ᐅ Optimizing the Floor Plan of a 150 m² House – Tips

Created on: 21 May 2016 23:44
H
hemali2003
Hello everyone,
we are planning to build a 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) house and are currently optimizing our floor plan... Overall, we are quite happy with it, but there are still a few doubts.

I’m a bit uncertain about the following areas:
- Living room: Is the sofa placement very awkward? I’d prefer not to rotate it 90 degrees, as that would require placing the TV on the short window wall...
- Kitchen: Do we need a separate heating source, or will the living/dining area provide enough warmth for the kitchen? I can’t immediately think of a good spot to install a heater there.
- Pantry: Is it practical in this layout? Of course, the space with a width of 60 cm (24 inches) isn’t ideal, but could it still be used for spare chairs or similar items? Additionally, we want to store drinks, cordless vacuum cleaner, paper/plastic waste, baking trays, etc. — basically all things not used very often or too bulky for kitchen cabinets.
- Upstairs bathroom: I’d rather not fill the large room with very expensive bathroom cabinets, which is why I came up with the idea of the space behind the shower/bathtub. Is there enough room between the sink and the bathtub/shower for 2 to 4 people to move comfortably if needed? I’m quite enthusiastic about this idea. Previously, the sanitary fixtures were just placed around the edges and there wasn’t even space left for a cabinet.

If anyone feels like taking a look and sharing their thoughts, I’d really appreciate it!

Thank you,
hemali


Floor plan: Kitchen on the left, living/dining room with L-shaped sofa, cloakroom and bathroom.

Floor plan: Upstairs with two children’s bedrooms, below parents’ bedroom, bathroom on the right, storage rooms in the center.



The floor plan and measurements are approximate, please excuse the odd values!
Top is west, right is north, bottom is east, left is south.
The windows are not perfectly aligned vertically, but that’s not a concern for us since the sides of the house are barely visible from outside, so the asymmetry doesn’t bother us much.

Development plan / Restrictions
Plot size: 800 m² (8,611 sq ft)
Slope: none
Site coverage ratio: -
Floor area ratio: -
Building envelope, setback lines, boundaries: -
Edge development: -
Number of parking spaces: -
Number of floors: 1.5
Roof type: gable roof, 45 degrees
Architectural style: classic/modern
Orientation: entrance east, terrace west
Maximum heights / limits: -
Additional requirements: -

Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type –
Basement, floors: no basement, 1.5 floors
Number of occupants, ages: 2 adults, 2 children (2 and 5 years old)
Space requirement on ground and upper floor: as shown in the floor plan
Office: family use or home office? No, filing cabinets in utility room
Guest bedrooms per year: negligible
Open or closed architecture: semi-open kitchen
Conservative or modern construction: -
Open kitchen, island: semi-open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 6, expandable
Fireplace: no
Music/Stereo wall: yes, preferably a whole wall with storage
Balcony, rooftop terrace: no
Garage, carport: no
Utility garden, greenhouse: no
Other wishes/special features/daily routine –

House design
Planning origin: original developer plan, customized by us
What do you particularly like? Ground floor extra shower, pantry, large utility room, masonry shower upstairs, large bedrooms, upstairs storage room
What do you dislike? -
Cost estimate by architect/planner: not relevant
Personal price limit for house including equipment: not relevant
Preferred heating system: gas boiler + solar with 400-liter (105-gallon) water storage tank

If you had to give up certain details/add-ons:
- Could you do without: –
- Could you not do without: –
Y
ypg
22 May 2016 14:03
ypg schrieb:
I took a look at the house: I actually find the floor plan quite okay for a family, considering the budget is limited.
In the utility room, you can carve out a corner for an emergency shower, move the door slightly, so you can place shoe cabinets and hooks as a coat area along the long wall.

lol... I understand
I mean, of course, everything for the guest bathroom: move the door slightly and then take about one square meter from the utility room area at the back and add it to the emergency bathroom (-> move walls), so you get a built-in shower. Toilet and washbasin then on the other side.


Floor plan of a house: kitchen bottom left, utility room top left, hallway, WC and living area right.
H
hemali2003
22 May 2016 14:12
We initially planned this option as well. However, I had an issue with the reduced size of the utility room. But if you take some space from the kitchen, which could be done internally (so without losing any windows), that might also be a possibility. Maybe even a bit more than in your picture, which would also reduce the walking distances in the kitchen (which would then have an L-shaped layout due to the room shape).

I need to think it over and experiment a bit!

Thank you for your effort!
Y
ypg
22 May 2016 14:53
hemali2003 schrieb:
I had the problem with the reduced utility room.

That would only be about 0.5 sqm (5.4 sq ft), since the wall (toilet/utility room) can be straightened. This way, you immediately gain space in the utility room without a wall blocking the entrance.
Here is another kitchen variant with a children’s seating area and tall cabinets along the wardrobe wall, as well as the upstairs layout with a suitable master bedroom and two children’s rooms. One of the children’s rooms next to the central wall gives some space to the other. This results in two closet niches without having to move any windows, and the room sizes balance out.
In the bathroom, the shower can be built-in, and if the toilet is moved, it creates a space where you can build a built-in closet or shelving with drywall.

Floor plan of a kitchen with red markings on furniture and doors.

Attic floor plan with bathroom, corridor, children’s room, bedroom, and living room.
Y
ypg
22 May 2016 15:01
Of course, it can be done differently in the bathroom – shower at the front

Floor plan of a bathroom with bathtub, sink, and toilet; door leading to the hallway.


I assume the chimney shaft will be removed?
H
hemali2003
22 May 2016 20:12
Wow, thank you for your effort!

We will take a close look at this and consider how to proceed.

Exactly, the chimney will be omitted.
Y
ypg
9 Jun 2016 13:08
Are there any further plans from your side?