Hello dear house and kitchen experts,
we are currently planning our little house and after 3 months, we almost have the floor plan finished.
Due to the low knee walls (eaves height according to the development plan), we are planning a third gable with four floor-to-ceiling windows (all symmetrical). A room will be added upstairs, and the adjoining rooms will get extra windows and floor space. So far, so good.
Downstairs, the kitchen is planned with an exit to the terrace (which faces southwest). The terrace will wrap around the house up to the living room area.
Now the problem we are struggling with:
We want to be able to look outside while working and not always have our backs to the windows.
Because of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the available space for kitchen units is limited.
We have an L-shaped kitchen layout, but it’s “inward” facing.
We were also thinking about a kitchen island
that can be approached from different sides.
However, proper clearances must be maintained and access to the windows (for cleaning) must be possible.
We just can’t seem to move forward, and frustration is growing… although we should actually be excited.
We have also considered slightly widening the kitchen at the expense of the hallway. The house shouldn’t get much wider due to neighbor distance requirements, which is currently about 6m (20 feet), since the terrace will be added as well.
I would be genuinely grateful for your help and suggestions to optimize this.
Trapped in our own planning. The squared circle?
I have attached the floor plan with the kitchen island variants. It’s a bit rough with pencil marks but the result of extended considerations.
Best regards, Helene
P.S. Note: Transom windows might be difficult due to the very low height and for aesthetic reasons, since a door should be able to open.
we are currently planning our little house and after 3 months, we almost have the floor plan finished.
Due to the low knee walls (eaves height according to the development plan), we are planning a third gable with four floor-to-ceiling windows (all symmetrical). A room will be added upstairs, and the adjoining rooms will get extra windows and floor space. So far, so good.
Downstairs, the kitchen is planned with an exit to the terrace (which faces southwest). The terrace will wrap around the house up to the living room area.
Now the problem we are struggling with:
We want to be able to look outside while working and not always have our backs to the windows.
Because of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the available space for kitchen units is limited.
We have an L-shaped kitchen layout, but it’s “inward” facing.
We were also thinking about a kitchen island
that can be approached from different sides.
However, proper clearances must be maintained and access to the windows (for cleaning) must be possible.
We just can’t seem to move forward, and frustration is growing… although we should actually be excited.
We have also considered slightly widening the kitchen at the expense of the hallway. The house shouldn’t get much wider due to neighbor distance requirements, which is currently about 6m (20 feet), since the terrace will be added as well.
I would be genuinely grateful for your help and suggestions to optimize this.
Trapped in our own planning. The squared circle?
I have attached the floor plan with the kitchen island variants. It’s a bit rough with pencil marks but the result of extended considerations.
Best regards, Helene
P.S. Note: Transom windows might be difficult due to the very low height and for aesthetic reasons, since a door should be able to open.
Hmm, north arrow
North… well, top left? Which arrow actually indicates N?
If I interpret N correctly, the children’s rooms on the upper floor would be facing north, at least judging by the wall windows.
Also, on the upper floor, the bay window again shows two sections to the right and left of the dressing room that are basically unusable. And furthermore, assigning the bay window with the regular windows to the dressing room… well, I’m not sure about that. I would rather allocate the two children’s rooms to the bay window side.
I think this needs a thorough revision all at once.
And you should get into the habit of posting all plans in this thread with a consistent orientation. That makes discussions much easier. Also, as I said, just add the labeled north arrow on every plan you scan or upload. That way everything is always complete.
North… well, top left? Which arrow actually indicates N?
If I interpret N correctly, the children’s rooms on the upper floor would be facing north, at least judging by the wall windows.
Also, on the upper floor, the bay window again shows two sections to the right and left of the dressing room that are basically unusable. And furthermore, assigning the bay window with the regular windows to the dressing room… well, I’m not sure about that. I would rather allocate the two children’s rooms to the bay window side.
I think this needs a thorough revision all at once.
