ᐅ Floor plan design shortly before submitting the building permit application

11ant schrieb:
In Cologne we say: "Boy, you’re crazy!" – how do you come up with such, in my opinion, absurd ideas?

Wickie schrieb:
Touching and configuring: OK, I can still understand that.
Preparing a bill of materials (for a professional)? Sorry, that’s complete nonsense!

Those were the concerns of a Hülsta salesperson. It’s clear you can’t take that completely at face value because, after all, they want to sell. But as a buyer, of course, you want to know that if you have a cabinet “replicated,” it will have the same quality of materials, workmanship, and durability. The question is how to ensure that.

Kekse schrieb:
What do you want with such deep cabinets? I find that a waste of space because you can’t really reach the back (except maybe at torso height, but even then it’s annoying to have stacks in the back).

I don’t find it excessively deep. It includes not only the interior but also the center door, etc. – a jacket on a hanger also needs to fit inside.

Alex85 schrieb:
I think that’s the wrong choice. The dressing room is, let’s be frank, within the limitations of this room, not really a dressing room but at best a walk-in closet.

Yes, you’re probably right. It’s somewhat off the original brief. We told the architect that we have different sleeping patterns. One person gets up at 4:30 a.m. and wants to get dressed quietly, while the other might already go to bed at midnight when the partner is still asleep. So we wanted a separate dressing room where you can get dressed and undressed. We need to think about how to make that work. A chair or something like that should definitely be included. The laundry hamper would have to be in the utility room, and you’d just walk over there briefly.

Alex85 schrieb:
That always sounds like the wardrobe has to be somewhat showy to me.

We just like high-quality materials. For ourselves, not for anyone else.

Maria16 schrieb:
Are you also planning to discuss the hallway furnishing here?

No... but we’ve considered maybe bringing in an interior designer to add some flair to the rooms.

Wickie schrieb:
Have you ever worked with a carpenter?

Yes, I’m familiar with that from work. Sometimes we have office furniture custom-made when standard sizes from manufacturers don’t fit. My experience is that while carpenters do custom work, their prices are higher, and at the same time, the material quality is often lower. Of course, you can commission higher-quality work there, but then the cost difference is even greater.

I only had one carpenter on site for a single-family house who looked at the bathroom mirror. He wondered why it should be made from wood instead of drywall; he didn’t understand. He never sent a quote after that.

Wickie schrieb:
Specialized solution → professional
Standard fast turnaround → general contractor or Hülsta

Have you looked into Hülsta? It’s a very good manufacturer that is extremely versatile in most things. Standard could be the Pax they often write about here, but that’s no premium furniture that lasts a lifetime. My parents have Hülsta in their bedroom for almost 40 years, and they’re still happy with it.

Our last bedroom set (double bed and wardrobe) was also from Hülsta. There was nothing to complain about in terms of quality, but after 20 years, everything ended up at the bulky waste collection. We don’t necessarily want furniture that lasts forever, since that would prevent redecorating, and tastes might change over time.

Best regards
Sabine

Hülsta is fine.
I don’t see any resistance to learning here, as wickie schieb suggested. The builder isn’t using a standard product and has individual requirements, but he’s now realizing that this adds complexity and he doesn’t have enough time for it. Even though you don’t have to choose the glue and screws yourself when working with a carpenter, the selection is still more demanding, or at least more time-consuming, than simply assembling something from a set.
Unlimited configuration options unfortunately also mean that as a layperson you might forget an important but unknown detail or assume a standard that isn’t really standard. If the partner doesn’t point this out, everyone just does their own thing and in the end, suddenly the door is too low.

That’s why I always say either you need to plan significantly more time for the project or have a partner who guides you intensively through it. Alternatively, reduce the complexity of the undertaking. A house from a catalog (2-day selection tour, done) or, in a more “extreme” case, a developer property where you only have to take care of the interior design.

PS: There is always a 20% discount off the list price at Hülsta. Real offers are around 25%.

Alex85 schrieb:
Alternatively, reduce the complexity of the project.

That’s what we thought too... bringing in an interior designer. Although it’s a bit late for that now, especially if electrical wiring is still needed somewhere for indirect lighting, etc. – which would also work well for the living room, etc.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:

Yes, I’m familiar with that from work. Every now and then, we have office furniture custom-made when manufacturers’ standard sizes don’t fit the space. In my experience, carpenters do custom work but at higher prices and often with lower material quality. Of course, you can order higher-quality pieces there, but then the cost difference becomes even greater.

For a carpenter to work on a single-family home, I only had one who came to take a look at the bathroom mirror. He wondered why it should be made of wood instead of drywall; he didn’t understand. He never sent an offer after that.

Have you looked into Hülsta? They are a very good manufacturer, extremely versatile in most areas. The "0815" piece might be the Pax everyone always talks about here, but that’s not premium furniture that lasts a lifetime. My parents have had Hülsta in their bedroom for almost 40 years and are still happy with it.

Yes, I have looked into Hülsta. I don’t like it, so it’s not relevant for me. I never said the quality wasn’t good. These are definitely high-quality pieces, and I don’t want to question that.

Maybe our carpenter is also a stroke of luck. But it certainly helps that we know exactly what we want. And it’s probably quite easy to explain this precisely to a professional (sketches, comparison photos, etc.). And just to get good quality, I don’t need to specify which glue he should use. He hopefully knows better as a professional once I tell him where the furniture will be placed.

Alex85 schrieb:

I don’t see any resistance to learning in this, as Wickie implied. The builder is not going for off-the-shelf pieces and has individual requests but now realizes this increases complexity and he doesn’t have the time for it.

Spending my energy on a wardrobe in the dressing room or understanding my construction plan including door and window heights… that just conflicts for me.
And if I have individual requests, I get them done (and not necessarily at a higher cost!!) instead of buying mainstream Hülsta. Maybe I just have a different opinion.

I simply think the priorities are not set correctly.

Unfortunately, I also have to say that the priorities seem a bit strange to me. At least when the idea of an interior designer comes up in connection with the dressing room and wardrobe. Those are probably the two rooms where you spend the least amount of time.

A quick tip: if one of you is a light sleeper, they might still hear the sliding doors moving even when the door is closed.

Otherwise, I would really suggest postponing decisions that are not absolutely necessary. And think carefully about what is truly essential. From my impression, your priorities sometimes don’t seem well thought out (for example, winter coats planned to be stored in the dressing room).

You already have furniture that can cover a lot—for now, maybe even everything. That also gives you time to calmly consider an interior designer later (but more for the living room or the large hallway).