Single-family house, approximately 160m², Bauhaus style; first draft according to our wishes

On board but rather just following along, the discussion has gotten a bit out of hand.

Hello Notstrom,

I have also been just reading along for a long time and back then I didn’t "dare" to upload my floor plans. The house has now been finished for almost a year and I am very satisfied, although I didn’t seek any opinions. I was really afraid of getting totally confused back then. And I think that is slowly happening to you too, Notstrom. Personally, I find your house quite successful. That is also the reason why I want to step in here before you change the architect. Also because I like cubes, I have built one myself.

To contribute something constructive to the thread again: You say exterior views/windows will come later. I would move away from these classic 2-part "normal" windows and rather install vertical or horizontal windows or equally sized glass fronts like below. It looks more modern and fits the cube better (speaking from my own experience). I like the separated living area, I would just enlarge it a bit so that the passage to the dining room is not so narrow. Move the stairs a bit to the right side of the plan. Delete the storage room (you have a huge basement!), and instead make the wardrobe bigger. I wouldn’t open the stairs to the dining room because it’s always noisy upstairs and food smells rise (despite controlled residential ventilation and extractor hood, just put a lasagna on the table for 20 minutes). Better a large glass door, which also brings a lot of light into the hallway. I would probably move the fireplace as well because of the narrow passage. In my opinion, the living area has too few south-facing windows. Corner glazing would look cool there.

Upstairs, I don’t find the dressing-bedroom-bath area optimal either, although I personally find the bedroom cozy. It is better to have the dressing room between the child and the sleeping area. I would also definitely do without the second bathroom door. It only steals space and saves exactly one door to open and close. But then you have to lock a second door. If you move the stairs to the right side of the plan, changes will happen anyway. The kids’ rooms can become bigger and the bent wall between the two rooms can disappear.

And because it rained through for 12 hours in Bavaria yesterday, I worked my thought processes into your floor plans using Photoshop.

Maybe it will give you some ideas for further discussions with your architect.

P.S. I would definitely not make a separate access from the hallway to the living room. That’s just uncomfortable and takes up space again. Back then, the draftsman wanted to talk me into a passage because you basically have to walk through the kitchen to get to the living room in our house. I’m really glad we didn’t do that and that I ended up with a large, cozy, sheltered sofa corner.

I really like your floor plan, there is actually nothing I would have to criticize, at most the window in the bedroom that is not symmetrically placed :P

I would also really find a direct access to the living room unnecessary.

I have also been just lurking for a long time and back then I didn't "dare" to post my floor plans. The house has now been finished for almost a year and I am very satisfied, although I did not seek any opinions. At that time I was really afraid of getting totally confused.

Although or because, that is the question here

I have incorporated my thoughts into your floor plans using Photoshop.

Although for simplicity’s sake you probably didn’t adjust the windows, your suggestion

I would move away from these classic 2-part "normal" windows and would rather install vertical or horizontal windows or equally large glass fronts like below. It looks more modern and fits better with the cube (speaking from my own experience).

I actually find very good. The mini-light strip with only two segments is – especially with "normal" heights – a very unoriginal Bauhaus detail

I wouldn’t open the staircase to the dining room because it’s always noisy upstairs and the cooking smells rise up (despite controlled residential ventilation and extractor hood, put a lasagna on the table for 20 minutes).

The kids notice the smell anyway even with headphones on

The living area has too few windows facing south in my opinion. Corner glazing would look cool there.

You don't have to worry about where the money goes. No..., everything is nice and should work. Well, I like your comment. However, I don't find the living room cozy. The sightline to the dining area is too open for that, and the corner window is also in the same row there.

Although or because, that is the question here

You are right there, probably also "because". But regardless of whether the forum likes a floor plan or not, the goal is that the builder lives in it later and thinks "Perfect, I feel comfortable and wouldn't have done anything differently afterwards". Unfortunately, reality is often different (I know this from acquaintances – and most of them had an architect). One should open a thread titled "What I would do differently next time", there would certainly be many posts.

Although you probably didn’t adjust the windows for simplicity’s sake, your suggestion

Correct, only partially in the living room, bedroom, and bathroom. I would have to think about the rest myself first.

However, I do not consider the living room cozy.

Opinions and feelings are just that different. For me, a living room is cozy when I have solid walls on two sides behind me – meaning behind the sofa. The view may then wander into the garden or other rooms and at the same time give me a feeling of more space. A windowless cave is cozy too but not desirable. What I absolutely cannot stand and yet is done again and again: placing the sofa in front of floor-to-ceiling windows just to somehow fit the TV. I feel zero security there, especially when it gets dark or when neighbors or the street can look in. The living room of the emergency power in the first floor plan was uncomfortable. Two open entrances and windows at the back.