Good evening,
we need some help designing our entrance area. Somehow, it lacks character; our wishes are included, but it should also be functional and not look too generic.
In terms of space, we are not tied to plus or minus one meter because the plot is large enough and the building complies with regulation 34 (the surrounding houses are similar or much larger). However, we do not want to build unnecessarily large just for the sake of size and essentially throw money out the window. The architect has already drawn the plans this way, but unfortunately, he mostly just copies our ideas and doesn’t really contribute his own input. That’s why we are now trying to realize it ourselves according to our preferences.
We would therefore be grateful if you could take a look at our floor plan, and of course, we welcome any ideas!
Here are some thoughts on what is important to us:
- inviting / open / bright entrance area
- spacious cloakroom
- separate basement staircase at the side entrance (no outdoor stairs desired)
- open living area; the kitchen should be “part of it” but also be able to be closed off with large glass sliding doors when needed
- above the sofa there should be a loft space, so this area is higher and the windows extend over two stories
- window seat
- kitchen with seating and an island, short distances to the pantry
- the house should have corners; we don’t like fully square designs
- the garage is located on the north side near the side entrance.
Since we are not yet sure about the ground floor, I am not posting the other floors yet, but there are already drafts.
As an explanation: the corner in the kitchen area will only be built on the ground floor, half masonry and the upper part will be glass.
I would really appreciate your feedback.
Kind regards
Flugi
we need some help designing our entrance area. Somehow, it lacks character; our wishes are included, but it should also be functional and not look too generic.
In terms of space, we are not tied to plus or minus one meter because the plot is large enough and the building complies with regulation 34 (the surrounding houses are similar or much larger). However, we do not want to build unnecessarily large just for the sake of size and essentially throw money out the window. The architect has already drawn the plans this way, but unfortunately, he mostly just copies our ideas and doesn’t really contribute his own input. That’s why we are now trying to realize it ourselves according to our preferences.
We would therefore be grateful if you could take a look at our floor plan, and of course, we welcome any ideas!
Here are some thoughts on what is important to us:
- inviting / open / bright entrance area
- spacious cloakroom
- separate basement staircase at the side entrance (no outdoor stairs desired)
- open living area; the kitchen should be “part of it” but also be able to be closed off with large glass sliding doors when needed
- above the sofa there should be a loft space, so this area is higher and the windows extend over two stories
- window seat
- kitchen with seating and an island, short distances to the pantry
- the house should have corners; we don’t like fully square designs
- the garage is located on the north side near the side entrance.
Since we are not yet sure about the ground floor, I am not posting the other floors yet, but there are already drafts.
As an explanation: the corner in the kitchen area will only be built on the ground floor, half masonry and the upper part will be glass.
I would really appreciate your feedback.
Kind regards
Flugi
Pinky0301 schrieb:
Could you please explain why you want the basement stairs to be separate? Do all the dirty arrivals have to go through the basement first?
Your entrance/wardrobe area is very large; I think a lot of space is being wasted. We have two large dogs and horses, live in a rural area, plan to have three children, and have a large family with kids who visit frequently. The children always play outside, regardless of the weather. In winter, the dogs are washed off almost daily, and sometimes even showered. After coming back from the stable, people are often dirty (right now, I change in the garage).
If I imagine that, depending on the season, 2 to 5 times a week several times a day, dirty people run straight through the house to the basement, I would prefer it to be different if I have a choice. We would like to avoid an exterior staircase if possible. We don’t like the look of it; we could only place it on the west side of the house next to the terrace, and from a safety perspective, I don’t feel comfortable with it either. For us personally, there are many reasons in favor of this option, so it is important to us.
11ant schrieb:
How can an architect supposedly just copy the design but make the house bigger than the clients expected at the same time?I suspect that was a mistake in the last draft; I can’t imagine it any other way. That’s why I didn’t take photos of the plans but just posted them as they are for now. It doesn’t make much difference for the evaluation anyway.haydee schrieb:
The budget is decent but not for a house with that floor area.
Considering just one floor doesn’t make sense.
Why such extremely large rooms? Even on your ground floor alone, there’s enough space for a family of five.
Why the separate staircase? The budget should roughly fit (+/- as I mentioned). A lot of work will be done by ourselves:
- Roofer
- Floor installer
- Plumber
- Painter
- Glazier
- Window fitter
- Carpenter
- Electrician
So that covers quite a few trades that we can handle almost entirely through ourselves, our families, and close friends. And if it ends up costing a bit more, that’s okay; if less, we’re happy.
The amount does not include surveying (already done), planning costs, permits/planning permissions, or authorities.
I explained the reason for the separate staircase above. While the floor area might already accommodate five people on the ground floor, why shouldn’t we realize our own wishes if we can? Large, open rooms are important to us—that’s what we like. When we get older and the kids move out, we can always consider in 30 years whether to separate the upper floor with an outside staircase, for example to rent it out.
Since the upper floors might be mirrored or changed depending on the staircase and open space, it doesn’t make much sense for me to consider the first floor if the ground floor doesn’t work yet. Or do you see this differently? If you want, I can of course post the upper floor plans as well.
Kind regards
pagoni2020 schrieb:
That would be complete nonsense!
Why not stop!
A new architect who can show you that they can deliver such a house with style?
To me, it sounds like a good architect or interior designer could make sense, to actually get a beautiful house with a consistent style, and not just a big block. We have already spent quite a lot of money on this, and on a personal and technical level, he is really great! We can easily imagine continuing the build with him and know of other houses where this worked well. But it seems that interior design might not exactly be his specialty, from what I can tell...
The floor plan already really takes our ideas into account well in terms of the available space. It just lacks some flair and maybe a bit more logic in how to combine purpose with flair, so to speak. I simply have no more ideas, and thought maybe one of you does. Best regards
Sorry, I still don’t understand why you would enter the basement while dirty. Are the dogs washed there and riding gear stored? I also ride and come home muddy. In the worst case, I just change clothes right at the front door. I wouldn’t place the stairs in a specific spot just for that. Maybe it would be better to have a bathroom with a shower immediately by the entrance?
As it is currently planned, you have to walk through the entire hallway to get to the basement stairs, which means a lot of dirt gets spread around.
As it is currently planned, you have to walk through the entire hallway to get to the basement stairs, which means a lot of dirt gets spread around.
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