ᐅ Floor plan of a single-family house, feedback requested

Ganneff schrieb:

Today at 10:40 [...] Last edited: Today at 10:46

Wow, how does that work? That would be six minutes, so more than four (?)

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11ant schrieb:

Wow, how does that work? That would be six minutes, so more than four (?)

This only appears when the admin makes a change.

11ant schrieb:

Wow, how does that work? That would be six minutes, so more than four (?)

After X minutes (a short timeout), click on Edit, insert your content and start typing, which then takes a while. That’s how I did it this morning; my post appeared and then almost at the same time the one from @Papierturm. I then included their quotes in my post and replied there because it still worked at that moment.

Ganneff schrieb:

Hmm. I didn’t overlook that, but considering how rarely we’ve cleaned the roller shutters in 30 years—and all of them are easily accessible—I doubt it will be a significant hassle for us. (The officially counted number is ... 0). I don’t see why or what I should be cleaning on such parts anyway; they’re not some glossy white surfaces.

Apparently, there must be reasons that lead your builder to explicitly include something like that in the plans, even if it seems pointless. It may not apply to you, but clearly there are experiences that made them add this note; I think it’s a thoughtful point in general—better to have one too many reminders.
They don’t have to be “glossy surfaces” nor the resident a cleaning fanatic. What I’ve seen from the inside there wouldn’t be appealing from the dining table in the evening either; it’s a very wide sliding terrace door, and behind the half fixed glass or the inside of the roller shutter, which isn’t reachable, you can see all kinds of dirt and grime accumulating (spiders, insects, stains, and whatever else), and over 20 years something will definitely build up.

Ganneff schrieb:

I don’t think a shower on the ground floor can be integrated sensibly under the current conditions.

As mentioned, I hadn’t yet seen the second bathroom on the upper floor until then.

Ganneff schrieb:

Water bed, bedside tables, wardrobes, and a bit of “we’ll see in the coming days.”

I suspected you’re not storing car tires in the bedroom, but whether everything really fits depends on the individual furnishing preferences. There have been homeowners here who planned six meters (about 20 feet) of wardrobe space just for themselves; my question was aimed at such individual needs. A bed, bedside table, and four-door wardrobe usually work fine. We don’t know you that well yet.

Ganneff schrieb:

The alternative is a bay window. Slightly more cost-effective, but then it’s just a set of windows without a door. Though that could also be nice if you put three windows along the long side and make the middle one a deep window seat—that sounds good to me too. If we stick to a depth of 1.25m (49 inches), there wouldn’t be side doors. I’m not sure if that’s too bad—I could imagine having at least one door directly to the terrace there would be nice. But then you could make it about 1.5m (59 inches) deep.

“Sounds good,” “that could work”… okay. I’ll just ask now how exactly you plan to use that space and how you intend to furnish it—that’s the crucial point. A window seat is nice to look at but costs both money and space, or rather blocks it. Do I really sit there reading, or do I just know it from pretty brochures? This topic has been discussed many times here; people usually find it uncomfortable because it’s very straight-backed. Behind you (glass) it tends to be either very hot or cold, so I end up moving my sofa further away from the window, but that’s exactly what you don’t want—you want to look out nicely. If you want this “deep” window seat, the window either has to be mounted externally or the seat projects quite far into the room. You can do it, but you have to really want it and plan the details precisely; otherwise, in my opinion, it looks like you ordered it but never picked it up.
Do I need another door there, or would I actually use it? Or will furniture make that corner hard to access? Do I prefer sliding doors, or are “normal” doors easier for me to open (like at our place)? You should check what suits you.
If I want that side door, I might make the large window front completely fixed, achieving a generous glass area. Right now, you’d have four exits from the open living area—which I think is two too many.

Ganneff schrieb:

You overlooked my comment that this was still drawn in because it was originally planned there.

That’s why currently furnished and dimensioned floor plans are important for participants; you don’t always want or need to read everything anew. For rare cases, this is definitely sufficient.

Ganneff schrieb:

Floor-to-ceiling is one way to get more light and a bit more openness.

I share @Papierturm’s view: floor-to-ceiling windows became a trend eventually, like many other things. A window in front of which a bed or desk with cables stands feels like poor planning; children also usually prefer the option to retreat or avoid being seen rather than sitting in a “glass tower.”

Ganneff schrieb:

Okay, with not floor-to-ceiling, you get a window sill. Christmas decorations and such stuff.

It can be looked at superficially like that, but it also depends on how you design a window sill. We had some very nice window sills made, and sometimes it’s quite nice not to always look directly outside. Sometimes you look down on mossy gravel, an untidy yard, etc.; I’d rather have a nice window sill with lighting and/or a piece of art there. A wobbling ornament would also work.

Ganneff schrieb:

Oh, I have a household member with an opposing opinion here—direct, complete sight lines are not a favorite.

