Explanation of the hype

We built without floor-to-ceiling windows because the parking space was more important to us. If you build very generously and, for example, can place the couch in the room and have enough storage space upstairs, then it might be different again. When driving through new residential areas, however, I have seen far too many floor-to-ceiling windows blocked, which discouraged us. Occasionally, you even see floor-to-ceiling windows with pleated blinds at the bottom to prevent views from the street. Planning something like that is completely pointless.

Children sit there like they are hypnotized and look outside; it's really funny to watch. Keep in mind, with a normal railing height of 90, a small child cannot see outside at all; as soon as it can look outside standing up, it cannot do so anymore when sitting, for example at the desk. So children do enjoy it.

It is true that children cannot look outside, but small children usually play where the parents are anyway, mostly in the living-dining area. There, they can also look outside through the terrace door.

We initially separated the kitchen with a small table for breakfast during the week, etc. Otherwise, we designed the living-dining area so that a longer table can be placed for celebrations. The advantage for us is that when cooking/baking, you can leave things out without the cat helping herself. However, I could also imagine converting it later into an open living area. Both have their pros and cons.

It may be that all this is 80s style for us, but maybe the trend will come back again.

there are various fittings/layouts whose purpose I do not understand.

Not everything shown in the model home park is actually often built. However, no one can afford to put a practical run-of-the-mill house there. The sizes shown are also not what is mostly ordered. Features like open ceilings upstairs in the attic are also rarely realized because people build without basements, making the attic space essential.

1. Actually, almost every house had floor-to-ceiling windows installed, what’s that about? I imagine it’s terrible to have those in both summer and winter. Doesn’t it get extremely hot in summer? And in winter you constantly have to pull down the blinds, otherwise anyone can stare into my living room or house? On top of that, the effort to clean them must be huge?! Am I missing something here? Do they still have advantages that I don’t see?

Children of the light find that great. However, as already said, it’s also great for small children. By the way, venetian blinds are a better choice than roller blinds for shading.

And you can also orient the house or choose the plot so that no one can peek inside.

If I fry or cook something in the kitchen, doesn’t the whole living room stink of the food? It would also bother me that if my wife or I have visitors, the other couldn’t sit in the living room and, for example, watch TV in peace. This might sound a bit picky, but I would find it important that everyone can invite their friends without the other always being within earshot or having to make themselves scarce somehow? Why does everyone have such open ground floors? What are the real advantages?

We have 55 sqm living/dining and kitchen, because the previous owner knocked down the kitchen wall towards the living area. And that’s also why we took it.

It’s much easier to be in the kitchen and at the same time keep an eye on the kids. Also, the paths to the grill outside are shorter. It’s communicative. It also doesn’t feel like "the woman belongs in the kitchen."

And it doesn’t really stink either. The worst smell we have is when we do raclette; but the thing is on the dining table anyway. With a separated kitchen, you wouldn’t have gained anything there. By the way, food odors don’t stop after the heating process is done.

Regarding your last part about watching TV in peace, I can’t understand that. Where do you want to meet "your" friends? In the kitchen?

Really very interesting viewpoints to be read here, exactly as I hoped, thanks to all responders

Regarding the model home park having to be practical, I understand. However, when I drive through our new residential areas, I see these floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere as well

regarding meeting friends, I meant that if the dining area is separate from the living room, you can sit with friends in the dining area and the partner could still read, watch TV, or do something else relatively undisturbed in the living room. For example, I could invite my friends over to play cards and my wife could still spend her evening relatively undisturbed. If everything is open, I just think that you always somehow have to make sure to get out of the way if you don’t want to be constantly disturbed.

Floor-to-ceiling windows
Lots of light comes in, you can look outside while sitting. In my opinion, the cleaning effort does not increase; whether you clean a small or large window makes hardly any difference (larger glass surfaces are actually easier to clean than smaller ones).

In the children's room, you can alternatively work with low parapet heights ... ~40 cm, so that playing children can also look outside. Fall protections are then necessary on the upper floor (there are nice ones, just more expensive).

We do not have floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor. You can simply arrange furniture better. Still, I find it a bit a pity that when I wake up in bed, I don't immediately have a view of the beautiful garden.

Open kitchen
I like the cooking and dining area to be open. It's great that you can interact with guests at the same time while still busy in the kitchen. I like that. There is also plenty of space for a longer dining table. Our couch area, however, is somewhat separate again; there is no direct line of sight to the cooking area.

Balcony
If the access is through a room, the balcony practically belongs to that room. For shared use, the balcony should be accessed from a common area (on the upper floor usually the hallway; on the ground floor, you often reach the terrace from the kitchen or living room). IMHO, you can well do without a balcony in a single-family house.

hmm what is the problem supposed to be. is it about delivering the windows? our entire south side (10 glass units) is floor-to-ceiling and 90% have flowers or similar in front of them anyway the windows are not for going outside...

in the past, small windows were built because the houses were not airtight nowadays it's different...

open areas as well...walls only restrict

we don't even need to talk about balconies they have no place on a single-family house

Model homes are primarily meant to inspire visitors and show what is possible. How one later designs their own floor plan is up to each individual, everyone has different habits and preferences. I really don’t like closed-off kitchens where you have to cook alone in isolation while the rest of the family relaxes in the living room. When I cook, it doesn’t even smell! We currently have 4m floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, and in the new house it’s over 10m, we love it. It is beautifully bright, you can see the garden so nicely, and if it gets too much, you can lower the blinds or hang curtains or something similar in front of it. My daughter absolutely wanted a floor-to-ceiling window in her new room, so why not? A balcony isn’t absolutely necessary; most people skip it anyway, and you can’t leave small children alone on the balcony.
Best regards
Sabine