And you should get into the habit of posting all plans in this thread with a consistent orientation. That makes discussions much easier. Also, as I said, just add the labeled north arrow on every plan you scan or upload. That way everything is always complete.
Good morning,
yes, north is the left arrow, sorry.
At the top: it is no longer a walk-in closet but an additional room, for example a guest room or office. With the windows facing the adjoining rooms, there is enough space for furniture.
The children’s rooms are on the north side, which could still be swapped. That would provide a garden view, for example the bedroom on the north side with a bay window. On the south side there is the street, so the bathroom should be located there. Therefore, the bedroom is still close to the bathroom.
Regarding the lower plans for both of you: the dining table should be in the living room behind the door or original partition wall, positioned lengthwise towards the back of the living room (a shelf there is not mandatory). The idea was that from there you can also see the gallery, making use of this “bay window” in the living room as a sightline.
It would be good to see how the house looks in 3D with two double windows in the middle and a single one on the left and right.
However, if these are not floor-to-ceiling windows, it will be visually challenging.
Can we also send you an email?
I don’t want to post all the plans.
yes, north is the left arrow, sorry.
At the top: it is no longer a walk-in closet but an additional room, for example a guest room or office. With the windows facing the adjoining rooms, there is enough space for furniture.
The children’s rooms are on the north side, which could still be swapped. That would provide a garden view, for example the bedroom on the north side with a bay window. On the south side there is the street, so the bathroom should be located there. Therefore, the bedroom is still close to the bathroom.
Regarding the lower plans for both of you: the dining table should be in the living room behind the door or original partition wall, positioned lengthwise towards the back of the living room (a shelf there is not mandatory). The idea was that from there you can also see the gallery, making use of this “bay window” in the living room as a sightline.
It would be good to see how the house looks in 3D with two double windows in the middle and a single one on the left and right.
However, if these are not floor-to-ceiling windows, it will be visually challenging.
Can we also send you an email?
I don’t want to post all the plans.
Hi,
I’ll jump in here briefly, although I should mention that I usually have a practical approach and don’t focus too much on aesthetics.
I’ve read through the thread (although it got a bit much in places) and two questions came to mind right away:
1. Passage to the living room: Why do you need two passages to the living room? You’re unnecessarily sacrificing usable space. Remove one passage and widen the passage near the window a bit. If needed, you can place a cabinet or something similar in the corner behind the door to the hallway.
2. Wouldn’t it make sense to design the two outer kitchen windows as standard windows? a) This keeps symmetry intact. b) You can plan your kitchen as a shortened U-shape. On the shortened U-side under the window, you can prepare food or wash dishes (we have our sink there) and still keep the view out the window. The middle doors serve as the exit to the terrace (you could also combine them into a centered double door – symmetry would still be preserved).
This would solve the space issue with the kitchen island, as the island would become unnecessary.
Of course, if you really love having a kitchen island and can’t or don’t want to live without one, then just forget what I said.
I’ll jump in here briefly, although I should mention that I usually have a practical approach and don’t focus too much on aesthetics.
I’ve read through the thread (although it got a bit much in places) and two questions came to mind right away:
1. Passage to the living room: Why do you need two passages to the living room? You’re unnecessarily sacrificing usable space. Remove one passage and widen the passage near the window a bit. If needed, you can place a cabinet or something similar in the corner behind the door to the hallway.
2. Wouldn’t it make sense to design the two outer kitchen windows as standard windows? a) This keeps symmetry intact. b) You can plan your kitchen as a shortened U-shape. On the shortened U-side under the window, you can prepare food or wash dishes (we have our sink there) and still keep the view out the window. The middle doors serve as the exit to the terrace (you could also combine them into a centered double door – symmetry would still be preserved).
This would solve the space issue with the kitchen island, as the island would become unnecessary.
Of course, if you really love having a kitchen island and can’t or don’t want to live without one, then just forget what I said.
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