House entrance with hallway or without

Hi, from my parents' experience: Windfang - among other things, it serves to catch dirt as much as possible right here. The wardrobe was then behind it in the large hallway (70s bungalow), the biggest risk was that someone opens the front door (east side), leaves the inner door open, and someone else opens the terrace door (west side) at the back. Many glass inserts in the inner door ended up broken. At my parents-in-law's (70s house): no Windfang present, directly into the hallway that runs through the entire house. Not very pleasant - you can feel it in the kitchen in winter when someone opens the front door. The template of our house had no Windfang, it went straight into a large hallway with wardrobe, stairs up/down. It seemed friendly, but there was already a lot going on in the hallway (Bobby car, children's boots, jackets here and there, etc.). Therefore, we deliberately chose a slightly larger Windfang / wardrobe - with a branch off to the ground floor shower bathroom (which is indeed well used when someone comes back from running). The stair area / transition to the kitchen / dining-living area stays tidier, and inside it feels cozier. I am still looking for the right wardrobe (or a good carpenter - I fear I will have to design the wardrobe myself).

That you enter the living area directly from the front door, I only know from American TV and film productions and have always found that very strange.

We didn't have a hallway in our rental apartment.. so you just have jackets and shoes directly next to the dining room or living room furniture. And it always looks a bit messier there. So for us it was clear, a hallway has to be. But that's a matter of taste... just like an open kitchen (I never wanted one and never will ) Weigh the pros and cons, maybe look at a few solutions with an open living area. Then you'll surely find out what suits you best.

During a viewing, we had the apartment entrance directly into the open-plan kitchen (next to it was then the stairs to the 2nd floor, maisonette) - and it was clear to us that if possible there should really be a large hallway/vestibule.

Do you have children? If yes, bring the hallway! When the command comes to go out into the wilderness, you will thank yourselves.

That you come directly from the front door into the living area, I only know from American TV and film productions and have always found that very strange.

My wife has an aunt in L.A. with such a bungalow. There, the suggested hallway area leads directly into the living room. The jackets (if you need them in California) disappear into one of the many built-in closets. This can definitely feel cozy, but due to the climate, it can only be applied to Germany to a limited extent.

We do have a hallway, but we deliberately left out the door between the hallway and the living room with the option to retrofit this door. Relatives and acquaintances have said that by winter at the latest, you'll put the door in. So far, I don't miss it, and certainly not a windbreak. Most of our doors are open anyway. I believe no one could have imagined an open-plan kitchen 30 years ago, so why not an open hallway.