ᐅ Floor Plan Optimization for Urban Villa + Considerations for Land Elevation

Bertram100 schrieb:

Isn’t there a way to use the square meters of the open space more effectively? It looks nice as it is, but when the budget is tight, you have to make some adjustments. There’s a lot of space between the kitchen and dining table that’s mostly just circulation area, nothing else. But I don’t really have any ideas.

Yes, I’ve thought about that too. I definitely plan to create two seating spots at the island so that the space in the middle has more purpose. I’ve read that you should allow about one meter (3 feet) for seating areas. I’m also planning a larger dining table for 8 to 10 people, though I’m not very familiar with dining table options yet. It should definitely be longer though.

Pinky0301 schrieb:

Is there really that much or frequent visiting that a sofa bed is necessary? If it’s just one person, maybe a fold-out armchair would work, or the living room sofa could serve as a sleeping spot. Or the kids could share a room for a while, and so on—there are more than one possibility. That way, the office can truly be used only as an office and storage space.

Yes, you’re right. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a sofa. I can also use the office as a storage room. I’m flexible there. What window size would you find nice for that room?
On the north side, there will be an 88cm by 126cm (35in by 50in) window. Which window would you put on the west side?

Do you think creating a niche for a wardrobe would spoil the room?

One argument against having a wardrobe there instead of an office is that the living room layout—because of the sofa and TV placement—is quite good as it is. I wouldn’t make it any narrower just to give some space to the office.
If I were to put a wardrobe there, 4 meters (13 feet) in length would be too long. So I would rather put a guest toilet plus wardrobe there. But the idea of having the guest toilet right next to the sofa corner bothers me as well.

Pinky0301 schrieb:

How wide is the hallway again?

1.82 m (6 feet). Do you think that's narrow?
It gets 60 cm (2 feet) wider towards the stairs.

Speaking of the hallway: an unconventional (or rather Swedish) idea is that the front door could open outward. This way, the entire hallway area near the door—which, based on experience, is the most chaotic, cluttered, and frequently used part—becomes fully usable.

Alessandro schrieb:

the only option I see for you

You cannot see anything there. Because: when someone adds a suggestion here, the original poster replies: that’s nice, but unfortunately that floor plan is no longer valid; the valid version is still to come, which would be similar but quite different.

Alessandro schrieb:

1. No one uses shoe racks. They just get left wherever shoes were taken off.

No. Shoecabinets aren’t used because opening a flap makes them less accessible. Shoeracks, however, are used—best placed under the seating area for putting on and taking off shoes.

Alessandro schrieb:

2. You URGENTLY need storage space, not just for clothes, shoes, etc.
3. A home office/guest room is a luxury I just don’t see working in your house or being realistically feasible.

These two points are closely linked: on one hand, with only two children, a home office with a guest bed is certainly possible; on the other hand, due to a lack of other storage space, it must also serve as a utility room function—possibly in combination with the technical room/utility room where cleaning supplies are stored.

Pinky0301 schrieb:

If the home office will be used regularly or permanently, having a dedicated room is important for tax purposes. Are there not specific rules for that? Does it meet the minimum size for it to be tax-deductible? Or do I remember that wrong?

For tax purposes, a home office must not be a walk-through room and ideally should not contain personal files. From a building regulation standpoint, it is simply considered a living space. There are no size requirements under tax law; only the workplace ordinance mentions "adequate" size, which most employers interpret as no less than 8 sqm (86 sq ft). Unfortunately, there is no official “home office standard.”

Shiny86 schrieb:

There will be an 88 x 126 cm (35 x 50 inch) window on the north side.

“Northern light is never visible” practically means: only diffuse (indirect) light will come through there, and it will be weaker. Combined with a narrow window, it will only be bright enough until shortly after noon in winter to work without additional artificial lighting.

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Unfortunately, I see misplaced priorities in the design. The office could be combined with storage room, pantry, and wardrobe through clever wall positioning. The main thing is that a total of 13 sqm (140 sq ft) on the upper floor is sacrificed for a dressing room and master bathroom. :eek _O