Hi hello,
my husband, our two sons, and I currently live in a 100-year-old house. We live together with his grandmother and her caregiver. As soon as the grandmother passes away (she will soon be 99 years old), we plan to demolish the old, very large house and build a single-family home (pictures 1, 2, 3). (The furniture shown in the pictures will of course not be arranged exactly like that.)
We live in a location that’s perfect for us, in a small town on the beautiful main street. We have a corner plot with a large garden facing south (picture 4). This means that on the north side you are close to the action, while the garden remains peaceful.
The new house must be aligned flush with both streets, and the building style is closed. (Picture 5 shows the plot with the current house.) This means the garage (which in our case will actually be a carport, contrary to the drawing) must border the neighboring property.
We spent a long time working on the floor plan. Apart from some small changes, like moving some doors, the house will likely be built as planned because it meets our requirements 🙂 The house will have just under 180 sqm (about 1937 sq ft). We are building it for our family of four. Our youngest just turned one. Still, I am concerned about what will happen in 20–25 years when both children have moved out and the house becomes too big for just two people. So I am looking for a way to downsize if that is ever desired.
The staircase must remain in the center because I don’t want to have to walk through the entrance area to get to the living area. This is also an important wish of my husband. Upstairs, we plan a nice reading area in the hallway, which will then serve as living space and not just as a passage. We have something similar now, but smaller. Both floors should be connected by the staircase. What I want to avoid later is dividing the house into living space downstairs and renting out the upper floor completely, because I don’t want to hear strangers walking around over us (though the utility room and bathroom are less of an issue for me), and also because there is our garden and I do not want the tenants to overlook it. That’s why I have been thinking about the following layout for the future.
(Picture 6) The half-landing staircase would become two straight staircases. The door to the utility room would be raised a bit and would be the tenant’s entrance.
I am thinking more of renting this out as office or commercial space, since all the windows face north. The layout is not ideal for a one-room apartment. However, we will only be able to decide what makes sense when the time comes, as we cannot plan that far ahead. (Currently, rooms on the ground floor at this location are rented out as a massage practice by my husband’s grandmother for about three years; before that there was a video rental store for about 10 years.) The important thing is to have two completely separate units with distinct areas with as little effort as possible!
What do you think? Does anyone have other ideas?
Who has suggestions for the laundry chute (which I don’t like where it is now)?
I am happy to consider proposals, except that I do not want to separate the south side upstairs from our living area, especially since that’s where our bedroom will be.
Thank you in advance
my husband, our two sons, and I currently live in a 100-year-old house. We live together with his grandmother and her caregiver. As soon as the grandmother passes away (she will soon be 99 years old), we plan to demolish the old, very large house and build a single-family home (pictures 1, 2, 3). (The furniture shown in the pictures will of course not be arranged exactly like that.)
We live in a location that’s perfect for us, in a small town on the beautiful main street. We have a corner plot with a large garden facing south (picture 4). This means that on the north side you are close to the action, while the garden remains peaceful.
The new house must be aligned flush with both streets, and the building style is closed. (Picture 5 shows the plot with the current house.) This means the garage (which in our case will actually be a carport, contrary to the drawing) must border the neighboring property.
We spent a long time working on the floor plan. Apart from some small changes, like moving some doors, the house will likely be built as planned because it meets our requirements 🙂 The house will have just under 180 sqm (about 1937 sq ft). We are building it for our family of four. Our youngest just turned one. Still, I am concerned about what will happen in 20–25 years when both children have moved out and the house becomes too big for just two people. So I am looking for a way to downsize if that is ever desired.
The staircase must remain in the center because I don’t want to have to walk through the entrance area to get to the living area. This is also an important wish of my husband. Upstairs, we plan a nice reading area in the hallway, which will then serve as living space and not just as a passage. We have something similar now, but smaller. Both floors should be connected by the staircase. What I want to avoid later is dividing the house into living space downstairs and renting out the upper floor completely, because I don’t want to hear strangers walking around over us (though the utility room and bathroom are less of an issue for me), and also because there is our garden and I do not want the tenants to overlook it. That’s why I have been thinking about the following layout for the future.
(Picture 6) The half-landing staircase would become two straight staircases. The door to the utility room would be raised a bit and would be the tenant’s entrance.
I am thinking more of renting this out as office or commercial space, since all the windows face north. The layout is not ideal for a one-room apartment. However, we will only be able to decide what makes sense when the time comes, as we cannot plan that far ahead. (Currently, rooms on the ground floor at this location are rented out as a massage practice by my husband’s grandmother for about three years; before that there was a video rental store for about 10 years.) The important thing is to have two completely separate units with distinct areas with as little effort as possible!
What do you think? Does anyone have other ideas?
Who has suggestions for the laundry chute (which I don’t like where it is now)?
I am happy to consider proposals, except that I do not want to separate the south side upstairs from our living area, especially since that’s where our bedroom will be.
Thank you in advance
pagoni2020 schrieb:
What does the term "Wohndiele" mean? It’s nearly 13sqm (140 sq ft), yet there’s relatively little usable space.
