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.
kbt09 schrieb:
I would also lean towards white window frames… but actually choose a bold plaster color… a very dark red… try a Google image search for “rendered facade burgundy” or dark green/sage 😉 but definitely avoid beige or light yellow tones. With very dark plaster, you have to be careful, as it sometimes requires extra measures due to increased heat absorption.
We had a detailed discussion with the construction company about this in February. A light reflectance value below 30 would have cost us a significant extra amount…
J
junijulibaut4 Nov 2022 22:10A delicate gray-green really looks fantastic.
I would avoid the red; I know quite a few houses where this otherwise very beautiful facade color looks spotty and faded after just a few years.
I would avoid the red; I know quite a few houses where this otherwise very beautiful facade color looks spotty and faded after just a few years.
M
motorradsilke5 Nov 2022 01:41SoL schrieb:
With very dark plaster, you need to be careful because it often requires additional measures due to higher heat absorption.
We discussed this with the construction company back in February. A light reflectance value below 30 would have cost us a considerable extra amount... It also depends on whether you get tinted plaster or if it will be painted afterward. For certain plasters, tinted versions cannot be produced in all colors. Darker shades are generally not available.
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Pinkiponk5 Nov 2022 08:51kati1337 schrieb:
Yes, this is currently the toughest decision. So it should definitely remain floor-to-ceiling and with a door. Also for the sake of the facade’s symmetry, and I find it quite practical. But frosted glass is really not my thing. However, I also see the disadvantages of clear glass. I also wanted floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street (for the kitchen and the shower room), but couldn’t get it approved within the household. I still miss them almost every day. Instead, I managed to have clear glass in the shower room instead of frosted or similar glass, which I would definitely do again.
As soon as we start working on the exterior on the street side (in the next 2-3 months), I’ll plant an evergreen tree or something similar in front of the clear glass window of the shower room. Would that be an option for you, too? I can’t estimate how much space you have in front of your window.
Wow, so many replies, thank you very much 🙂 I’ll start working through them 🙂
You can’t really see the view in this photo, but you can see the level compared to the neighboring houses. Since we’ll be planting in the garden as well, it’s safe to assume that the window won’t really be visible from outside except from our own garden.
If necessary, I’d have another adult inside open it. It’s also possible to just keep the door open while we’re in the garden.
I much prefer having dirt and sand in a tiled bathroom than in the rest of the living area where there’s mainly wood flooring. 😀
Isn’t that actually the point of having muntins?
The windows on the front will be divided anyway. Each window is 2m (6 ft 7 in) wide and will be double sash windows.
I just googled “bungalow with muntin windows” (since from the front we look a bit like a bungalow) and I don’t think it looks that bad.
I have a hard time with very simple/modern exteriors. I actually find modern houses quite ugly.
For me, there’s hardly any way around having muntins. However, my husband said he doesn’t want muntins in the panoramic window at the back. He thinks it’s a highlight and the muntins would break that up, which is probably true. Since he rarely has concrete preferences about the look, I want him to have this wish.
So now the question is whether to make all other windows muntin windows except the panoramic window.
We’re currently leaning towards clear glass. I don’t want to visually divide the window because it wouldn’t match the rest (from outside you can see other floor-to-ceiling windows/doors next door, none of which have divisions).
I think we’ll start with pleated blinds or something similar, considering that the garden’s level doesn’t allow much visibility in. If it bothers us, we could use privacy film later. That’s removable at least. Also, we could apply it partially because otherwise this window is only available fully satin.
I’m also leaning towards white, if we pick white window frames. Most doors on offer have this modern look that fits those modern houses, which I really don’t like. :/
I didn’t find a single door I like in the entire Drutex catalog.
We have many small villages around with old weathered houses where the render is discolored and crumbling. I find that quite awful. I need to get advice or maybe you have ideas on which types of rendered facades are at least somewhat durable? I don’t want to stand there after 5 years with a damaged or discolored facade.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:I don’t necessarily want it to be completely opaque; it would be nice to have a view out through the upper part.
If you call the floor-to-ceiling window a highlight, it probably doesn’t make sense to list the downsides 😉 but I’m no longer a fan of pleated blinds because they get dirty so quickly and are hard to clean. If you want the window to be opaque anyway, why not just get a regular window?
You can’t really see the view in this photo, but you can see the level compared to the neighboring houses. Since we’ll be planting in the garden as well, it’s safe to assume that the window won’t really be visible from outside except from our own garden.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:A lock isn’t planned for that door. We don’t have locks on the other porch doors either.
The idea with the door sounds good, but in practice it’s probably annoying because you’d need a proper lock there, and then you have to look for the house key with a dirty child? And afterwards you get dirt and sand in the bathroom?
If necessary, I’d have another adult inside open it. It’s also possible to just keep the door open while we’re in the garden.
I much prefer having dirt and sand in a tiled bathroom than in the rest of the living area where there’s mainly wood flooring. 😀
Myrna_Loy schrieb:What do you mean by “the eye focuses on the grid”?
