroom where the toilet is placed on the north side. Otherwise, this is not possible due to the 100mm (4-inch) pipe and the entrance located underneath.
However, if the entrance and toilet are swapped, the entrance area will become very dark – which doesn’t bother us much in the guest toilet since it currently has no window at all. We are also a bit concerned that people might frequently bump into the car parked under the carport. Therefore, we thought about adding a cover over the front door afterwards.
I will definitely keep the swap in mind. Thanks!
RIU2807 schrieb:
Do you have any ideas or suggestions regarding storage, or maybe alternative floor plan ideas for the bathroom? The most elegant solution is also the simplest and most obvious one: bathroom door, double sink vanity on the left side, toilet by the window.
Opposite the bathtub and shower, you could consider switching the two.
The bedroom could do without one door if you reduce the hallway by 1 square meter (10.8 square feet).
If still possible: it’s always nice when you can see your destination right through the front door. Living spaces should feel welcoming. Unfortunately, this is not achieved here due to the layout’s winding design.
At first glance, the design looks quite nice. However, on closer inspection, I can’t really get enthusiastic about it. Unfortunately, I can’t immediately see the plot dimensions. Therefore, the statement that rotating the house isn’t possible seems rather vague to me.
Two things catch my attention immediately on the outside:
1. The outdoor unit of the air-to-water heat pump is located right next to the terrace. It’s not silent – that’s something to keep in mind. I don’t know how often it runs in summer, but I would definitely ask about that again.
2. Is the large tree mandatory? So close to the house? I also plant trees wherever possible, but I wouldn’t place any closer than 10m (33 feet) to buildings. It’s less about the canopy and shade, and more about the roots.
Other than that, I see light wells in the terrace – what do they look like? It’s possible, but if it’s not necessary, I would avoid that. Expensive and difficult to use.
Where will bicycles and similar items be stored? You might consider an external staircase to the basement for bikes. I would also suggest marking out space for garbage bins.
Inside, the hallways feel somewhat bleak, where, in my opinion, imagination is lacking. On the ground floor, when you enter and turn towards the living area, you face a wall. That feels uninviting and has already been criticized by Yvonne. I would skip the large space for the TV here and instead plan a double door or glass wall to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Who really watches TV these days?
Upstairs, the narrow, long staircase hallway feels even more confining. How much light will remain from the narrow window on the “gallery” (the term is almost cheeky) is questionable. I would consider additional top lighting here.
Also:
Ground floor: The dining area lacks a bit of depth. It is just about the minimum size. The dining table is constantly in the way because it is located on one of the main traffic routes. That would annoy me. How big is the shower in the guest bathroom? It looks tiny.
Upper floor: The T-shaped layout in the bathroom is indeed unfortunate. However, I don’t see enough bathroom dimensions to make sketches. The bed under the window is more of a last resort – here as well, the available floor space is just the minimum.
Overall, not a disaster but also not very inviting. To me, it feels too tight everywhere because so many minimum dimensions have been used.
Two things catch my attention immediately on the outside:
1. The outdoor unit of the air-to-water heat pump is located right next to the terrace. It’s not silent – that’s something to keep in mind. I don’t know how often it runs in summer, but I would definitely ask about that again.
2. Is the large tree mandatory? So close to the house? I also plant trees wherever possible, but I wouldn’t place any closer than 10m (33 feet) to buildings. It’s less about the canopy and shade, and more about the roots.
Other than that, I see light wells in the terrace – what do they look like? It’s possible, but if it’s not necessary, I would avoid that. Expensive and difficult to use.
Where will bicycles and similar items be stored? You might consider an external staircase to the basement for bikes. I would also suggest marking out space for garbage bins.
Inside, the hallways feel somewhat bleak, where, in my opinion, imagination is lacking. On the ground floor, when you enter and turn towards the living area, you face a wall. That feels uninviting and has already been criticized by Yvonne. I would skip the large space for the TV here and instead plan a double door or glass wall to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Who really watches TV these days?
Upstairs, the narrow, long staircase hallway feels even more confining. How much light will remain from the narrow window on the “gallery” (the term is almost cheeky) is questionable. I would consider additional top lighting here.
Also:
Ground floor: The dining area lacks a bit of depth. It is just about the minimum size. The dining table is constantly in the way because it is located on one of the main traffic routes. That would annoy me. How big is the shower in the guest bathroom? It looks tiny.
Upper floor: The T-shaped layout in the bathroom is indeed unfortunate. However, I don’t see enough bathroom dimensions to make sketches. The bed under the window is more of a last resort – here as well, the available floor space is just the minimum.
Overall, not a disaster but also not very inviting. To me, it feels too tight everywhere because so many minimum dimensions have been used.
ypg schrieb:
If still possible: It’s always nice to have a clear view of the destination through the front door. Living space should welcome you. Unfortunately, the layout here with its twists and turns doesn’t achieve that. That’s exactly what I already mentioned and in my opinion is the biggest drawback. Plus the staircase!
I would simply suggest moving the carport slightly backward so that the entrance and the pantry can be swapped. The entrance would then open into a nice kitchen with a view of the west-facing garden.
However, I am not sure if the building setback allows this.
Can it be called bold that the staircase runs perpendicular to the entrance side? I don’t think so. In my opinion, it is positioned incorrectly in the floor plan, placed along the length of the house, which leads to disadvantages.
However, I am not sure if the building setback allows this.
Can it be called bold that the staircase runs perpendicular to the entrance side? I don’t think so. In my opinion, it is positioned incorrectly in the floor plan, placed along the length of the house, which leads to disadvantages.
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