ᐅ Planning a 195 sqm Single-Family Home with Basement and Gable Roof in North Rhine-Westphalia

I still consider the design to be unfinished. Do you really need the bump-out on the upper floor? Downstairs, there’s only the TV, but its current position really disrupts an open floor plan. If the TV must stay there, it could be placed against a flat wall. The balcony above is really pointless; you’ll never use it. Even if the bump-out remains, I would put a green flat roof up there and have only a French balcony in the bedroom.

The kitchen is a disaster, I hope you realize that. Why is there a short wall between the kitchen and living area? Remove it and plan a truly open space. The kitchen island was already mentioned—it interferes as it stands now and is completely unusable. The sliding door to the pantry can stay, but it’s not necessary (I’m in the camp that finds it quite practical). So get rid of the short wall, place the kitchen island along the long wall on the lower side, and then the dining table can also move a bit closer to the kitchen.

Upstairs: I find the two small hallways in the separate areas to be a pure waste of space, especially the one in the master bedroom area. They are so small you can’t even install a few hooks for clothes. Truly wasted space. If you include a walk-in closet, the bedroom doesn’t need to be 16sqm (172 sq ft). I would move the wall between the closet and bedroom further into the bedroom and enlarge the bathroom in the process. Overall, you should consider integrating the useless anteroom into the closet and then provide doors or openings from there to both the bedroom and bathroom.

For Joris, having a corridor might make more sense, but not if it’s as small as here. Consider enlarging the bathroom and corridor at the expense of the bedrooms. That would basically turn it into a two-room apartment for a young man. I would also think about at least prepping this space upstairs for the possible future installation of a small kitchenette. Overall, I find the bathroom in the center is poorly planned. The bathroom would fit better under the sloped ceiling, while the playroom and future living room could be in the center without roof slopes.

Is the office used daily? Is it frequently used? Otherwise, I would rather turn it into a multifunctional room by including a guest room here, and then merge the small storage room on the ground floor with the bathroom to create a shower room (how often do you have overnight guests?). Cleaning supplies and similar can go into the pantry, which I would probably enlarge somewhat at the expense of the office, providing enough storage space. The small storage room is almost unusable; I would leave it out.

You want a closed wardrobe, which has its appeal (because it hides clutter), but as it is now, it doesn’t work. I would keep the hallway at its full size and instead work with a skilled carpenter on a clever built-in solution (you seem to have the budget for it).

Wellness in the basement: I’m not a fan. The basement saunas I know all have a somewhat musty vibe. What have you planned here? If it’s only a sauna for the two of you, I would consider integrating it into the upstairs bathroom, for example replacing that strange storage room.

The gallery is tiny and, as currently planned, won’t have the impact you’re hoping for because it’s too small. Either completely redesign it (the staircase would lead from the living room to the gallery and feature a different room concept upstairs) or close it off. Then you’d have plenty of space for a sufficiently sized storage room where the void is now, or you could even give Joris more space. If you insist on having a gallery, think carefully about its purpose. I promise you, the two little chairs and table won’t be used by anyone. With enough space (like here), galleries can be great for things like a TV nook or a library where you can retreat to read. I also find galleries beautiful and they create an airy, spacious feeling, but only if they serve a purpose. Here, it seems like a forced idea without real success.

You seem to have a solid financial background. Invest the money in a good (!!) architect who can create a design that will certainly match your ideas better than what has been cobbled together here.

It is almost difficult to point out minor details when the overall concept is not coherent...

- The pantry door could be omitted
- Placing the stove directly under the open space is quite an unusual idea...
- Balcony off the bedroom? Overlooking the neighbor? What for?
- Corners and small windows everywhere? What purpose do they serve?
- Claustrophobic tightness in the upstairs bathroom
- Bedroom directly adjacent to the open space, no sound insulation

Hello,

the cloakroom on the ground floor still needs a window, as it is a rather dark room. The access to the kitchen is too narrow; I would remove that short wall entirely and plan a kitchen with an island. The stove should not be too far from the sink. The seating position on the couch in the living room is not ideal. From there, you see only two walls, and from the open gallery, you don’t see anything at all. Upstairs, the storage room is convenient, but it takes away the nice spacious feeling created by the gallery, so I would omit it. I don’t find the bedroom too large—I don’t understand why 16m² (172 sq ft) should be considered too big. I wouldn’t want to sleep in such a tiny space. I also like the balcony; we have one planned as well.

Best regards,
Sabine

It depends on what you use the bedroom for. Someone mentioned here that they iron clothes and watch TV in their bedroom, which might require more space. We go into that room in the evening, lie down in bed, and get up the next day to leave the room again. So I don’t need a ballroom there and prefer to use the space elsewhere.

Personally, I don’t want ironing in the bedroom; I prefer it very minimalistic, almost meditative. Just the bed, walls, maybe a small bedside table—nothing that could disturb the calm.

Of course, if you want to use the bedroom for other purposes, you will need more space. And if you have enough space at all, you can afford to make every room larger.

Here, I would simply give the bathroom more space. Personally, I find it too small (I prefer more luxury there), at the expense of the generously sized bedroom.

But of course, everyone has to decide that for themselves.

Though the original poster is no longer active anyway.

I see it exactly the same way as climbee 🙂 I also prefer my bedroom to be quite minimalistic :P We only sleep there and watch TV in the evening, but that’s it. I don’t like doing laundry in the bedroom. But everyone really has to decide that for themselves.

For that much money, it’s a solid 5.