ᐅ Major flaws in the floor plan? Kitchen too small?

I don’t find the bay window/rear gable very harmonious, as it protrudes quite far. Also, I’m not really a fan of the combination of a Frisian gable and a captain’s gable; I prefer when the same shape is chosen for both front and rear, although you don’t really see that at once. Otherwise, your floor plan reminds me of ours. I haven’t posted the final version here, but I’d be happy to send it to you via message if you like. Maybe that could serve as inspiration. We also have a wider but shallower gable (4 m by 1 m (13 ft by 3 ft)) in the living room and a fireplace (masonry stove) acting as a small room divider to the dining area, to make the living space cozier.

Heiko_baut schrieb:
Thanks for your reply, now I’m naturally curious. Could you please tell me specifically WHERE you see this potential? – And I’d be especially happy if you could also explain WHY [emoji4]

Kind regards, Heiko

Sure.
Frisian-style houses (although my phone actually turns that into a brothel here [emoji6]) are known for their coziness, which is supported by relatively small windows. However, when you make the house one or two sizes larger (you have a floor area of 126 sqm (1356 sq ft) plus a bay window), you need to adjust the window areas accordingly and also make practical use of the extra space gained.
At the moment, I only see oversized rooms but no sensible storage space. No, I’m not talking about the usually unnecessary pantry, although I do see potential here to add 4-5 sqm (43-54 sq ft) to the utility room, so you don’t have to keep everything (recyclables, cleaning supplies, washing machine and dirty laundry, sports and hobby equipment, plus the few canned goods and beverage crates) all in one room. Decorative clutter and things no one needs anymore will probably end up in the attic.
However, you need to consider what you need to have accessible on a daily basis.

Yes, the mentioned utility room should be on the same level as the kitchen, as you say, but you don’t go there several times a day, nor to the second fridge. Still, for guests or after sports activities (possibly in the guest room), there is a need for some privacy, which you can plan for if you want to build generously.
From what I see, there hasn’t been much thoughtful planning here, only a lot of unusable empty space. The hallway is quite large, but you plan to put a staircase in the area where you enter through the muddy zone by the front door, which everyone has to pass through, even in socks. Using the stairs is a good way to fit a wardrobe in a small space, but what about jackets and shoes that are quickly taken off only to be put on again immediately?
Representativeness is not only about size...
The same applies to the living room: lots of empty space at the front, which doesn’t make the seating area (sofa corner) particularly cozy. With a length of 6 meters (20 feet), you already have to consider how and where to place a TV properly.
The bay window: too narrow to be truly useful. *Regarding your comment on its size: no, it doesn’t get bigger if you shorten it. [emoji6]
And if the dining area is supposed to go there, you can’t walk around the table nor open a terrace door.
Kitchen: Adequate size, but in my opinion, the dimensions are not well chosen: the work triangle is ergonomic if you have about one meter (3.3 feet) between the lines. The walkway, which is also shown here with the tall cabinets, should then be 1.20 meters (4 feet) wide. You want to be able to walk through and also open doors there.
On the upper floor (actually not only there), the windows are too small for the room sizes. If you deduct the window muntins, not much light gets through. Also, because the windows are narrow without a sill height, they don’t illuminate the room’s width but rather the ceiling and floor (try making a template and use a shoebox to see how lighting works).
The corners in the workspace created by the third gable won’t improve the room’s practicality either.
Furthermore, one should consider whether each family member should have a touch of the house’s special character with the gable [emoji6].
By the way: the window above the stairs is not centered.

The rooms are generously sized. But the usefulness of rooms saturates above a certain size – you might want to consider reducing each room’s size by 10% and using that space for more practical rooms or built-in closets.

Basically, I’m missing specific suggestions for dimensions, orientation, a site plan, and exterior views.

P. S. About sunlight: daylight decreases sharply as you move away from the window. If you give a room more depth, you have to make sure enough light still reaches the areas, especially those towards the center of the house.

ypg schrieb:
Gladly.
Frisian houses (my phone actually turns this into “holiday home” here [emoji6]) score high on coziness, which is supported by relatively small windows. However, if you increase the size of the house by one or two levels (you have a floor area of 126sqm (1356 sq ft) plus a bay window), you need to adapt the window areas and also make use of the additional space.
So far, I only see oversized rooms but no practical storage space. No, I’m not referring to the usually unnecessary pantry, although I do see potential here to add 4-5sqm (43-54 sq ft) to the utility room so that you don’t have everything in one space (recycling bins, cleaning supplies, washing machine and laundry, sports and hobby equipment, and the few canned goods as well as beverage crates). Decorative items and things nobody needs anymore will probably end up in the attic.
However, you have to weigh what you need to have easily accessible on a daily basis.