The hallway passing by the stairs feels very cramped, almost a tripping hazard; the same applies to that spot upstairs. The walk-in closet significantly disrupts the floor plan.
If the furniture dimensions are accurate, fitting the dining table and sofa will be difficult. It seems you first have to navigate past the stairs, then overcome the obstacle course of dining table/kitchen/living room to finally reach the outdoor area. In short, in my opinion, it’s too tight!
Why have a guest room both downstairs and upstairs? That could free up space for other necessary areas.
How do you bring natural light to the stairs? The unnecessary projection of the stairs places them in the middle of the house… all because of the walk-in closet?
The large opening to the terrace might cause various problems or significantly increase costs. Was this drawn by an architect or planner?
As mentioned before, the stairs on the upper floor! A gallery concept is generally fine, but not if it restricts the living space and stairs downstairs this much.
What you’re planning might be possible to some extent, although you never know what life brings (e.g., grandmother…). I would definitely implement this with an architect. For example, we initially planned the garage on the ground floor for cars, but later converted it into an office… it worked out differently than planned. Wohndiele was the term used by the draftsman. A hallway serves as a circulation area, which is definitely fulfilled here, but it’s also where you “arrive home.”
The position of the stairs is intentional and was chosen deliberately (explained above). Besides, a built-in coat closet will be installed underneath. The passage to the living area is 1.78m (5 ft 10 in) wide, which is more than sufficient. It’s narrower upstairs but still perfectly adequate.
I don’t mind the walk-in closet much; it just fits well there. Nothing else was planned around it. It emerged because we want to intentionally integrate the stairs.
The living room does feel tight, that’s true, but the furniture is drawn quite large.
What problems would the large terrace door cause? We chose it deliberately because we now have a large glazed facade upstairs as well, and we like it very much. The budget is tight, that’s true, but we’ll sacrifice other things for it.
There is an office downstairs (my partner is a teacher) and a guest room upstairs because we regularly have visitors.
11ant schrieb:
And I still don’t understand, even though my partner says to me: “You’re not a little fool” ;-)Enlarge the stairwell on the right side of the plan (above the utility room), which naturally requires there to be no concrete slab or laundry chute in that area. Horizontally split the floor plan with a wall. New entrance on the right side of the plan for the upper floor, with a new straight staircase. New straight staircase positioned opposite from the living area.
Separation upstairs with a wall to create a fully enclosed unit.
ypg schrieb:
Enlarge the stairwell on the right side of the plan (above the utility room), provided there is no concrete ceiling or laundry chute there. Split the plan horizontally with a wall. New entrance on the right side of the plan for the upper floor, with a new straight staircase.
New straight staircase opposite the living area.
Separation at the top with a wall → a separate unit. Thanks, this is exactly the kind of suggestion I was hoping for.
P
pagoni20203 Dec 2020 00:11Buffycat schrieb:
The entrance hall was labeled this way by the draftsman. A corridor serves as a circulation area, which is definitely fulfilled here, but it also represents the feeling of “arriving home.”
The staircase position is intentional and consciously chosen (explained above). Additionally, a built-in coat closet will be placed underneath. The passage to the living area is 1.78m (5 ft 10 in) wide. That is more than sufficient. It is narrower upstairs, but still completely adequate.
The walk-in closet doesn’t matter much to me; it simply fits well there. Nothing else was planned around it. It came about naturally because we wanted to integrate the staircase intentionally.
The living room feels tight, that’s true, but the furniture is drawn oversized.
What problems are there with the large terrace door? We deliberately chose this because we also have a large glass wall on the upper floor, which we really like. Budget... yes, it is stretched by this, but we are willing to sacrifice other things for it.
Downstairs is the office (my husband is a teacher) and upstairs is the guest room because we regularly have guests. Penggg, sorry if I disturbed you... I was just sharing my impressions. But if everything already fits exactly as you want it, then that’s great... but why do people draw furniture larger than it actually is 🤨
The table appears too large because I quickly sketched it with my phone. The couch was also drawn quite generously by the designer, measuring 3 meters by 3 meters (10 feet by 10 feet).
It is absolutely valid to share one’s impressions—that’s what forums like this are for. However, it’s important to remember that a house must suit its occupants, not anyone else.
Our staircase is a prime example. Many people might say, "How could you do that?" But I ask myself every morning, walking through the tiled entrance area—which tends to be the dirtiest part of the house, especially in winter when it might be wet—hmm... no problem.
By the way, friends of ours have a staircase right in the middle of their living area, with no possibility of adding a door. Even that would be too much for us. My sons won’t have to pass by us every time they go to their rooms later. But for that family, in that house, it fits perfectly. In their older years, when the two of them are alone, it will surely be nice. And it certainly looks stylish in their home.
It is absolutely valid to share one’s impressions—that’s what forums like this are for. However, it’s important to remember that a house must suit its occupants, not anyone else.
