Floor Plan Ideas Single-Family House 140 m²

Wanderdüne, you could save your cynical comments. I find them absolutely out of place!

Kazazi, here’s my personal opinion briefly – even though brief opinions are unfortunately not very welcome here, but I think: Better a short statement than none
1.) Possibly better to change the front door hinge, but above all fix the glass part to the right of the front door so that a) it’s easier to walk into the hallway and 2.) not everyone from outside can look right through your house.
2.) I find the bathroom on the ground floor too small. Suggestion: Pull the door out by 1 meter so that it basically stands in front of the actual bathroom section, and adjust the wardrobe installed there accordingly (turn it 90°).
3.) How high should the kitchen partition cabinet be?
4.) No fireplace in the living room anymore? (It can be nicely built into the stair corner, also giving the living room a corner)
5.) I would install a sliding door in the living room, because every door hinge is somehow awkward.
6.) Move the door from room 4 towards the stairs and create a storage room in the empty hallway part, preferably as a lightweight wall so that after the kids move out a gallery can be created here.
7.) I don’t mind that only cabinets up to about 2.50m wide fit upstairs. If the kids all move out, you can make a dressing room.
8.) You can of course put the dormer money into more floor space. Still, there are too few storage spaces for me,
9.) Maybe an open staircase is cheaper, but do you always want to do everything just "cheap, cheap"? Consider: You will live in this for the next decades. You want to save 1,500 euros but then have to keep in mind that you would have to buy furniture to put underneath it: If you want to use the space under it optimally, then best with custom-made furniture – is that cheaper? Everything else is just a compromise again, and the house already seems to me to be a compromise in several points.
Big disadvantage of wooden stairs: They creak and the storage space is less usable. In our stairwell, deep underneath, I have things that are rarely used such as wall paint, heavy winter boots, etc.
Option? Yes, gladly: Ground floor to upper floor a solid concrete staircase with wooden treads laid on top, underneath a storage room, upper floor to attic then an open wooden staircase in the color of the other steps.

Hello,

In that respect, I would be very happy if further suggestions for improvement take this framework into account and are also as constructive as possible ....

I like to stay out of questions regarding the floor plan design because I would often do it differently. My answers would probably also be seen as too professionally biased, maybe even as self-promotion. All unnecessary, like a goiter.

Regarding the staircase in your last draft, I would like to contribute a bit. As I already wrote, it is finally in the right place for me in your room program; with some small corrections to the other parts of the room program – for example, I would also swap the arrangement of the front door and the side panel, but install them as much as possible in line with the glass door (?) to the living area – you will come to a compromise that is acceptable for you.

As for the staircase location, in my opinion, you should think carefully about whether you really want to build it as a concrete staircase, and this has little to do with saving potential, but rather with practical use. Due to the central positioning, it is necessary to enclose it on both sides with the stone of your choice; therefore, it will be darker for structural reasons. If you have an open wooden staircase, it looks airier, friendlier, and underneath there is definitely room for a standard shoe cabinet or a small buffet. Instead of the additional cost for the concrete stair covering, about €800.00 - 1,000.00, invest in a daylight spotlight above the staircase opening and you will have free light in the staircase all day.

In combination with swapping the front door system and glass door to the living area – voilà, bright, friendly, and spacious despite opposing measurements on paper. And by the way, carefully installed wooden stairs do not creak.

In the nearly 7.3 sqm utility room, you can easily store all beer/water crates; a small shelf for canned goods should not be a problem either. Until the attic is fully developed, I would have it partially boarded or have it boarded in advance (works well in EL); then Christmas baubles, skis, & co. will find their way upstairs by themselves.

Rhineland greetings

Thank you very much for the feedback, Bau-Bau & Bauexperte!

2.) I find the bathroom on the ground floor too small. Suggestion: pull the door out by 1 meter so that it is practically in front of the actual bathroom area, and adjust the wardrobe placed there accordingly (turn it 90°).

Here my spatial imagination fails me, can you give me a hint? Door to the left? Let it open outwards? How does the wardrobe still fit then?

3.) How tall should the kitchen separation cabinet be?

That’s still open, but I was thinking of a tall cabinet. We’re also considering pulling up a section of partition wall in front of it, so that the kitchen is visually more separated and you don’t just stare at the cabinet. Sounds good?

4.) No more fireplace in the living room? (It fits nicely into the stair corner, also the living room then just has a corner)

That’s still a point of discussion between Mr. Kaz and me. At the moment, I think the fireplace is probably not in the budget, but if there’s some room left we might do it (according to offer 3650 euros for a single-flue chimney, 16-18 cm diameter, including cladding above the roof with decorative shingles and inspection system with an exit window GVT 103 and two stand consoles + 1 step tile, 150 mm fresh air intake pipe under the floor slab, without connection and finishing).
Otherwise, we might retrofit an external chimney later; I don’t actually find the metal chimneys on the house wall that uncool.

5.) I would install a sliding door in the living room, since any door opening is kind of awkward.

Where would it slide to? Wouldn’t it then only open inward and actually take up more wall space there?

6.) Move the door from room 4 towards the stairs and create a storage room in the empty hallway part, rather as a lightweight partition wall, so that after the children move out, a gallery can be created here.

But then I have no natural light in the hallway again and no shelf space in room 4 behind the door, or am I misunderstanding your suggestion?

