ᐅ Hillside House in the Southwest Palatinate – Our Home Construction 2.0
Created on: 9 Sep 2022 18:13
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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.
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Stefan0014 Nov 2022 10:01What kind of muntins are we talking about? True divided ones? Or those that only separate the glass from the outside? I just can’t get used to muntins that are only on the outer glass surface on the inside...
Stefan001 schrieb:
What kind of muntins are we talking about? True divided ones? Or those that only divide the glass on the outside?
I can’t really get used to the muntins that are only inside the outer glass pane...They would be located inside the glass cavity. True divided ones, which actually split the glass, are worse for thermal insulation and also harder to clean.This time, I’m thinking of evenly distributed panes. Last time we went with T-shaped muntins because we didn’t dare to do more (due to the view outside), but I didn’t find the muntins disturbing at all afterwards.
kati1337 schrieb:
On the other hand, clear glass carries the risk that someone using the toilet might be seen by guests walking around in the garden. I don’t know if anyone actually does that (?), probably not. But yes, that’s the only window we’re currently unsure about.This exact issue bothers me every time in my brother’s house, where there’s a pleated blind window right next to the toilet.
In my own house, I considered it back and forth, but my wife was definitely in favor of frosted glass, which ultimately was the right decision for us. In the end, you don’t really miss a "nice view" in that room, but the disadvantages are definitely noticeable.
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Myrna_Loy4 Nov 2022 11:30If you call the floor-to-ceiling window a highlight, it probably doesn’t make sense to list the disadvantages 😉 but I’m no longer a fan of pleated blinds, as they get dirty quickly and can’t be cleaned easily. If you want to keep the window opaque anyway, why not just choose a regular window? The idea of having a door is good, but in practice it’s rather inconvenient, since you then need a proper lock there as well, and you might end up looking for the house key with a dirty child in hand. And then there’s dirt and sand in the bathroom.
Regarding your window choice, I would avoid muntins/grilles. The dimensions are simply too modern and varied. With a rendered facade, the eye tends to focus on the grid pattern.
Regarding your window choice, I would avoid muntins/grilles. The dimensions are simply too modern and varied. With a rendered facade, the eye tends to focus on the grid pattern.
I also find it hard to imagine large windows with muntins. And I don’t like internal muntins at all. Regarding heat loss, there are also the "Wiener muntins"
If the window frames are going to be white on the outside, what plaster color are you considering for the facade?
I wouldn’t choose frosted windows, but rather a window instead of a door. I find that frosted windows somehow make you feel closed off, even if it’s only for a short time in the bathroom.
Wiener muntins
In Wiener muntins, spacers are placed between the panes, and additional muntins are attached on both the inside and outside. They are therefore also called “false” muntins. However, the spacers create the visual impression of “true” divided-light muntins, but they are simpler and thus more cost-effective to produce.
If the window frames are going to be white on the outside, what plaster color are you considering for the facade?
I wouldn’t choose frosted windows, but rather a window instead of a door. I find that frosted windows somehow make you feel closed off, even if it’s only for a short time in the bathroom.
kbt09 schrieb:
If the window frames are going to be white on the outside, what color plaster are you thinking of choosing to go with that?That’s a good question as well. I don’t have many concrete ideas yet. Probably something light, maybe a light beige, a pale reed green, or “greige” or something like that. I’d like the overall look to be as close as possible to a country house style.
My problem is that my old house in northern Germany was exactly to my taste visually: beautiful country house style and cozy.
But here no one can build that for me, and in this residential area with very neutral modern villas, it would stand out like a sore thumb.
I don’t like modern houses, those villas with anthracite-colored window frames, at all. I don’t think I would ever choose a house like any in my new development. I guess my taste is quite specific.
Now I’m looking for a compromise on how to make the exterior of our house somewhat resemble a country house, even though it’s not one.
For comparison, here’s our old house (which I liked), and the plans for the front elevation of our new one (which I have to live with). 🙂
Edit: This is a bit misleading, the floor-to-ceiling window was actually replaced with one identical to the two on the sides, so now there are three windows of the same width and height.
kbt09 schrieb:
I wouldn’t choose frosted glass windows, but rather a window instead of a door. I feel like frosted glass windows make you feel closed off, even if it’s only in the bathroom for a short time.Yes, that’s the hardest decision at the moment. It definitely should remain floor-to-ceiling and a door, also for symmetry reasons of the facade, and I find it quite practical. But frosted glass is really not my preference. Still, I also see the disadvantages with clear glass.
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