Hello!
After reconsidering our space requirements, we have received the first drafts. I would like to share them here because we are partly satisfied but there are still a few points we are not completely happy with. Maybe you have some tips and suggestions.
We really like the ground floor already, but for the upper floor, we have several variants and are not 100% satisfied yet.
Some basic information:
- There are no restrictions regarding the building permit / planning permission.
- Plot size: approx. 1800 m² (0.44 acres)
- Slope: facing southeast
- Number of floors: 2 full stories, 1 basement level
- Roof type: gable roof
- Number of occupants, age: Currently 2 adults (27 and 28), planning for two children
- Room requirements basement: technical room, storage, office, utility room
- Room requirements ground floor: cloakroom, entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, office/guest room, toilet
- Room requirements upper floor: 2 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom, master bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, reading area with shelves and access to the terrace
Office: family use or home office; later planned to have office space for each person so everyone has their home office
House design
As mentioned, we received the house design from an architect and are partly satisfied. We really like the ground floor, but we have some issues with the upper floor.
We have received three variants here. In the first one, I really like the walk-in closet, but overall it feels somewhat cluttered.
We don’t like the second variant very much. The third one is nicely structured, but the rooms are quite long. What we do like here is that the reading room in front of the terrace is very spacious, and the children would have room to play[U][B][/B][/U] there.
Of course, there is access to the terrace on the upper floor from the reading area and possibly from the master bedroom. The staircase is not yet shown. We are still considering whether the doors on the east and west sides will have balconies or only French balconies.
On the site plan, you can see that we have to build between the yellow and red lines, anywhere within that space. The plan is oriented north (top is north, bottom is south). The plot dimensions are approx. 55 x 32 m (180 x 105 ft).
The driveway will be from NNW. A garage will be built separately as part of the landscaping works.
We look forward to your opinions, suggestions, and criticism. Maybe you have some ideas.
I hope I have provided all the information you need. =)
Best regards and thanks in advance.
After reconsidering our space requirements, we have received the first drafts. I would like to share them here because we are partly satisfied but there are still a few points we are not completely happy with. Maybe you have some tips and suggestions.
We really like the ground floor already, but for the upper floor, we have several variants and are not 100% satisfied yet.
Some basic information:
- There are no restrictions regarding the building permit / planning permission.
- Plot size: approx. 1800 m² (0.44 acres)
- Slope: facing southeast
- Number of floors: 2 full stories, 1 basement level
- Roof type: gable roof
- Number of occupants, age: Currently 2 adults (27 and 28), planning for two children
- Room requirements basement: technical room, storage, office, utility room
- Room requirements ground floor: cloakroom, entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, office/guest room, toilet
- Room requirements upper floor: 2 children’s bedrooms, children’s bathroom, master bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, reading area with shelves and access to the terrace
Office: family use or home office; later planned to have office space for each person so everyone has their home office
House design
As mentioned, we received the house design from an architect and are partly satisfied. We really like the ground floor, but we have some issues with the upper floor.
We have received three variants here. In the first one, I really like the walk-in closet, but overall it feels somewhat cluttered.
We don’t like the second variant very much. The third one is nicely structured, but the rooms are quite long. What we do like here is that the reading room in front of the terrace is very spacious, and the children would have room to play[U][B][/B][/U] there.
Of course, there is access to the terrace on the upper floor from the reading area and possibly from the master bedroom. The staircase is not yet shown. We are still considering whether the doors on the east and west sides will have balconies or only French balconies.
On the site plan, you can see that we have to build between the yellow and red lines, anywhere within that space. The plan is oriented north (top is north, bottom is south). The plot dimensions are approx. 55 x 32 m (180 x 105 ft).
The driveway will be from NNW. A garage will be built separately as part of the landscaping works.
We look forward to your opinions, suggestions, and criticism. Maybe you have some ideas.
I hope I have provided all the information you need. =)
Best regards and thanks in advance.
A
abetterway16 Mar 2015 18:31Hello,
first of all, thank you very much for your opinions and tips. We have read them carefully and have reconsidered this and that.
Regarding the guest toilet on the ground floor: we have very few visitors, so the guest room/office is more likely to be used as an office. And I think it’s okay that if we do have guests, they can use the bathroom upstairs in the children’s area.
