ᐅ Ground floor – open-plan kitchen with dining area or living room with dining area
Created on: 19 Mar 2026 11:04
J
jolovyn
We have received the first draft for our semi-detached house. The architect put a lot of effort into it (symmetry with the other side of the house, etc.) and has generally incorporated our wishes very well, but we had actually envisioned an open-plan kitchen and a separate living room—not the other way around. Now we are considering swapping the rooms. Into the corner where the couch is currently drawn, there would be a kitchen unit (3.75 m / 12.3 feet) and an island (1.80 m / 5.9 feet with a cooktop). There would be a passage of 1.20 m (3.9 feet) and 75 cm (2.5 feet) on the right and left sides of the island. The island should be no more than 90 cm (35 inches) deep. A pantry would fit under the stairs (possibly with a custom-made door allowing direct access from the kitchen). The dining table could then be placed by the island or as currently shown. The windows should be turned into a large window front.
In the living room, we would use the back wall to place a terrarium somewhat hidden (200 x 60 cm / 79 x 24 inches). The only unclear point is where the TV (1 m / 3.3 feet wide) would go.
I’m torn, because the architect’s design also makes sense to me. The window symmetry (even though I’m not a fan of floor-to-ceiling windows right in front of the couch), more space behind the dining chairs, and a nice large kitchen with plenty of storage. Overall, it might feel a bit more “classic” and tidy this way.
I’m attaching the current ground floor draft and, for context, the entire house plan as well as a picture of how I roughly imagined our kitchen. Any advice would be very appreciated.
In the living room, we would use the back wall to place a terrarium somewhat hidden (200 x 60 cm / 79 x 24 inches). The only unclear point is where the TV (1 m / 3.3 feet wide) would go.
I’m torn, because the architect’s design also makes sense to me. The window symmetry (even though I’m not a fan of floor-to-ceiling windows right in front of the couch), more space behind the dining chairs, and a nice large kitchen with plenty of storage. Overall, it might feel a bit more “classic” and tidy this way.
I’m attaching the current ground floor draft and, for context, the entire house plan as well as a picture of how I roughly imagined our kitchen. Any advice would be very appreciated.
ypg schrieb:
Nevertheless, this is just the initial draft from the architect, so you don’t have to remodel it like an existing house, but you start off by planning everything cleanly and properly to ensure it is practical for everyday living. Exactly, clean design is absolutely the foundation of MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). If the home is meant to "run reliably," it shouldn’t be planned as a patchwork of quick fixes and endless adjustments. There shouldn’t be a "first draft," but rather a single one. First, a concept, then if needed, several competing preliminary designs, but ultimately only O.N.E. should be selected to move forward during the “proofing period” into the decision-making phase. To meet this maturity requirement, the preliminary design needs to have the status of being thoroughly tested and refined through detailed pre-drafting discussions.
ypg schrieb:
Young people are also residents of their homes and should feel comfortable and able to express their personal needs. This doesn’t mean that when they have visitors, they have to ask their mother to prepare a healthy salad for them, but rather that they get the freedom to work in the kitchen themselves and thus prepare for their own later life. That’s exactly what I was talking about. The role model should encourage the kids to work on their own and not associate making a healthy snack with “mom has to do it.”
jolovyn schrieb:
Both halves of the semi-detached house have a longer driveway in front of the entrance, Oops, I’m getting old. We actually already know you from [link not translated]
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
ypg schrieb:
Don’t get tangled up trying to build a perfect all-in-one house. You won’t succeed without already having to make compromises. A first step towards freedom is to let go of the idea that the house must stay in the family for generations (and that the builders must remain "loyal" to it) and that the house will celebrate its diamond anniversary. All-in-one solutions only exist in folklore.
jolovyn schrieb:
Thanks, I’ll try! We’ve been working with the architect on this "basic floor plan" for so long now that I just can’t see how to reduce things (like less hallway), without giving up individual access to the rooms. Maybe I’ll take a break and put the plans aside for a few hours. The ideal resting time for dough is six weeks. The end of this period should be "celebrated," so the break needs a definite end and a conscious closing ritual—something like a six-week mass. Ideally, the household holds a family meeting to decide whether to continue with the architect from "Module A"; the architect can be invited as well. This allows for saying goodbye to the planning ideas that won’t be pursued and then moving on to refine the preliminary draft. It’s best if the results of the decision-making inquiry round are already available by then.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I took a short break and drew the plan to scale.
