ᐅ Open-plan kitchen and living room on the top floor or the ground floor
Created on: 9 Jan 2019 12:28
S
Schnee12
Good day, dear members!
I wanted to ask how you decided on the room layout for your houses.
In my situation, my partner and I are building a house, and we already have the floor plan (L-shape, ground floor and upper floor, so two levels), but we are unsure how to allocate the rooms. I would really like the living room and open-plan kitchen to be on the upper floor. The view would be much better, there would be a nice exposed roof structure, and more light, since the upper floor gets sunlight from morning until evening.
Our bedroom and a small children’s room would also be upstairs, while two children’s rooms, an office, and a utility room would be on the ground floor.
My partner thinks that if the living area is upstairs, we would hardly use the garden anymore. So, how did you decide? What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you
Best regards,
Maria
I wanted to ask how you decided on the room layout for your houses.
In my situation, my partner and I are building a house, and we already have the floor plan (L-shape, ground floor and upper floor, so two levels), but we are unsure how to allocate the rooms. I would really like the living room and open-plan kitchen to be on the upper floor. The view would be much better, there would be a nice exposed roof structure, and more light, since the upper floor gets sunlight from morning until evening.
Our bedroom and a small children’s room would also be upstairs, while two children’s rooms, an office, and a utility room would be on the ground floor.
My partner thinks that if the living area is upstairs, we would hardly use the garden anymore. So, how did you decide? What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you
Best regards,
Maria
At least. Still, your husband is right. Unless you are staring from the ground floor at a 6m (20 feet) high neighbor’s wall 🙂
However, that would be a compromise worth making to get other points accepted without discussion.
If you’re already debating something this basic, oh dear.
However, that would be a compromise worth making to get other points accepted without discussion.
If you’re already debating something this basic, oh dear.
I have a colleague who has the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living room and kitchen on the upper floor for a better view. It is a very nice house, and I haven’t heard anyone say they dislike this layout. For outdoor dining, he has a terrace upstairs. Since he has a straight staircase that is easy to use and starts right next to the front door, there is no issue when guests visit or anything like that.
I would divide it like this 🙂
This is how we have it. On the ground floor, there is a large kitchen, next to it a hallway with a big corner bench seating for 12 people. From the kitchen, you can go out to the outdoor seating area.
On the upper floor, there is the living room, with a small kitchenette next to it. I find this setup optimal and wouldn’t want it any other way. In summer, the living room is hardly used because you naturally prefer to be outside then. The kitchen is more important in summer, as we move between the garden, the outdoor seating area, and the kitchen. During the day, throughout the year, we rarely spend time in the living room – why would we? A lot is done outside, and crafting, for example, is nicer at the large table in the hallway. In the evening, when friends visit, the hallway is also more comfortable, especially for board games or gatherings. The living room, on the other hand, is a more private space to relax, away from the activity on the ground floor. The TV is only on occasionally in the evening for a DVD and is not used all day.
This is how we have it. On the ground floor, there is a large kitchen, next to it a hallway with a big corner bench seating for 12 people. From the kitchen, you can go out to the outdoor seating area.
On the upper floor, there is the living room, with a small kitchenette next to it. I find this setup optimal and wouldn’t want it any other way. In summer, the living room is hardly used because you naturally prefer to be outside then. The kitchen is more important in summer, as we move between the garden, the outdoor seating area, and the kitchen. During the day, throughout the year, we rarely spend time in the living room – why would we? A lot is done outside, and crafting, for example, is nicer at the large table in the hallway. In the evening, when friends visit, the hallway is also more comfortable, especially for board games or gatherings. The living room, on the other hand, is a more private space to relax, away from the activity on the ground floor. The TV is only on occasionally in the evening for a DVD and is not used all day.
As an alternative:
When we considered building a three-story house, the idea was to place the living room in the basement and have it open onto the terrace. The ground floor would then have the kitchen-living area with an elevated terrace. Unfortunately, this would have caused the costs for the foundation work to skyrocket.
When we considered building a three-story house, the idea was to place the living room in the basement and have it open onto the terrace. The ground floor would then have the kitchen-living area with an elevated terrace. Unfortunately, this would have caused the costs for the foundation work to skyrocket.
Schnee12 schrieb:
We already have the floor plan (L-shape, ground floor and upper floor, so 2 levels), but we are unsure how to arrange the rooms.Can you explain how that works? Without defining the room layout, a floor plan is not possible.
Schnee12 schrieb:
My partner believes that if the living area is on the upper floor, the garden will hardly be used anymore.He is probably right. The garden is also a living space, closely connected to daily life and routines. If there is no direct connection to an open-plan kitchen, you won't go outside much. Maybe you do go out, but at the first drink, you retreat back inside.
Schnee12 schrieb:
We would have a garage with a rooftop terrace that leads to the garden. Best regardsOn a 700 m² (7,535 sq ft) plot, that is more than unnecessary. That’s not really a garden. A garden means walking barefoot on the grass, smelling the flowers, and harvesting a few good tomatoes. It means grilling on pleasant evenings with the kitchen right next door, or sipping a coffee during weekend chores.
Could it be that you have never really had a garden or a connection to one?
My neighbors with two children have it like @Fummelbrett: Both kids’ bedrooms are on the ground floor with a huge open-plan kitchen. A large kitchen with an island and a big dining table, with at least 4 meters (13 feet) of glass facing the terrace and garden. The children run in and out, and mom can hand out drinks and ice cream. Evenings are similar but quieter, with dad at the grill. Upstairs is the cozy living room for retreat, positioned adjacent to the parents’ area.
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