The storage room has now been removed; space will be found near the garage. However, the cloakroom now seems too large to me, so I am considering reintroducing the storage room and placing the cloakroom between the office and storage room.
Well, I might want to sit comfortably and look outside sometimes, or the children could use it as a play area where they can be undisturbed by the parents (this works well for people we know). Also, this space makes the house feel larger. We would like to keep it, even if it’s not everyone’s preference.
We have now changed this; you are probably right that a bathtub is better.
We have also changed the layout of the master bedroom, walk-in closet, and bathroom. I think it fits quite well now (the bathroom fixtures are not finalized yet).
Windows will still be added in the stairwell, entrance area, and cloakroom. The windows currently placed are also not all in their final positions, as we are focused on the floor plan and layout at the moment.
We have also omitted setbacks on the upper floor to keep it simpler.
Kind regards
abetterway
first of all, thank you very much for your opinions and tips. We have read them carefully and have reconsidered this and that.
Regarding the guest toilet on the ground floor: we have very few visitors, so the guest room/office is more likely to be used as an office. And I think it’s okay that if we do have guests, they can use the bathroom upstairs in the children’s area.
The storage room has now been removed; space will be found near the garage. However, the cloakroom now seems too large to me, so I am considering reintroducing the storage room and placing the cloakroom between the office and storage room.
marv45 schrieb:
Since you will have offices everywhere, I don’t understand what the reading room is for. First, it’s not really a room but the hallway. Second, once children are present, it will hardly be possible to sit quietly there to read.
Well, I might want to sit comfortably and look outside sometimes, or the children could use it as a play area where they can be undisturbed by the parents (this works well for people we know). Also, this space makes the house feel larger. We would like to keep it, even if it’s not everyone’s preference.
ypg schrieb:
If the children are around 10 or older, a shower bathroom would be sufficient. If the children are still very young (I read in planning), then the family bathroom is definitely "too far away" from the children -> a reachable bathroom with a bathtub for children (toddlers have different needs than older kids/adults). Walls in the living room are not visible... it could create a hall effect -> no feeling of retreat, no coziness. I agree on the guest bathroom: no shower, very small (reminds me of a townhouse toilet).
We have now changed this; you are probably right that a bathtub is better.
We have also changed the layout of the master bedroom, walk-in closet, and bathroom. I think it fits quite well now (the bathroom fixtures are not finalized yet).
Windows will still be added in the stairwell, entrance area, and cloakroom. The windows currently placed are also not all in their final positions, as we are focused on the floor plan and layout at the moment.
We have also omitted setbacks on the upper floor to keep it simpler.
Kind regards
abetterway
- I noticed the kink in the exterior wall at the dining room and the cloakroom. What purpose does it serve?
- A 13sqm (140 sq ft) cloakroom is way too big for four people.
- The entrance area is not covered from the upper floor at all. It lets in light for the stairs and the small guest toilet.
- The path to the kitchen seems too long to me.
- The office has no door.
- The steps leading into the living room would personally annoy me (we only have one step and our 4-year-old still trips on it).
- The living room layout is a bit strange; you always have to walk around the couch when coming up the steps. There isn’t much space there either.
- You can’t even see the fireplace from the couch.
- The space between the dining table and the window is a bit tight.
- The guest toilet on the ground floor is quite narrow.
- The classic scenario: the parents get an 11sqm (118 sq ft) bathroom, and the two kids only 4sqm (43 sq ft)? And there’s even a bathtub in the kids’ bathroom?
- Bedroom facing south, so the house gets nice and warm in summer.
- 15sqm (161 sq ft) for the bedroom... when do you ever sit at a table with two chairs in the bedroom? You could use the living space better, right?
- With so many windows, the structural stability becomes interesting. I don’t see any load-bearing elements either... but as a layperson, I’ll refrain from judging.
- Where is the garage located?
A
abetterway17 Mar 2015 09:34Hello Tichu78,
thank you for your comments.
- The corners in the exterior wall are purely visual but will probably be removed.
- We have already noted that the wardrobe will be reduced in size again.
- The canopy is only over the entrance area; with skylights and windows, it should be manageable.
- The furniture can be changed; the couch definitely won’t be the one we place there (but which one is still uncertain).
