ᐅ Hillside House in the Southwest Palatinate – Our Home Construction 2.0
Created on: 9 Sep 2022 18:13
K
kati1337
Good evening everyone
I’m starting a small collection thread here for photos and progress updates on our second building project.
We’ve already moved to the Palatinate region to be closer to the construction site. Now we’re watching eagerly and happily as our (hopefully final) dream home takes shape near family.
One big challenge still ahead of us is the facade design. I really love the Nordic style with brickwork and mullioned windows. That won’t be possible here for two reasons: firstly, no one here can do bricklaying, and secondly, it would stand out too much. We will be going with a rendered facade. How to design the colors of the facade and windows to still create some country house / cottage charm is currently still a work in progress mentally.
Otherwise, I’m sharing our plans here and how it will eventually be built.
The support pillar marked near the kitchen island could be removed for a small extra cost, so that will be gone.
The room for “garden equipment” under the garage will get a partition wall for structural reasons.
It won’t be fully finished living space like in the house, but underfloor heating will be installed, along with a lockable door and a window. It’s meant to store garden tools but also some of the building services equipment, since the utility room (HAR) is quite small, and maybe be used as a party room.
We had three construction companies in the final selection. In the end, we chose the “doer” – a builder recommended to us here by friends and family. No website, no smartphone, but he is on site every day himself working in overalls. He has a very good reputation in this area and now rarely builds single-family homes. We were a bit lucky through personal connections and a very friendly initial phone call to get our foot in the door. So far we are very satisfied with this choice.
I’m starting a small collection thread here for photos and progress updates on our second building project.
We’ve already moved to the Palatinate region to be closer to the construction site. Now we’re watching eagerly and happily as our (hopefully final) dream home takes shape near family.
One big challenge still ahead of us is the facade design. I really love the Nordic style with brickwork and mullioned windows. That won’t be possible here for two reasons: firstly, no one here can do bricklaying, and secondly, it would stand out too much. We will be going with a rendered facade. How to design the colors of the facade and windows to still create some country house / cottage charm is currently still a work in progress mentally.
Otherwise, I’m sharing our plans here and how it will eventually be built.
The support pillar marked near the kitchen island could be removed for a small extra cost, so that will be gone.
The room for “garden equipment” under the garage will get a partition wall for structural reasons.
It won’t be fully finished living space like in the house, but underfloor heating will be installed, along with a lockable door and a window. It’s meant to store garden tools but also some of the building services equipment, since the utility room (HAR) is quite small, and maybe be used as a party room.
We had three construction companies in the final selection. In the end, we chose the “doer” – a builder recommended to us here by friends and family. No website, no smartphone, but he is on site every day himself working in overalls. He has a very good reputation in this area and now rarely builds single-family homes. We were a bit lucky through personal connections and a very friendly initial phone call to get our foot in the door. So far we are very satisfied with this choice.
motorradsilke schrieb:
The Pax that fits with Malm shouldn’t be more expensive than Ivar. Pax is not suitable for sloped ceilings.
motorradsilke schrieb:
Don’t open shelves cause the problem of dust accumulating on items? No, that only happens with things that have been untouched in the closet for three years.
ypg schrieb:
I also have it in the walk-in closet. But not the drawers; instead, I have Malm dressers on one side.
@kati1337 how are you getting along with the Ivar drawers? My Ikea doesn’t have them on display. Are they easy to slide? So far, I really like the drawers. They are simple to assemble – although assembling 18 of them does get a bit tedious 😀 – and, in my opinion, they slide very well. I can’t say much about their durability yet. However, my other Ivar pieces have been around for many years and are still in perfect condition. They aren’t very tall, which is something to keep in mind. I also have a few Hemnes dressers; their drawers are all significantly taller and therefore hold more. But for our clothing, I find the height just right.
ypg schrieb:
If I had more money, I would mix and match differently. But I don’t. Same here. If I were swimming in money, I would have ordered the walk-in closet and the wardrobe custom-made by a carpenter. But the Ivar pieces were appealing because they are really affordable for such a large, deep solid wood cabinet. We furnished our walk-in closet, both kids’ rooms, and the pantry (with 30cm (12 inches) depth) with them. I really like everything both visually and practically. Financially, there was no room for “more,” but we’re happy with how it looks and will probably leave it as is for now.