It’s good and important to weigh things up, plan, discard, and plan again. I would actually like to see that idea of a sightline somewhere in real life. On the one hand, I hear about light, maximum windows, looking outside… and on the other, that upon entering the house you absolutely don’t want to see through to the inside but rather face a wall and a room door, hmm… I can’t quite reconcile that. For us, it was important that when entering the house, you have a free view, and we designed the outside accordingly so you like to look out. What does your wife want to see when entering the house? What is her idea about that? In the current plan, you look at a wall segment with a staggered door.

Arauki11 schrieb:

Apparently, there are reasons that have led your builder to explicitly include something seemingly pointless in the plan. It may not apply to you, but obviously there have been experiences that prompted this; I think the note is generally thoughtful—better to have one too many than not enough.

When this came up for the first time, I asked about it. They’ve been including it ever since a client complained about it.

Arauki11 schrieb:

I almost assumed you wouldn’t be storing car tires in the bedroom, but you really only realize AFTER the individual furniture layout whether it really fits. There have been clients here who planned for 6 meters (20 feet) of wardrobe space just for themselves; my question was about exactly that kind of individual preference. Bed, nightstand, and 4-door wardrobe usually work fine, but we don’t know you that well yet.

I’ve already updated my ground floor drawing; the upper floor one is about 50% done. We’ll be back at it this weekend, arranging cardboard furniture again.

Arauki11 schrieb:

It’s good and important to weigh options, plan, discard, and plan again. I would actually try to see this idea of the sightline live in real life. On the one hand, I read about light, maximum windows, views outside... and then about not wanting to see through or into the house immediately when entering, but rather facing a wall and an interior door. I can’t quite reconcile those ideas. For us, it was important to have a clear view when entering the house, so we designed the outdoors accordingly to encourage looking out. What does your wife want to see when entering the house—what’s her idea? In the current plan, you look at a wall with a staggered room door.

Well, there’s a difference between being in a room from where you have many views outside and being able to look from the front door directly through the house into the garden. The former is nice for yourself; the latter means any delivery person, salesperson, or whoever happens to be at the door can see straight through. That’s a real difference. If you also have a front door with glass elements, you don’t even have to open it to see what’s going on.

The idea here is that this area serves as both the entrance and the stairway transition. You pass through it. Once you are "back" inside, then it’s open.

Arauki11 schrieb:

A window seat is a nice feature to look at, but it also consumes both money and space. Do I really spend time sitting there and reading, or is this just a pretty picture from brochures? This topic has been discussed here often; usually, the seating is uncomfortable because it’s perfectly straight-backed. With glass behind you, it’s often too hot or too cold, which makes me move my sofa further away from the window—but you don’t want that, you want to look outside. If you want such a "deep" window seat, you need to mount the window on the outside, or the seat will protrude well into the room. That’s doable but has to be truly wanted and carefully planned in detail; otherwise, it looks, in my opinion, like an unfulfilled order.

That’s still just an idea at the moment; we’re not sure. Maybe it will just be a large window without a seat. But if we do go for the window seat, it would be an externally mounted one. It also depends a bit on costs; I’m already asking about pricing. Having this knowledge usually helps with decisions.

Ganneff schrieb:

The first option is something nice just for yourself, while the latter can be done by any delivery service, door-to-door salesperson, or anyone else who happens to be at the front door for whatever reason.

Well… here, one of those people rings the doorbell from time to time, but they always stand OUTSIDE the door, at a bit of a distance—not literally at the entrance. So, from that perspective, they look into your hallway, which is part of your privacy, especially through floor-to-ceiling windows and so on.

Ganneff schrieb:

If you have a front door with glass elements, you don’t even need to open it to see what’s going on.

Are you using Venetian glass? Otherwise, all these floors can be looked into just the same. Of course, it’s your choice what you build; I just notice things that are very important on one hand, yet suddenly become a “risk” on the other. There is always a reason for every decision, why you do it or don’t. We have many glass surfaces here and accept the possibility that sometimes someone looks in. But for us, it’s outweighed by the fact that we can look outside as if we were out there; outside visually blends almost seamlessly with the living area.
I like a nice (and open) entrance area where you feel comfortable the moment you step in. How exactly to achieve that wouldn’t be my main concern, but just having a hallway with a door somewhere wouldn’t appeal to me. I would consider a detailed design plan to avoid just having some random space where I then “do something somehow.”

Ganneff schrieb:

This is just a thought at the moment; we’re not sure yet. Maybe it will just be a large window without a seating ledge. But if so, it would be an externally mounted element. It also depends somewhat on the costs; I’m already asking what the price would be. That kind of information usually helps when making decisions.

We had considered that too because we have a large central window area, among other things. In the end, we chose a parapet about 40cm (15.7 inches) high and a 3m (10 feet) wide wooden windowsill. You could probably sit on it to some extent, but nobody does. It’s nice to look outside but without seeing, like with floor-to-ceiling windows, the sometimes dirty terrace floor outside. We have both versions next to each other, and we like the central one. It’s kind of a “window seat light” that no one ever sits on and didn’t cost any more. We deliberately avoided sliding doors altogether.