With your window choice, I would skip the muntins. The designs are just too modern and varied. With a rendered facade, the eye focuses on the grid.
Isn’t that actually the point of having muntins?
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
I think you need to let go of that fixed image in your head a bit. A compromise could end up with a half-hearted country house that looks like the 1980s villas in southern Germany. With a bungalow shape and these window styles, I definitely wouldn’t use muntins. It wouldn’t be a stylish contrast. You can achieve a cozy modern country house look entirely inside with furniture, decorations, and textiles.
Though, if I imagine the glass door in the middle as a regular window, you can more easily achieve a country house look with two divided windows on the left and right than with the glass door.
The windows on the front will be divided anyway. Each window is 2m (6 ft 7 in) wide and will be double sash windows.
I just googled “bungalow with muntin windows” (since from the front we look a bit like a bungalow) and I don’t think it looks that bad.
I have a hard time with very simple/modern exteriors. I actually find modern houses quite ugly.
For me, there’s hardly any way around having muntins. However, my husband said he doesn’t want muntins in the panoramic window at the back. He thinks it’s a highlight and the muntins would break that up, which is probably true. Since he rarely has concrete preferences about the look, I want him to have this wish.
So now the question is whether to make all other windows muntin windows except the panoramic window.
Costruttrice schrieb:We’re leaning towards that at the moment. I just don’t know any house with dark window frames on the outside that really appeals to me.
If you want a country house style, I don’t think anthracite is suitable and would choose white.
Costruttrice schrieb:My husband agrees with that.
I personally can’t imagine panoramic windows with muntins; that would bother me.
Costruttrice schrieb:Wow, okay — not sure if that would be that important to me. We’ll hear some concrete price quotes next week to see what the extra cost would be.
If the budget allows, I would always choose a lift-and-slide door.
We had a lift-and-slide door in our first house and are getting one again, and had no problems over 10 years. Our kids ran in and out from the sandbox and nothing happened. Our neighbors even replaced their regular sliding door with a lift-and-slide because they found it more comfortable after seeing ours.
Costruttrice schrieb:
It’s a matter of taste. I don’t like satin glass because I feel cut off from the outside world. I would probably choose pleated blinds that can be adjusted as needed. Alternatively, you can cover the lower part of the glazed door with privacy film.
WilderSueden schrieb:
Do you really need the window to be floor-to-ceiling? I would consider having the lower part fixed and only the upper part openable. The lower part could be satin glass and the upper part clear.
We’re currently leaning towards clear glass. I don’t want to visually divide the window because it wouldn’t match the rest (from outside you can see other floor-to-ceiling windows/doors next door, none of which have divisions).
I think we’ll start with pleated blinds or something similar, considering that the garden’s level doesn’t allow much visibility in. If it bothers us, we could use privacy film later. That’s removable at least. Also, we could apply it partially because otherwise this window is only available fully satin.
kbt09 schrieb:Not yet; I don’t really know what options we’ll have. The system will be Drutex. I looked at their selection — they used to offer doors in a more classic/country style, but those were promotional models and seem to be discontinued. I’ll ask the window manufacturer at the sampling appointment next week.
Have you chosen the door color already?
I’m also leaning towards white, if we pick white window frames. Most doors on offer have this modern look that fits those modern houses, which I really don’t like. :/
I didn’t find a single door I like in the entire Drutex catalog.
junijulibaut schrieb:I could imagine a subtle green tone too. Generally, with rendered facades and especially colored ones, I’m worried that they won’t look good for long. That was one of the reasons I liked brick so much. Here in Lower Saxony, you find 120-year-old farmhouses made of brick that look weathered but still beautiful. I don’t know any rendered house that looks good after 120 years. 😀
A soft gray-green looks really great.
I would avoid red; I know enough houses where this beautiful facade color looks patchy and faded after just a few years.
We have many small villages around with old weathered houses where the render is discolored and crumbling. I find that quite awful. I need to get advice or maybe you have ideas on which types of rendered facades are at least somewhat durable? I don’t want to stand there after 5 years with a damaged or discolored facade.
Pinkiponk schrieb:I’m also leaning towards clear glass. We will definitely plant something there eventually. The plot is sloped, and behind the guest bathroom it terraces downward towards the neighboring houses. There’s no one at our ground level anymore. If we plant there, no one from the surroundings will be able to look in unless they are in our garden.
I also wanted floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street (for the kitchen and the shower bathroom) but couldn’t push that through within the house. I still miss them almost every day. But I was able to get clear glass in the shower bathroom instead of satin or similar glass, which I would always choose again.
Once we tackle the outdoor landscaping facing the street (in the next 2-3 months), I will plant an evergreen tree or similar in front of the clear glass window in the shower bathroom. Would that be an option for you? I can’t estimate how much space you have in front of your window.
motorradsilke schrieb:I don’t know yet. I’ll have to ask the builder what type of render it will be. “Color as desired” is included in the build specifications.
It depends whether you get colored render or if it will be painted later. Some types of render can’t be made in all colors. Darker shades often aren’t possible.
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