Yes, the mentioned freezer should be, as you say, on the same level as the kitchen, but you don’t go there multiple times a day, not even to the second fridge. However, with visitors or after sports (possibly in the guest room?), there is a kind of privacy that, if you want to build generously, you should also consider.
In this sense, I don’t see much thoughtful planning here yet, rather a lot of unusable empty space. The hallway could offer a lot in terms of size, but there is a staircase planned right in the muddy area near the front door, which every family member has to pass by, even on socks. Using the staircase is a good way to incorporate a coat rack in a compact space, but what about the jackets and shoes that are quickly taken off only to be put back on immediately?
Representativeness is not just about size...
Same in the living room: a lot of empty space at the front, which doesn’t really make the seating area (sofa area) cozy. With a length of 6 meters (20 feet), you have to carefully consider how and where to place a TV effectively.
The bay window: too narrow to be really useful. *Regarding your comment on size: no, it doesn’t get bigger if you shorten it. [emoji6]
And if the dining area is really planned there, you can’t walk around the table or open a terrace door.
Kitchen: more than sufficient, but in my opinion, the dimensions are not well chosen: an ergonomic work triangle requires about one meter (3.3 feet) between the lines. The walkway, also shown here with tall cabinets, should be about 1.20 m (4 feet). You want to be able to walk through as well as open doors.
On the upper floor (not only there), the windows are far too small for the room sizes. If you subtract the window bars, little light remains. Additionally, being narrow without a sill, they don’t illuminate the width of the room but rather the ceiling and floor (try making a template and use a shoebox you want to light).
The corners in the workroom created by the third gable won’t make that room more advantageous either.
Furthermore, you should consider for the gable whether every family member should have something of the house’s distinctive character [emoji6].
By the way: the window above the staircase is not centered.

The rooms are generously sized. But rooms reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to usefulness – you might want to consider reducing each by about 10% and putting that space into more practical rooms or fitted closets.

Basically, I find concrete proposals lacking measurements, orientation, a site plan, and exterior views.

P.S. About the sunlight: sunlight diminishes rapidly behind the window. If you give a room more depth, you have to make sure enough light still reaches the inner parts, usually towards the center of the house.

Thank you very much.

That was a lot of information and suggestions… I need to let it all sink in first.

You shouldn’t judge the windows just yet… that’s not accurate so far. In about a week, I will have a first concrete drawing from the architects, and then we can discuss it.

I will get back to you once I have “digested” your suggestions.

Best regards, Heiko

P.S. My phone turns “Friesenhaus” into “holiday home.”

Edit: checked again now: there are not even floor-to-ceiling windows planned on the upper floor. Therefore, I would recommend using triple glazing for all windows. A 20m² (215 sq ft) room should have at least 2m² (22 sq ft) of net window area.

For three people, you have quite a large number of rooms. Or is there a dedicated hobby room planned next to the office? Otherwise, you have plenty of storage space upstairs.

Have you considered placing the guest room upstairs and possibly adding a small shower bathroom there? Then, downstairs, just a guest toilet.
Why? Personally, as a guest, I feel more comfortable sleeping in the same sleeping area as the family rather than being the only one staying downstairs near the front door at night.
This also has the advantage of freeing up storage space downstairs. You already have an extra room upstairs anyway.

I find the living room layout a bit awkward. The space around the dining table is really tight. Is there a door to the garden in the bay window? You would hardly use it with the table placed right in front of it. The seating area in the living room then feels somewhat isolated. Would it be an idea to swap the kitchen and living room? That way, you could have a true nook for relaxing on the sofa, pull the table more out of the bay window, and give the kitchen enough room for a kitchen island. The walls around the living room door could be adjusted slightly. However, you would lose the option of having a separate kitchen that can be closed off.

I believe Heiko_baut and Egon12 are talking past each other: here, "1.5-story" seems to mean there will be a pitched roof attic, while the original poster associates "two-story" with a substitute villa. Legally, however, a full upper floor is likely allowed, and in my view, that will be the case with the knee wall. Considering the steep roof, knee wall, and four gables, I would be surprised if it were otherwise.

I share kbt09’s concerns; in my mind, I can already see the bathroom door banging against the sloped ceiling.

I imagine the bay window to be shorter rather than wider. That said, I admit that opinions about pleasing proportions can shift when aiming for steep roofs. In that case, the return can probably be somewhat more substantial.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/