If building again - what to do differently?

I don't understand what you have against ceiling spots

Why? So far I only have something "against" ceiling spots, or rather I would do without them next time. And I have given the reason because it was explicitly asked for. I don't understand your inquiry.

Best burglary protection: look like you have nothing. So, an old/small car in front of the door, park the Benz behind the house. Put a tube TV in the room facing the street. Don’t renew the plaster immediately if it looks a bit shabby. Don’t have a robotic lawn mower, mow with a manual reel mower instead. Don’t have the exterior landscaping perfectly done by a garden landscaper before moving in, but spend years moving soil around yourself only on weekends. Use Euro pallet(s) as an entrance platform and terrace, possibly cover with artificial grass, but not the one with stalks, really just green carpet. No concrete or steel pool, but only an inflatable pool from Pearl. No Steinel lamps, but outdoor and garden lamps from Action! And of course don’t lower the shutters when on vacation (they don’t help anyway, as already mentioned). Better of all, don’t go on vacation, but spend the whole summer on inflatable sun loungers in the garden to the noise of a cheap radio from Bangladesh (China or Malaysia is already too expensive)...

You are certainly right about that, but I don’t know if my wife would still want to build with me with those prospects.... :oops: :eek: Then I’d rather make the windows smaller and save for RC3, even if I could get the pallets and tube TVs for free... :cool: I also don’t consider shutters as burglary protection a good idea, better really RC3. For our new build, we will take fixed glass panes wherever possible this time, we won’t open many windows at all – a point that was still missing on my list.

It’s off-topic, but I’m really surprised by that coming from you. You are our dear folding-shutter-, monument-protection- and plush-pinkie... how come you suddenly think of ceiling spots???

(Cute description, thanks for that. :) ) My husband loves them and I love my husband. ;-) They are supposed to serve as initial orientation; I can put as many table and floor lamps as I want. :) We unfortunately can’t hang pendant lamps because due to the short-term price increase of 15.4%, we have to forego the story height increase. I will mention the price increase more often. ;-)

From my point of view, this (once again) leads to nothing here because it is too individual. Otherwise, all houses would be the same by now.

There are many things that lead nowhere but are still fun. ;-) (Only read if 18 or older!!! For example, otherwise contraceptives would be superfluous. ;-) )

I wouldn’t miss electric blinds functionally to this day; we rarely use them. However, I simply find the straps visually disturbing.

That the straps are visually disturbing, I fully agree with you. In my opinion, the size of the windows (and doors) and the age of the residents play a role regarding electric blinds.

In the open space they only go down when we go to bed, ...

Why do you lower the blinds in the open space when you go to bed? Is that for practical reasons? In our former house I always raised all the blinds again if any were down when I went to bed, so that daylight could come in everywhere early in the morning. Basically, I don’t like closed blinds very much and so far I hope to mostly leave them up in the new house.

In all other rooms, they are lowered after dark.

May I ask why? Thanks.

I always rolled all the shutters back up in our previous house if any shutter was down when I went to bed, so that daylight can come in everywhere first thing in the morning.

That also works if the shutters (all or some) are rolled down at dusk and then all rolled up when going to bed. In the morning, they can gladly be rolled back up.

Why do you lower the blinds in the all-room when you go to bed? Is that for practical reasons?

I am answering from our perspective, we do it the same way. The blinds go down automatically in the evening and up in the morning; intervention happens if needed. The reasons are imagined burglary would be noisier, thermal insulation, privacy. If we are naked at the fridge, okay, with the neighbor without a blind also okay ;) . In midsummer we like to leave the terrace doors and windows open for ventilation and cooling, before that the blinds go down with a slit. We once had a strange cat under/behind the waterbed, and mice etc. also like to run by scent. So, everyone as they like

... between the large open space (kitchen to TV) and the closed kitchen there would still be the option ... cooking and eating as one large room (ideal by the garden) and sofa/TV as a separate closed room. Then the TV is not disturbed when the dishwasher runs after the meal.