200 m² maisonette in an existing building, interior (almost) fully customizable

Hello dear forum community,

my wife and I are currently working together with an interior designer on the planning of our future apartment in an existing townhouse. The plan is a maisonette with approximately 200 sqm of usable space plus a roof terrace, the design options are still very open. At the moment, the floors are not yet connected (except for the main staircase). The spaces were used commercially until recently; a few decades ago, they were once apartments. There are only a few load-bearing walls. So apart from the exterior walls, we have a lot of freedom and our friend, the interior designer, has made a first plan based on the latest house plans (of course, everything will be re-measured, floors opened, checked with a structural engineer, etc. later). Floors, ceilings, interior walls, heating, electrical, sanitary, etc. will all be newly done. High rooms (3.50m in the basement, 3m on the upper floor) also allow some technology to be accommodated in (partially) suspended ceilings.


Restrictions/Requirements

- Townhouse from 1860, completely renovated at the end of the 1980s, during which the house was also extended by one floor (previously three, now four floors)
- Facade of the house is under historic preservation, i.e. no visual changes to the windows
- Total living area per floor approx. 300 sqm
- Size of the client’s apartment: approx. 200 sqm, divided over two floors of about 100 sqm each
- The adjacent living spaces on the two floors are either occupied by the client’s family or are currently empty and being converted for rental
- Orientation: windows facing south and west
- To the north, the neighboring house is adjacent; the office and child 1’s window overlook an inner courtyard


Client Requirements

- Floors: 2 floors (3rd + 4th floor in the house) plus added roof terrace (does not yet exist, but conversion/extension of the attic above the 4th floor is planned)
- Number of people: 2 adults (+2 children planned)
- Age: 33, 34 years
- Room requirements basement: hall/wardrobe, office for two people, open kitchen-dining-living area, backup kitchen/utility room, library/playroom
- Room requirements upper floor: master bedroom, walk-in closet, master bathroom including fitness/wellness area, 2x children’s rooms, children’s bathroom, possibly laundry room (if not in utility room), access to roof terrace
- Office: both self-employed, full workplace for two people
- Overnight guests per year: not planned or very few
- Open architecture, open kitchen, free-standing island, free-standing staircase in living room
- Modern construction method as far as possible in existing building
- Number of dining seats: at least 8
- Fireplace: wood possible (existing chimney shaft), ethanol fireplace as a design element maybe better/more flexible regarding location?
- Roof terrace: planned with conversion of the attic above the upper floor
- Heating: underfloor heating (no problem in basement due to high floor construction, upper floor still to be checked, if necessary radiators/wall heating)
- Cooling: cooling ceiling (summers in the city center can be very hot and will probably become even hotter in the future)


Floor Plan Draft

- Planning by interior designer
- What is liked: generous layout, plenty of storage but not cramped
- What is still unclear: exact location of roof terrace access (possibly must do without a separate laundry room)
- Price estimate according to interior designer: to follow shortly but initially not relevant
- Personal price limit for the apartment: no specific requirement


Most important/basic questions about the floor plan

- Have we overlooked anything in the floor plan?
- Should we leave the living room area completely open or at least partially separate it with a room divider (possibly sufficiently "structured" with different heights of suspended ceilings)?
- Our idea is to do without a classic TV and to install a projector and screen in a suspended ceiling -> Does anyone have experience with this?
- Laundry room better on the upper floor or downstairs in the utility room?
- Controlled residential ventilation useful? Possibly decentralized in bedrooms (possible on the upper floor since the facade here is not historically protected) but concern about street noise in the city center

Many thanks in advance!

Dominik

Swap the dressing room and bedroom and then build it exactly like that. I like it extremely much!

The spaces were commercially used until recently; a few decades ago, they were once apartments. There are only a few load-bearing walls. So except for the exterior walls, we have a lot of flexibility, and our friend, an interior architect, has made us a first plan based on the latest house plans.

That makes my little builder’s heart beat faster when I read something like this. In my next life, I’ll be Chris from Fixer Upper anyway :D The basement appeals to me quite a bit, the upper floor not at all. But it’s also true that you can’t see all the options at first glance. The kitchen wouldn’t be sufficient for my daily life. Consider whether you want to work like Mamsell in the background instead of in the thick of things. Here, the open kitchen is going back toward being closed again, only here both, the “show” kitchen and the backup kitchen don’t function individually. I would probably sketch the idea of halving the backup kitchen (toward the storage) and placing a countertop under the windows. I would rotate the island 90 degrees; that adds some pep to the straight rigidity. I would change the stair’s starting point, so from the hallway, giving space under it in the common area. On the upper floor, I don’t find the "fitness area" successful. The rowing machine is too close to the wall. You would trip over it if it’s where it should be. The cross trainer/spinning bike should, if anywhere, face the window or the TV (:P), but again not in the south... The hallway is too large, making space unused. Children’s rooms next to the bedroom. Bathroom above the library... I would probably plan the parents’ area at the top of the plan and bring in light with skylights. Children’s rooms in the south or west. Children’s rooms need light. Nice project :)

If there is already this "Backstage" kitchen and an additional storage room in the kitchen area, then I would also integrate the washing there. This creates a few more options on the upper floor.

