Floor plan 2 full floors KFW 55, 136 sqm flat roof

Some people really had cool parents. Mh, multigenerational households were and still are quite common with us. Maybe people just have a different attitude there. I saw the fewest parents in nightgowns, more often in sweatpants. Who cares? You see more skin at the swimming pool. One father was notorious for his basement. No one came out of there on two legs anymore. It was a nice, carefree time back then.

It's enough if you ask me, too little if you ask my wife. More space also leads to accumulating more stuff. :) There will also be a 3x3m storage room behind/attached to the carport.

Suitcases, decorative items, Christmas tree stands, etc. all have to go somewhere, the 3x3m shed is actually already too small with three bicycles and the garden stuff :)

But just a note.

I myself only had a 10 sqm own room back then in a shared apartment facing northeast. That’s fine for our kids. I think our son will play a lot with us on the ground floor in the first years later.

We also used to have the kids’ rooms smaller and the kids always played in the apartment, e.g. in the large, square hallway. But I then found the 10 sqm from back then too small; I think 12 sqm is okay, although I’d rather sacrifice hallway space. I would also remove the door in the kitchen. The staircase is probably the key issue; we initially wanted a straight staircase but then realized it was just stuck in our heads. It became a quarter-turn staircase, and now that I see it, I don’t miss anything. Besides the shape, I would rather focus on the design style, because such a thing in the middle of a room has a strong effect. Someone once wrote here that the railing mostly defines the appearance of the staircase, so you should make sure to find something stylish. In this respect, I would prefer to spend money on making it a great staircase (materials/look); the shape is secondary for me. The seating window is probably actually born out of lack of space. But if you like it that way and enjoy living with it, I find it stylish. It’s similar with us—we usually sit next to each other and watch the sheep outside while eating; however, we no longer have children living with us. The technical room can work like that… maybe, but then nothing must go wrong; better a bit bigger. We have 7 sqm and that’s sometimes a tight fit with photovoltaics, controlled ventilation, etc. Every trade demands space there—from telecom to water connection… Careful planning (or having it planned) is necessary! We wanted to place a 2 m tall shelf there, but now it’s only 80 cm wide due to the electric cabinet, etc. Everything turned out wider/different than neatly drawn in the plan. Additionally, there are one or two waste/ventilation pipes, etc.; maybe it was just a problem of our rough-and-ready planner.

Do you all watch TV on the couch in your pajamas? I wear jogging pants and a T-shirt there. With the gangster teenagers nowadays, depending on the jogging pants, you’re probably seen as cool rather than embarrassing…

Best is to fall asleep once in just your ribbed underwear and a beer bottle in front of the TV watching western movies when the teenagers come to visit. Then the problem is solved for the future. There will surely be more suitable locations then. I like your tendency toward the rather minimalist; I have parted with many things, my wife struggles more with that. I think you should discuss clearly beforehand that you want to live that way in the future. Then it also works with much less. It’s stupid only if you realize later that you haven’t considered it consistently enough; generally, however, I find it good. I also like that you—without seeming stubborn—want to implement some things differently even if “people” usually do it another way, like the seating options at the dining table. I’m already curious how it will develop.

We are already considering the idea, so 3x9 m carport + storage room and a 4 meter wide driveway, and between the house and the storage room we would still have 1 meter to walk through to the garden at the back.

Yes, we deliberately do not want more square meters and prefer a minimalist approach. We are also thinking about turning the staircase 180 degrees and accessing it from the hallway. Then dining from the kitchen, which would also be more practical. The staircase, turned separately, clearly separates the living room.

So, a reset once :) I am already looking forward to the new design.
It is the right decision.

Draw all necessary technology with distances in your utility room. It will be difficult to place the washing machine/dryer on top of each other.

They will both rather be placed near the bicycles and trash cans behind the carport, because not only does the boiler not fit through the door to the utility room, and the one to the pantry is just as narrow ;-)

We used to have it like that too, where the kids’ rooms were smaller and the kids always played in the apartment, e.g. the large, square hallway. But I then found the 10 sqm from back then too small, I think from 12 sqm it’s okay, although I would rather sacrifice hallway space. I would also remove the door in the kitchen. The staircase is probably the crux; we initially wanted a straight staircase but then realized it had just stuck in our heads. It became a quarter-turn staircase and when I see it now, I miss nothing. Besides the shape, I would rather pay attention to the style of design, because such a thing in the middle of the room clearly makes an impact. Someone once wrote here that it’s more the railing that shapes the look of the staircase, so you should pay attention to finding something nice. In that respect, I would rather spend money to make it a great staircase (materials/look), the shape would be secondary for me. The seating window probably really grew out of lack of space. But if you want it like that and enjoy it, I find it trendy again. It’s similar with us, we usually sit next to each other and watch the sheep outside while eating, but we don’t have kids living with us anymore. The technical room can be okay... can be, but then nothing must go wrong, better a bit bigger. We have 7 sqm, and sometimes it’s a tight spot with photovoltaics, controlled residential ventilation, etc. Every trade wants space for their equipment, from telecom to water connection... Precise planning (or having it done) is necessary! We wanted to put a 2m tall shelf there, but now it’s 80 cm wide because of the electrical cabinet etc., everything was wider/different than nicely drawn in the plan. Plus this and that waste/ventilation pipe etc., maybe it was just a problem of our rough-and-ready planner. Best is to have once fallen asleep in fine-rib underwear with a beer bottle in front of the TV watching Westerns when the teens come to visit. Then the problem for the future takes care of itself. There will surely be more suitable places then. Your tendency towards minimalism I like, I have parted with many things, my wife finds it harder. I think you should clearly discuss beforehand that you want such a lifestyle going forward. Then it also works with much less. It only sucks if you later realize you haven’t been consistent enough, but generally I find it good. I also like that you want to implement some things – without seeming stubborn – even if “one” usually does them differently, like the seating options at the dining table. I’m curious how that will develop.

Thanks, yes, you really understand where my imagination is going. I have a problem with the standard open floor plans in that the dining table takes up so much space and area. I also see that at my in-laws. I just don’t want to always see the dining group from the couch. Sometimes additionally a separate table/bar counter in the kitchen. I find it a shame for the cluttered space... The note about material choice for the stairs appeals to me. Maybe it will be something spiral... I hoped with the long hallway upstairs and the fairly wide distances between the room doors that there would be more peace in the rooms upstairs, while family life takes place downstairs and can be loud. Honestly, the technical room is too small for me as well. I wanted 10 sqm but the planner didn’t include it or overlooked it in the first draft.