I haven’t had any issues with dust so far. Before this, I had a PAX system for 12 years, but I can’t say I often closed those incredibly heavy sliding doors 😀
B
Bertram10017 Sep 2023 22:00I have the Ivar drawers—the block with three drawers. They still work perfectly after several years. However, due to the solid wood components, they do lose quite a bit of internal space. I find them smaller than expected.
Was the clothes rail available for purchase, or did you already have it? Here, they are discontinued and highly sought after.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t want much else than an Ivar setup. It always looks good, doesn’t get in the way, feels nice, and is versatile. What more could you ask for?
I think I’m a major Ivar customer. I have a total of 15 cabinets that are 50cm (20 inches) deep and 2 that are 30cm (12 inches) deep, plus two drawer units and a bunch of shelves. But not just for the wardrobe—I use them for everything overall.
Kati, your house looks great! I have a very different taste and would have designed some things differently. Still, it looks very inviting and really wonderful! 🙂 Cozy, harmonious, not overdone, but "human-scaled." I always find that very appealing.
Was the clothes rail available for purchase, or did you already have it? Here, they are discontinued and highly sought after.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t want much else than an Ivar setup. It always looks good, doesn’t get in the way, feels nice, and is versatile. What more could you ask for?
I think I’m a major Ivar customer. I have a total of 15 cabinets that are 50cm (20 inches) deep and 2 that are 30cm (12 inches) deep, plus two drawer units and a bunch of shelves. But not just for the wardrobe—I use them for everything overall.
Kati, your house looks great! I have a very different taste and would have designed some things differently. Still, it looks very inviting and really wonderful! 🙂 Cozy, harmonious, not overdone, but "human-scaled." I always find that very appealing.
Bertram100 schrieb:
I have the IVAR drawers. The unit with three drawers. They still work perfectly after several years. However, because of the solid wood parts, you lose quite a bit of internal space. I find them smaller than expected.
Was the clothes rail still available for purchase, or did you already have it? Here, they are out of the range and in high demand.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t want much else than an IVAR setup. It always looks good, doesn’t get in the way, feels nice, and is versatile. What more could you want?
I think I’m a major IVAR customer. I have a total of 15 cabinets with a depth of 50cm (20 inches) and 2 with a depth of 30cm (12 inches), plus two drawer units and a bunch of shelves. But not just for the wardrobe, for everything in general.
Kati, your house looks great! I have a very different taste and would have designed some things differently. Still, it looks very inviting and really wonderful! 🙂 Cozy, balanced, not over the top, but “tailored to human scale.” I always find that very appealing. The IVAR drawers are no longer only sold as “3-drawer blocks”; it’s just a coincidence that we always took three. Now, they can be purchased individually.
The clothes rail is officially not shown in the planner (?), but I was able to order it online. I think it was once discontinued but is now available again. Here in Kaiserslautern, they are also in stock.
I previously had a small IVAR combination with doors, which has now been moved to the utility room for storage. New additions are three wardrobes and the pantry — the shelves are perfect for that.
I used to have some in the basement/shed, but unfortunately, they were lost to moisture during the transition to the new house; everything rotted, so we have to dispose of them.
We bought our closet rods and brackets at the hardware store.
We have both mid-height and tall units, as well as some 50cm (20 inches) wide sections in between, which creates many compartments. There is a “gap” in the corner, but it doesn’t really matter. I attached hooks to the front of the side panels so I can easily hang clothes on hangers for the next day. Somehow, I really like our setup. What I also notice time and again is that the roughly under 6 square meter (about 65 square feet) storage room with the sloped ceiling offers about 4 square meters (43 square feet) of standing and dressing space in the middle—that’s plenty of room to move around, much more than the narrow, static layouts often planned here in the forum.