Thank you very much for your answers!

Swap the dressing room and bedroom and then build exactly like that. I really like it a lot!

We had initially planned it that way too, but after some research, we thought it might be better to have the dressing room between the bedroom and bathroom. That way, you don’t have to go through the bedroom or walk partly naked into the hallway to get dressed after the morning shower. The wall between the bedroom and the children's room would be specially soundproofed, and the parents' bed would probably be moved to the opposite wall.

The kitchen wouldn’t be enough for my daily needs. Consider if you want to work like Mamsell in the background instead of being in the center of things. Here, the open kitchen is turning back into a closed one, only that here both, the “show” kitchen and the backup kitchen, don’t work individually.

I understand your argument. The kitchen would definitely have to function independently from the backup kitchen. The "hidden" work area should be rather for the “rough” or “unsightly” tasks (e.g., dirty dishes after a party, extra-large sink) and also provide more storage space (e.g., beverage fridge), as we don’t have a basement. We still have to check to what extent the attic can be adapted for more storage space as part of the rooftop terrace construction. The storage/utility room is then separate from the kitchen and offers space for cleaning supplies, some technical equipment, and additional storage room.

I would turn the island 90 degrees; it adds some pep to the linear rigidity.

We had received this plan as an alternative from the architect at the very beginning, and personally, I would quite like it. However, my wife thinks that then she would be working with her back to the window and casting a shadow on herself. Also, the view of the kitchen from the living area might seem “more harmonious” if the island is not at a right angle to it. Valid points?

I would change the stair’s starting point, that is, from the hallway, so that there is space underneath in the open-plan living area.

That also sounds logical. Unfortunately, the high floor height works against us here. Without a landing, it can’t be solved; a spiral staircase is not an option as the main traffic route for us. And then I would rather come out where the hallway or the apartment center is than close to the outer wall. Otherwise, the hallway on the upper floor would get even bigger, right?

I don’t find the “fitness area” on the upper floor successful. The rowing machine is too close to the wall. You would trip over it if it is placed where it should be. Also, the cross trainer/spinning bike should, if anything, face the window or TV :)P), but again not facing south...
The hallway is too big, so space is unused. Children’s bedrooms next to the bedroom. Bathroom above the library... I would probably plan the parents’ area on the upper end of the plan and bring light in with skylights. Children’s bedrooms in the south or west. Children’s bedrooms need light.

I am still somewhat uncertain about the “fitness area” as well. Maybe reduce the size of the parents’ bedroom, shift the dressing room further up, and give the fitness area more space? The rowing machine can be stored vertically against the wall when not in use, so it doesn’t take up much space then. Having a TV somewhere nearby definitely makes sense, otherwise it might get somewhat monotonous... :) If not facing south, then where? The hallway is large, also because on the right side of the upper floor plan there is a door to the stairwell that should not be blocked. And because the entrance to the rooftop terrace is different from the entry from the basement to the upper floor. Although, if the other rooms are large enough, a big hallway doesn’t bother me. The exterior floor plan is fixed, and I am not paying "per square meter" like in a new build, where you could or should optimize even more.

One children’s bedroom is in the west, the other in the north. What could be swapped or rearranged so that no children’s bedroom is in the north? According to the interior designer, children’s bedrooms next to the bedroom is not a problem; he would have special soundproof drywall installed.

Bathroom above the library is a point. Extra info: On the upper floor, besides my future apartment, my parents’ apartment is located. Next to our planned bathroom is their laundry room and children’s bathroom, so after renovation, we could share the waste pipe. My parents remodeled for their needs 30 years ago. The rooms one floor below were lowered somewhat – with a ceiling height of 3.50 meters – and their drain pipes were hidden there.

If there is already this “backstage” kitchen and an additional storage room in the kitchen area, then I would also integrate laundry there. That gives more options on the upper floor.

You are absolutely right about that.

My little construction heart is pulsing, Nice project :)

I think so too.