- Is the WC really too small with only 110cm (43 inches) inside?
- What is wrong with the children having a bathtub?
Regarding the size of the children’s bathroom, I don’t think it is too small. At the moment, two of us have to share less than 4m² (43ft²), and it works fine. Also, I don’t expect the children to stay in the house forever, so what would I do with a large bathroom then?
And before the argument comes up that we could just make a big bathroom accessible for everyone, I think everyone should have their own private retreat. And during puberty, it’s certainly good to have two bathrooms.
- Bedroom: there doesn’t have to be a table; a chest of drawers can just as well be placed there... the furnishing doesn’t have to be final.
The garage will be located in the northwest, in front of the pantry, since that is also where the driveway is. This way, you can get from the garage covered into the covered entrance area.
Regarding the structural engineering, I don’t see any real problems...
Best regards
abetterway
thank you for your comments.
- The corners in the exterior wall are purely visual but will probably be removed.
- We have already noted that the wardrobe will be reduced in size again.
- The canopy is only over the entrance area; with skylights and windows, it should be manageable.
- The furniture can be changed; the couch definitely won’t be the one we place there (but which one is still uncertain).
- Is the WC really too small with only 110cm (43 inches) inside?
- What is wrong with the children having a bathtub?
Regarding the size of the children’s bathroom, I don’t think it is too small. At the moment, two of us have to share less than 4m² (43ft²), and it works fine. Also, I don’t expect the children to stay in the house forever, so what would I do with a large bathroom then?
And before the argument comes up that we could just make a big bathroom accessible for everyone, I think everyone should have their own private retreat. And during puberty, it’s certainly good to have two bathrooms.
- Bedroom: there doesn’t have to be a table; a chest of drawers can just as well be placed there... the furnishing doesn’t have to be final.
The garage will be located in the northwest, in front of the pantry, since that is also where the driveway is. This way, you can get from the garage covered into the covered entrance area.
Regarding the structural engineering, I don’t see any real problems...
Best regards
abetterway
Has a structural engineer already reviewed this? Are you sure there won’t be any issues? I see hardly any load-bearing walls on the ground floor.
I think the master bedroom and the gallery are too large. I would rather allocate more space to the children (children’s bathroom). And later, when the children move out, everyone has their own bathroom, which is nice.
I don’t like the steps leading to the living room.
I think the master bedroom and the gallery are too large. I would rather allocate more space to the children (children’s bathroom). And later, when the children move out, everyone has their own bathroom, which is nice.
I don’t like the steps leading to the living room.
S
Schiffinho17 Mar 2015 12:301.) You don’t have a single shower in the house.
2.) I find the platform in the living room problematic, especially when thinking about later in life, when climbing stairs becomes more difficult.
3.) How big exactly is the bathtub in the children’s bathroom? The room is 1.70m (5 feet 7 inches) deep; if you subtract 10cm (4 inches) of shelf space on each side, that leaves 1.50m (4 feet 11 inches). That might be enough for toddlers, but from the teenage years on, the bathtub won’t be sufficient for bathing.
4.) Of course, your children will definitely move out at some point, but that will only be in early adulthood. Until then, their needs will certainly change...
5.) How do you get to the office/guest room?
6.) Personally, I find the ratio of the parents’ area to the children’s area on the upper floor inappropriate. You give yourselves 35 sqm (377 sq ft), and the children only have about 30 sqm (323 sq ft). Unlike you, the children will spend most of their day in their rooms later on.
7.) There is practically no possibility for both children to wash themselves separately at the same time.
8.) Child 2’s room has only 13.3 sqm (143 sq ft), not 14 sqm (151 sq ft). Are those floor-to-ceiling windows? If so, there is no practical way to place a 140cm (55 inches) bed in Child 2’s room.
PS: The square meter figures are interestingly rounded—parents’ rooms are generally rounded down, while children’s rooms are rounded up.
2.) I find the platform in the living room problematic, especially when thinking about later in life, when climbing stairs becomes more difficult.
3.) How big exactly is the bathtub in the children’s bathroom? The room is 1.70m (5 feet 7 inches) deep; if you subtract 10cm (4 inches) of shelf space on each side, that leaves 1.50m (4 feet 11 inches). That might be enough for toddlers, but from the teenage years on, the bathtub won’t be sufficient for bathing.