Our staircase is a prime example. Many people might say, "How could you do that?" But I ask myself every morning, walking through the tiled entrance area—which tends to be the dirtiest part of the house, especially in winter when it might be wet—hmm... no problem.
By the way, friends of ours have a staircase right in the middle of their living area, with no possibility of adding a door. Even that would be too much for us. My sons won’t have to pass by us every time they go to their rooms later. But for that family, in that house, it fits perfectly. In their older years, when the two of them are alone, it will surely be nice. And it certainly looks stylish in their home.
hm... facts.. so, if the plan with the stairs and the renovation measures works out, then later you would have a small shower bathroom downstairs with the bedroom somewhere (either upstairs or downstairs). Either an office on the same level as the shower bathroom or one of the children's rooms upstairs. There wouldn’t be any space for a wardrobe downstairs.
People would then walk past your expensive car inside the garage through the office entrance... that’s something you have to be okay with. When you talk about a 1-year-old child, in about 20 to 25 years you’d be roughly the same age as I am now or as all my neighbors who are about 3 to 10 years older than me and who probably didn’t dream six years ago (when building their houses) of what you think would be tolerated later. Aside from my age, I personally wouldn’t be interested in switching from a family bathroom to a shower bathroom in my own house or in reducing the size of a spacious bedroom. Rather, as you get older (and I’m definitely not alone here), I tend to prefer more space, especially in the bedroom, so that you can move comfortably and easily, even if your hips hurt. The garage would also have to be opened all the time so that the commercial tenant can get to their apartment.
Grandma is now 99... do you really think that your personal expectations for living arrangements stop at age 50? My parents, who are nearly 80, still insist on their 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft), whether it’s practical or not. They stick to it precisely because the spacious bathroom and bedroom give them freedom.
Comfort isn’t getting smaller either; rather, even more space is needed because as you grow older, it becomes harder to part with or just store things, like a sewing machine, other hobby items, or sports equipment.
Regarding the current design without the future plans: The ground floor is quite standard and okay... I like the children’s area on the upper floor. But the parents’ bedroom is unacceptable to me; if you sleep on the right side, you wouldn’t find any peace near the door at all, and if you sleep on the left side, your husband would drive you crazy in the walk-in closet at 5:30 a.m. on a regular basis. Over time, that would be a reason for separate bedrooms, another house, or even a divorce.
The guest room will be a storage room at those dimensions.
I can speak for many people my age and older: we all built (again) to have comfort now, mostly focusing on the bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen is also important at our age because cooking is still enjoyable. But the main focus was and is a spacious bathroom including a bathtub for medical baths or wellness. Secondly: a bedroom where you don’t just live on air and love. Therefore, my only advice is: plan long term just for yourselves—that works well with 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft)—and forget about renting out space and the major restrictive renovation measures.
P.S. A living area of 3 meters (10 feet) already seems extremely small to me... check out what kind of sofas are offered in furniture stores.
People would then walk past your expensive car inside the garage through the office entrance... that’s something you have to be okay with. When you talk about a 1-year-old child, in about 20 to 25 years you’d be roughly the same age as I am now or as all my neighbors who are about 3 to 10 years older than me and who probably didn’t dream six years ago (when building their houses) of what you think would be tolerated later. Aside from my age, I personally wouldn’t be interested in switching from a family bathroom to a shower bathroom in my own house or in reducing the size of a spacious bedroom. Rather, as you get older (and I’m definitely not alone here), I tend to prefer more space, especially in the bedroom, so that you can move comfortably and easily, even if your hips hurt. The garage would also have to be opened all the time so that the commercial tenant can get to their apartment.
Grandma is now 99... do you really think that your personal expectations for living arrangements stop at age 50? My parents, who are nearly 80, still insist on their 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft), whether it’s practical or not. They stick to it precisely because the spacious bathroom and bedroom give them freedom.
Comfort isn’t getting smaller either; rather, even more space is needed because as you grow older, it becomes harder to part with or just store things, like a sewing machine, other hobby items, or sports equipment.
Regarding the current design without the future plans: The ground floor is quite standard and okay... I like the children’s area on the upper floor. But the parents’ bedroom is unacceptable to me; if you sleep on the right side, you wouldn’t find any peace near the door at all, and if you sleep on the left side, your husband would drive you crazy in the walk-in closet at 5:30 a.m. on a regular basis. Over time, that would be a reason for separate bedrooms, another house, or even a divorce.
The guest room will be a storage room at those dimensions.
I can speak for many people my age and older: we all built (again) to have comfort now, mostly focusing on the bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen is also important at our age because cooking is still enjoyable. But the main focus was and is a spacious bathroom including a bathtub for medical baths or wellness. Secondly: a bedroom where you don’t just live on air and love. Therefore, my only advice is: plan long term just for yourselves—that works well with 160 sq m (1,722 sq ft)—and forget about renting out space and the major restrictive renovation measures.
P.S. A living area of 3 meters (10 feet) already seems extremely small to me... check out what kind of sofas are offered in furniture stores.
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