I don’t want to be a spoilsport... and yes, I did notice the extremely many angled walls – without commenting on their purpose, since I haven’t checked the neighboring semi-detached house to see if they are necessary.
Anyway, the architect’s templates seem to be quite old, but see for yourself:
My dining table is a standard 1 x 2 meter (3 ft 3 in x 6 ft 7 in) table, and the sofa is 2.70 meters (8 ft 10 in) wide. That’s already very tight!
The guest WC has a hand basin measuring 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in). It’s doable, but pointless if you also plan to have a shower.
I placed a proper basin measuring 48 x 60 cm (19 x 24 in) in the hallway. Of course, it’s not strictly necessary. Still, one measuring 42 x 50 cm (16.5 x 20 in) would be appropriate, but with a 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 in) shower in that bathroom module, it wouldn’t fit. The architect didn’t plan any wall fixtures or framing elements either.
Swapping the living room and kitchen turns the living room into a comparatively large space and the kitchen too small for the desired island.
I don’t want to be a spoilsport... and yes, I did notice the extremely many angled walls – without commenting on their purpose, since I haven’t checked the neighboring semi-detached house to see if they are necessary.
Anyway, the architect’s templates seem to be quite old, but see for yourself:
My dining table is a standard 1 x 2 meter (3 ft 3 in x 6 ft 7 in) table, and the sofa is 2.70 meters (8 ft 10 in) wide. That’s already very tight!
The guest WC has a hand basin measuring 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in). It’s doable, but pointless if you also plan to have a shower.
I placed a proper basin measuring 48 x 60 cm (19 x 24 in) in the hallway. Of course, it’s not strictly necessary. Still, one measuring 42 x 50 cm (16.5 x 20 in) would be appropriate, but with a 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 in) shower in that bathroom module, it wouldn’t fit. The architect didn’t plan any wall fixtures or framing elements either.
Swapping the living room and kitchen turns the living room into a comparatively large space and the kitchen too small for the desired island.
11ant schrieb:
The optimal dough resting time is six weeks. But time is money. And construction loan interest rates are rising. This really needs to be done quickly now...jolovyn schrieb:
But time is money. And construction loan interest rates are rising. This really needs to move quickly now... Still, there is no better investment than this time.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I also invest a lot of time and just can’t stop thinking about it. Many thanks to ypg for the furniture scale! I just did the same for another room and recreated the kitchen (using the Ikea planner, which I only use for visualization, not necessarily for buying there).
It would fit if we move the kitchen to where the sofa is currently marked (3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)) and stick to our plan of having an island. It’s not perfect (I would really like to have an extra 60 cm (24 inches) in width for another kitchen cabinet both in the main run and the island), but it would work. Our current kitchen is smaller; it’s all a matter of perspective 😉 Ultimately, with such a tight layout, the details would be crucial. For example, we are considering a dining table measuring 200 x 78 cm (79 x 31 inches). That would obviously be much better than a table 100 cm (39 inches) wide... I’ve marked both options, the island size is 180 x 100 cm (71 x 39 inches).
Regarding the lower bathroom, I’m confused that there is no wall-hung installation shown. That also seems too tight to me. The only solution would be to take space from the office...
It would fit if we move the kitchen to where the sofa is currently marked (3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)) and stick to our plan of having an island. It’s not perfect (I would really like to have an extra 60 cm (24 inches) in width for another kitchen cabinet both in the main run and the island), but it would work. Our current kitchen is smaller; it’s all a matter of perspective 😉 Ultimately, with such a tight layout, the details would be crucial. For example, we are considering a dining table measuring 200 x 78 cm (79 x 31 inches). That would obviously be much better than a table 100 cm (39 inches) wide... I’ve marked both options, the island size is 180 x 100 cm (71 x 39 inches).
Regarding the lower bathroom, I’m confused that there is no wall-hung installation shown. That also seems too tight to me. The only solution would be to take space from the office...
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