ᐅ Our house is becoming more defined – Concept ideas

Hello, forum!

A few weeks ago, I asked here for some advice and received several helpful tips. By now, our house design is nearly finalized in my mind. We have a builder who is currently requesting quotes from subcontractors and will soon provide us with a fairly detailed price estimate.

This will be our house 🙂

Plot and Location:

• 750 sqm (25m*30m; 2690 sq ft (82 ft * 98 ft))
• slight north-facing slope (~3-4m (10-13 ft) drop over 30m (98 ft)), accessed from the top, i.e., the south side (road runs east-west)
• open views from east through north to west, so quite long evening sun, but usually a gentle breeze from the west
• surrounding houses are low-rise (maximum one-and-a-half stories) and relatively far apart due to plot sizes
• fields and nature right next door
• very good city connection; we commute 10 and 15 minutes to work

House:

• offset shed roof with ridge parallel to the street, so east-west, lower roof on the slope side
• dual-pitched (the slope side half is wider)
• built 3m (10 ft) from the eastern edge of the plot
• fully basemented with two rooms on the ground floor facing downhill, opening to the outside
• classic ground floor with living/dining, semi-open kitchen (sliding door), study, guest WC with shower
• upper floor with master bedroom, 2 kids’ rooms, family bathroom
• attic divided into 3 parts, accessible from the children’s rooms and the hallway
• many floor-to-ceiling windows (but not only those)
• single garage directly by the street, carport next to it

Technical Specifications:

• timber frame construction
• KfW40 standard energy efficiency
• insulation with natural materials (mainly cellulose and wood fiber)
• air-source heat pump with integrated ventilation system with heat recovery
• solar collectors on the roof for hot water support

Garden:

• to be done later 😀
• corner terrace facing south and west
• planned mixed hedge along the street side and possibly continuing around

I hope you can get a little sense of the house 🙂

At first glance, it sounds quite modern because of the offset shed roof and floor-to-ceiling windows. However, I can still imagine the overall impression to be somewhat “friendlier” and cozy. I dream, for example, of a somewhat Mediterranean-style garden; there will be many container plants on the terrace, I love terracotta and warm colors. Our hardy palm will be dug out and replanted on the plot (+ one or two more 😉) and so on.

That is why we are already thinking about the exterior appearance of the house. When we receive the first offer in about two weeks and it roughly fits our budget, the details will follow...

Do you have ideas on how to shape our house’s character toward rural, Mediterranean, warm, and sunny despite its modern architectural form?
Which colors would you suggest? I was thinking of shades of orange, maybe warm yellow combined with some green...? It’s hard for me to imagine...

It will be a timber house in timber frame construction, so we would like a partial wooden cladding. Do you have ideas for the layout and color(s) here?

I look forward to all your tips!
Christiane

Floor-to-ceiling windows only make sense if the planned furniture layout allows for them. Recently, I saw a house with such windows where the sofa was placed with its back against the window. This looks odd or even unattractive from the outside.

Yes, that’s true, and we are still a bit unsure about that part... Toward the terrace, so mainly around the dining area for us, it’s clear: many floor-to-ceiling windows or doors. But in the back part, where the sofas are, the TV, and where you might want to place a cabinet... Maybe we’ll position those windows higher after all. In the study, it’s definitely not possible because of the desk and the many shelves, and of course not in the kitchen either. Even for the children’s rooms upstairs, we’re already wondering if we might be taking away their option to place their desks with a view out the window later on 🙁 Hm...

Remember to install fall protection for floor-to-ceiling windows in the children's room 🙂

Otherwise, it sounds good – although that is no longer a "gentle" slope

Hi,

yes, of course 😉 Either we will secure the windows with French balconies or choose windows with a transom (is that the correct term?), so that only the upper sections can be opened.

Any ideas on colors and exterior appearance?

Best regards,
Christiane

I always call that a "fixed element" 🙂
We did it like that too. You need long arms; otherwise, cleaning can be a bit tricky. But I prefer it over a grille.

I would choose a light orange tone for the color, combined with brick-red bricks. There are also wavy-fired bricks that could look good. For the wood, I would go with a stain that matches the plaster, although wood cladding is not typically Mediterranean. Avoid paint so that the wood grain remains visible.

I wouldn’t choose green. I would rather create that effect with plants. Maybe some hardy palm trees on the terrace and natural stone flooring made of polygonal slabs.

I would reconsider the wood cladding. It involves quite a bit of maintenance if you don’t like the natural weathering patina.