I think the house came out really well. I was very convinced by the floor plan as well (slope and living space downstairs), and there are nice sightlines. However, my style is a bit different—mine would be much cleaner 😉
Congratulations on moving into your beautiful new home, @kati1337 😀
We have both mid-height and tall units, as well as some 50cm (20 inches) wide sections in between, which creates many compartments. There is a “gap” in the corner, but it doesn’t really matter. I attached hooks to the front of the side panels so I can easily hang clothes on hangers for the next day. Somehow, I really like our setup. What I also notice time and again is that the roughly under 6 square meter (about 65 square feet) storage room with the sloped ceiling offers about 4 square meters (43 square feet) of standing and dressing space in the middle—that’s plenty of room to move around, much more than the narrow, static layouts often planned here in the forum.
I think the house came out really well. I was very convinced by the floor plan as well (slope and living space downstairs), and there are nice sightlines. However, my style is a bit different—mine would be much cleaner 😉
Congratulations on moving into your beautiful new home, @kati1337 😀
Thank you very much. We are very happy with it.
I notice this in two ways: Normally, after moving, it takes me a while to settle in before I really feel comfortable. Here, I already feel more at home than we did in our first build even after two years. Probably because I feel familiar with the area.
And secondly: Everything is coming together. Unpacking and setting up is a lot of fun because everything was planned exactly how we need it, everything has its place, and I am even looking forward to organizing the basement.
It’s nice, we feel comfortable, and I’m definitely a person who enjoys living in a home. If that makes sense. I know many people who couldn’t care less about that. Who wouldn’t want to spend money on nicer bed linen, decorative items, or more storage jars from the Swedish store.
But for me, living at home is kind of a hobby. Pouring muesli into a jar is fun for me.
What still needs to be done is the exterior plaster and some work on the outdoor area. It is still unclear when this will be done. The plaster work is probably coming soon; at least this week insulation (not sure where) and bags of what I assume is plaster were delivered.
Inside, there are still a few minor issues. One toilet and a trap seem to be leaking somehow. The bathroom window got a few deep scratches during construction. Nothing urgent.
I haven’t heard from the builder for a few days now, but that’s okay. They worked really hard, and many people were here on Saturdays or even in the evenings until 9:30 pm to meet our move-in deadline. Other projects, with significantly more money involved than in our single-family home, have suffered as a result. So I assume that the other site now has priority.
In other news: Today was our first day off-grid.
Although the weather was bad today, we used very little energy, and the output was just enough to supply us and fully charge the battery. Perfect timing.
I’m very satisfied with the photovoltaic system sizing (recommended by the electrician). For September, we might have needed just one additional storage module. In the mornings, we always purchase between 1-4 kWh from the grid.
We are curious about the winter.
I notice this in two ways: Normally, after moving, it takes me a while to settle in before I really feel comfortable. Here, I already feel more at home than we did in our first build even after two years. Probably because I feel familiar with the area.
And secondly: Everything is coming together. Unpacking and setting up is a lot of fun because everything was planned exactly how we need it, everything has its place, and I am even looking forward to organizing the basement.
It’s nice, we feel comfortable, and I’m definitely a person who enjoys living in a home. If that makes sense. I know many people who couldn’t care less about that. Who wouldn’t want to spend money on nicer bed linen, decorative items, or more storage jars from the Swedish store.
But for me, living at home is kind of a hobby. Pouring muesli into a jar is fun for me.
What still needs to be done is the exterior plaster and some work on the outdoor area. It is still unclear when this will be done. The plaster work is probably coming soon; at least this week insulation (not sure where) and bags of what I assume is plaster were delivered.
Inside, there are still a few minor issues. One toilet and a trap seem to be leaking somehow. The bathroom window got a few deep scratches during construction. Nothing urgent.
I haven’t heard from the builder for a few days now, but that’s okay. They worked really hard, and many people were here on Saturdays or even in the evenings until 9:30 pm to meet our move-in deadline. Other projects, with significantly more money involved than in our single-family home, have suffered as a result. So I assume that the other site now has priority.
In other news: Today was our first day off-grid.
Although the weather was bad today, we used very little energy, and the output was just enough to supply us and fully charge the battery. Perfect timing.
I’m very satisfied with the photovoltaic system sizing (recommended by the electrician). For September, we might have needed just one additional storage module. In the mornings, we always purchase between 1-4 kWh from the grid.
We are curious about the winter.
Similar topics