ᐅ Floor plan optimization for a single-family house, 125 sqm

Hello dear forum members,
we are planning to start building our house soon and could use some ideas for the floor plan.
We want to build a log house with Fullwood and have received an initial proposal from our consultant.
This is just a rough idea for now; the details will be developed by the architect. So far, we like it quite a bit, but of course, there are still a few points that need improvement.
To make our upcoming meeting with the architect (we are currently waiting for an appointment) as effective as possible, we wanted to ask for input here and include any feedback directly in the discussion.
For now, only the exterior walls of our design are fixed; the interior layout can still be moved and adjusted. The financing is already secured, so there should be no increases in size or similar changes.

Building regulations / restrictions
Plot size: 620 sqm (6,675 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio (floor area ratio): 0.4
Floor space index: 0.5
Building envelope, building line, and boundary lines:
Edge development:
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable / hip roof
Architectural style:
Orientation:
Maximum height / restrictions:
Other requirements:

Homeowner requirements
Architectural style, roof type, building type: gable roof
Basement, number of floors: 1.5 floors without basement
Number of occupants, ages: 2 (30 & 48) + dog; no children planned
Room requirements on ground floor and upper floor:
Ground floor: kitchen, dining-living room, utility room, guest toilet, pantry
Upper floor: bedroom, dressing room, office, bathroom, hobby room
Office: family use or home office? Home office 5 days a week
Number of overnight guests per year: 0
Open or closed layout: open living area, floor plan should be “functional” / practical
Conservative or modern construction: conservative (?) log house
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen, possibly with island, not finalized yet
Number of dining seats: 6 fixed, possibly extendable
Fireplace: no
Music / stereo wall: no
Balcony, roof terrace: no
Garage, carport: large garage (storage for bicycles, tools, access to the house)
Vegetable garden, greenhouse:
Other wishes / special features / daily routine, also reasons why some things should or should not be included:

House design
Planning by: 1st draft by Fullwood consultant
What do you like most? Why? Most of our wishes were implemented, open living area, many windows facing the garden
What do you not like? Why? No space for a coat rack, door to the utility room is in the living room, questionable positioning of bathroom fixtures upstairs (due to sloping ceiling, knee wall 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in))
Preferred heating technology: air heat pump

If you had to do without, which details / extras
- what you can do without: none at the moment, our wishes have already been adjusted and partly cut to fit the budget (e.g., straight staircase)
- what you cannot do without:

Why is the design as it is?
First draft by the consultant after listing our wishes.

Additional note: Access from the garage to the utility room should be possible because of the dog; all leashes etc. can be stored there.
The wall of the utility room extended to the outside edge of the staircase. We considered moving the wall inward a bit to free up space under the stairs.
We thought about installing a wardrobe system there to use the space as a coat rack or, if the coat rack can be implemented elsewhere, moving the door to the utility room from the living room under the stairs.
There was also the idea to move the stairs and “shift” the guest toilet into the utility room to create more walls in the utility room. The room seems quite large to us, but washing machines, dryers, or other appliances are not placed in the middle of the room. We want to avoid a large open area in the center.
The dryer and washing machine could also move to the upper floor (short distance to the dressing room); here we have quite some freedom.

Our plot is located in a cul-de-sac with a field-edge location, parcel 256

The floor plan doesn’t convince me. Sometimes I have to hold my breath when I see what the employed planner actually presents to clients.
I rarely ask this because it’s usually different, but if a family of four wants to fit into 160 m² (1,722 sq ft) on a single-story level, why not build a bungalow? You can nicely zone 120 m² (1,292 sq ft) without having an excess of hallway space.
Besides, with 620 m² (6,674 sq ft) and a floor area ratio of 0.4, you’re actually in a very good situation, right?
In case my post in the moderated Fullwood subforum wasn’t approved, here it is again:

ypg schrieb:

Take a closer look at the profile picture of @Holzhäuschen, then you can get in touch with her.

We obtained several quotes for a bungalow, but it would not have fit within our budget—since larger building permits/planning permissions and the roof can be quite expensive.

I respect your response—fortunately, tastes vary—but it doesn’t address the question and doesn’t provide us with any added value.

For us, building a different house style or similar is not an option.

We just need a few ideas to consider, as mentioned in the original post.

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

For us, building a different house shape or anything like that is not up for discussion.

That can be answered simply.
Without mentioning “taste” or similar. I’m talking about function, not taste. Taste has very little to do with house PLANS and layouts. Taste is expressed later in the facade and interior design.

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

but it has nothing to do with the question,

But you are allowed to ask, right?
You want suggestions, and that includes questions like the one I asked. I also acknowledge your right to ask questions.

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

or rather, your answer adds no value for us.

Okay… maybe it’s because of the missing answers on the questionnaire?

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

So far, only the exterior walls in our design are fixed; the interior can still be shifted and adjusted.

Good.

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

We could just use a few suggestions, as stated in the opening post.

The suggestion here was the bungalow… and—as already said—the design is not really suitable for discussion: nothing has really been designed, so what can you say? You have already noticed important points yourself: no cloakroom, the utility room door opens into the living area.
You enter and immediately bump into a corner. The WC and staircase entrance are located in the dirty zone. That is really a deal breaker.
Creating an open-plan living area with large windows to look into the garden is something even a child could design.
A large pantry for two people: what for? The freezer is already large. Instead, the kitchen should be made functional, which would save some trips while cooking.
Currently, there is very little cupboard space.
On the south side, only a kitchen window and utility rooms are planned. The north side has more windows. Yet hobby and guest rooms have been placed on the south side. Photovoltaic panels would be ideal on a dormer-free roof, possibly as an upgrade, but here it is not facing south.

Feldblick_2025 schrieb:

to move the door to the utility room from the living room under the stairs.

The stairs are too steep for that, and the door would be partially blocked by the stairs above.

I wouldn’t pay any further attention to this design and would wait for the appointment with the right architect. This thing is rubbish and belongs exactly where it is.
If I were you, I would focus more on questions like ceiling heights, allowable knee wall height, orientation on the plot, and so on.

I just read in the garden pictures thread that you, @Feldblick_2025, like the house of @Steffi33. By chance, while reading the requirements profile, I immediately thought of Steffi’s bungalow, just as @ypg also directly thought of a bungalow.

Unfortunately, you don’t reveal your budget, but the shown floor plan looks very uninspired, for example the alignment of the rooms on the upper floor, where the access to all (except one) rooms is squeezed into the corner of the room.

The other uninspired details have already been described.