7.) That only cabinets up to about 2.50m width fit upstairs doesn’t bother me. When the kids all move out, you can create a dressing room.

Exactly, and a cat room

8.) You can of course use the dormer budget for more floor space.

How do you see the 25 cm widening that is indicated on the ground floor? Or would it have to be more to actually make a difference? How important do you find the 25 cm or more on the ground floor? In the attic, in my opinion it’s not so important to have a wider house, on the ground floor I’m unsure...

I still find there is too little storage space

We also want to use part of the attic as storage space, and we can do that right from the start, even if it’s not fully finished yet, or am I wrong?

9.) Maybe an open staircase is cheaper, but do you always want to just do “cheap, cheap” everywhere?

Cost savings are indeed a motivation, but my main concern was actually the appearance; my thinking went exactly in the direction Bauexperte mentioned.

For example, I would also swap the arrangement of the front door and side panel, but install them as much as possible in line with the glass door (?) to the living area

So that’s what you mean, Bauexperte and Bau-Bau, right:



Glass door to the living room definitely, whether sliding door or regular. We even already considered leaving that completely open for now...

If you have an open wooden staircase it feels airier, friendlier, and under it a commercially available shoe cabinet or a small buffet can fit.

Then I’d have to give up the cabinet or wardrobe space in front of the stairs, right? Unless I leave a partition wall there, but then it probably won’t feel so airy anymore, right? Does anyone have further tips here?

Instead of the additional cost for the concrete stair covering, about €800.00 - 1,000.00, invest in a daylight spot above the stairwell and you will have free light in the stairwell all day.

I first had to google “daylight spot,” the architect mentioned it too, but I didn’t understand it yet. So it’s a kind of round skylight in the attic above the stairwell, correct? And that would also solve the hallway lighting problem if we use the northern hallway in the attic as storage, as Bau-Bau suggests, right?

Best regards,

Kazazi

Hello,

So that's what you mean, Bauexperte and Bau-Bau, right:

For my part, I meant it exactly like that

I would then have to give up the wardrobe or coat rack space in front of the stairs, right? Unless I leave a partition wall there, but then it probably wouldn't feel so airy anymore, would it?

I hardly believe that you will be able to do without the side wall of the stairs facing the front door for structural reasons, because in the floor above the masonry of the ground floor is "repeated"; so the space for the wardrobe remains. That’s also why my approach is specifically not to shade the remaining daylight with a concrete staircase

I first had to google daylight spot, the architect also mentioned it but I didn’t get it yet. So it’s a kind of round skylight in the attic above the stairwell, right? And that would also solve the problem of hallway lighting if we use the northern hallway in the attic as a storage room, as Bau-Bau suggests, right?

Have a look via my sig at our homepage and there under "our philosophy" in the tab "daylight spot"

This spot solves the lighting problem of the staircase because it is supposed to be installed precisely above it; of course you can install additional spots; the principle is always the same.

Rhineland regards

Even though I find the price for the chimney flue reasonable, I would save money exactly at this point. A chimney also needs to be purchased and costs money. Did you want to build with [Kontrollierte-Wohnraumlüftung]? Then it would also have to be independent of the room air. You save about or at least €7000, which you could then rather invest in square meters. Later you can still retrofit an external pipe on the gable side.

I would also move the entrance door like that, including taking over the door hinge. A sliding door into the living room can run in the partition wall between kitchen and utility room. However, I would plan a wide floor-to-ceiling window opposite, there at the dining area, so that it feels a bit airier. Regarding the stairs: maybe mirror the approach? Could you then not shorten the stairwell at the top a bit so that you can widen the hallway at room 4 somewhat??? I am always in favor of planning a 3-meter-wide wall for a bedroom closet. But that doesn’t fit with you. However, I don’t find that bad for you, because between the walls you could cheaply mount rods from wall to wall and put dressers underneath (Ikea is well suited for that). With curtain rails or sliding doors you could then cover it up. That way you would have perfect storage space. But this also applies under a sloping roof, which I think I have already posted here once. Regarding lighting: There is also the option to install a fixed light strip below the ceiling in an interior wall. That can also look very stylish.

Guest WC: the suggestion was to move the door. The idea was to move the door forward but leave the cabinet rotated so that it becomes a built-in closet. Personally, I don’t know if that is more advantageous, as I rather see an airy dresser there instead of a tall cabinet.

If this statement refers to the most recently added draft planning, it is bold... On the contrary, it is finally correct and forms the basic prerequisite for the later, structural expansion of the attic.

These statements affect me deeply.

The OP wants to build a new house for her large family and guests, and thanks to the planners of the house seller, who have not yet proven their qualifications (to put it kindly without merit), there is no functional living room, partly due to the staircase! Large family, guests, and a dysfunctional living room do not go together. That is grotesque, and all other problems (the OP understood what it was about, no glasses) are initially secondary. And now a quick decision is supposed to be made as well. That is simply not good.

don't answer "only" from your own perspective, but keep the questioner's objective in mind.

Agreed.

It can always be better, no question – but often the budget does not allow every recommendation, and not seldom are some comments/recommendations regarding supposedly "better" floor plan issues in general nonsensical and anything but practical for everyday use; if they can even be reasonably built at all. Rhine regards

Yes, often the budget is also an excuse for otherwise inefficient or overall inconsistent planning, so the overall design matters.

Regards WD