4.) Of course, your children will definitely move out at some point, but that will only be in early adulthood. Until then, their needs will certainly change...
5.) How do you get to the office/guest room?
6.) Personally, I find the ratio of the parents’ area to the children’s area on the upper floor inappropriate. You give yourselves 35 sqm (377 sq ft), and the children only have about 30 sqm (323 sq ft). Unlike you, the children will spend most of their day in their rooms later on.
7.) There is practically no possibility for both children to wash themselves separately at the same time.
8.) Child 2’s room has only 13.3 sqm (143 sq ft), not 14 sqm (151 sq ft). Are those floor-to-ceiling windows? If so, there is no practical way to place a 140cm (55 inches) bed in Child 2’s room.
PS: The square meter figures are interestingly rounded—parents’ rooms are generally rounded down, while children’s rooms are rounded up.
I still think the space-to-utility ratio just doesn’t work.
- The dining area is planned way too small.
- The toilet is also too small (still feels like a rental toilet). Ours is 1.40 meters (4.6 feet) wide inside, and I already find that quite tight. Even if you don’t spend much time there, you have to consider that sometimes two people might need to be in there at once while the child is still small, and you might also want to store a spare pair of underwear or diapers.
- The living room is large but somehow barely practical. Take a sheet of paper and sketch where you want to place the furniture.
- You will definitely curse those two little steps in the living room after you trip over them three times or your kids fall down them three times.
- The kids’ bathroom isn’t well thought out. More than one person can’t use it at the same time—that’s a challenge when bathing children. Either make the parents’ bathroom accessible from the hallway, or plan for both a bathtub and shower in the kids’ bathroom.
- The space in the upstairs hallway is still wasted. You won’t have time to read there, and the living room will be more comfortable anyway. It’s also not really suitable as a playroom or only for a short time. Eventually, the mess the kids inevitably make when playing will just annoy you if you can’t close a door—and not to mention the noise level if the kids are playing in the hallway with friends while you want to read or watch TV quietly.
- By the way, where is the chimney on the upper floor?
I think you could get more out of this house size than such tiny rooms upstairs.
I’d consider moving the staircase toward the cloakroom, where the dressing room is on the upper floor. Then the bathroom could become the bedroom’s bathroom, and the bedroom could become the bathroom and dressing room—maybe also taking part of the play hallway. This would give you space next to the stairs upstairs for a nice kids’ bathroom and two equally sized children’s bedrooms. You would just need to find a solution for the office and the cloakroom on the ground floor.
- The dining area is planned way too small.
- The toilet is also too small (still feels like a rental toilet). Ours is 1.40 meters (4.6 feet) wide inside, and I already find that quite tight. Even if you don’t spend much time there, you have to consider that sometimes two people might need to be in there at once while the child is still small, and you might also want to store a spare pair of underwear or diapers.
- The living room is large but somehow barely practical. Take a sheet of paper and sketch where you want to place the furniture.
- You will definitely curse those two little steps in the living room after you trip over them three times or your kids fall down them three times.
- The kids’ bathroom isn’t well thought out. More than one person can’t use it at the same time—that’s a challenge when bathing children. Either make the parents’ bathroom accessible from the hallway, or plan for both a bathtub and shower in the kids’ bathroom.
- The space in the upstairs hallway is still wasted. You won’t have time to read there, and the living room will be more comfortable anyway. It’s also not really suitable as a playroom or only for a short time. Eventually, the mess the kids inevitably make when playing will just annoy you if you can’t close a door—and not to mention the noise level if the kids are playing in the hallway with friends while you want to read or watch TV quietly.
- By the way, where is the chimney on the upper floor?
I think you could get more out of this house size than such tiny rooms upstairs.
I’d consider moving the staircase toward the cloakroom, where the dressing room is on the upper floor. Then the bathroom could become the bedroom’s bathroom, and the bedroom could become the bathroom and dressing room—maybe also taking part of the play hallway. This would give you space next to the stairs upstairs for a nice kids’ bathroom and two equally sized children’s bedrooms. You would just need to find a solution for the office and the cloakroom on the ground floor.
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