Critique my house plan

[Bozza]

ES-025-013.pdf

 

It’s too late to change anything now !  I have some regrets about the design but was wondering what you lot think. Great view over hills to the South & north, nice garden to east.  Country lane to north close to the house.    What would you have changed?

[ProDave]

Layout looks good and eficcient, but without seeing how the building sits on the plot I could not comment further.

[Bozza]

13 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Layout looks good and eficcient, but without seeing how the building sits on the plot I could not comment further.

There you go Dave

APP_2019_0862-APPROVED_-_TREE_PROTECTION_PLAN-8580459.pdf

[ProDave]

I see what you mean when you say it's too late to change anything.

 

Yes that is looking very nice and it fits the plot nicely.

[AliG]

Lol, you are asking for it when it is already built.

 

You have done a great job there, I wouldn't want to be negative about someone's house but really I cannot see any issues at all.

 

There are more radiators than I would expect upstairs, is that because you are using the ASHP and running the water through them at a cooler UFH temperature?

[Bozza]

Yeah you’re right but just as much about letting those earlier in process to pick up positive & negatives & ideas for their own build.

 

yes it’s ASHP we’ve actually swapped the 2 rads per bedroom upstairs for 1 larger

 

my own critique is as follows.

 

lounge - door swings onto wall where I’ll have a sofa.  Might be an issue with flow

hall - no vestibule

bedrooms - would have preferred squarer rooms & wardrobes not into roof pitch

family bathroom - a bit tight

kitchen diner a bit tight between island & table and have to walk around table to get to utility

Edited August 22, 2020 by Bozza

[AliG]

We don't have a vestibule. Unless you make it so large that a few people can comfortably stand in it, they just get in the way a lot of the time. I think they are a relic of poorly sealed and insulated front doors.

 

I'll give you the utility room route one, I always look for the routes around people's plans to see if they have issues like this. I cannot see any obvious way to have done it better. You are right in that I think people often draw an island with a table next to it and it needs more space than you would think. I reckon when planing a table position, ideally you want to think how far out will a chair sit when someone pushes it up to stand back and then you need another 800-1000m behind this again for circulation space. This means that a table should be at least 1.6m from an island. But it is the kind of small compromise you sometimes have to make.

 

Have you tried the table all the way to the right so that you can only go between it and the island and not around both sides. One wide space might work better than two smaller spaces? I guess that would require moving the lights.

[ProDave]

We chose not to have a vestibule.  In the last house that was a single storey box tacked on the front.

 

A BIG difference with an air tight house, is when you open one door, on a windy day, you do not get a howling gale blow in.

 

The hall is tiled in slate, as is the adjoining utility room, and that is where you take off your outside footwear.

 

[Bozza]

8 minutes ago, AliG said:

We don't have a vestibule. Unless you make it so large that a few people can comfortably stand in it, they just get in the way a lot of the time. I think they are a relic of poorly sealed and insulated front doors.

 

I'll give you the utility room route one, I always look for the routes around people's plans to see if they have issues like this. I cannot see any obvious way to have done it better. You are right in that I think people often draw an island with a table next to it and it needs more space than you would think. I reckon when planing a table position, ideally you want to think how far out will a chair sit when someone pushes it up to stand back and then you need another 800-1000m behind this again for circulation space. This means that a table should be at least 1.6m from an island. But it is the kind of small compromise you sometimes have to make.

 

Have you tried the table all the way to the right so that you can only go between it and the island and not around both sides. One wide space might work better than two smaller spaces? I guess that would require moving the lights.

Yeah re the table I’d looked at that possibly with an L shaped diner type seat In the corner. Even looked at a table built from the islan as one whole unit. Thing is the table centred on the window gives the view I’ve attached here.  I’ve estimated I’ll have 1.4m from the island, more if I reduce the island from 1.2 to 900 deep.  Or try to get a narrow table with slimline chair back possibly Scandi type design. 

[Ferdinand]

I have a table that folds lengthways.

 

I use it as a desk, but could be a transformable breakfast bar.

[AliG]

If it isn't ordered yet and you don't need the island to be 1200, I think changing it to 900mm would sort you out in the simplest way.

[Bozza]

Yeah thanks folks for the input,  I haven’t yet ordered the kitchen I’m doing it myself after handover but before handover I’m popping in a temp kitchen, namely a handful of base units to get me my habitation cert.
 

This will allow me to see the space for real so to speak.  When I did the design I had a kitchen diner already and moved our old chunky table 1400 from our island and it was ok. Just.  thinning the island is the easiest option as it’s just units Not appliances..  I could even rip the services voids off them to maintain full depth Units that would give me an extra 90mm.  I’ve also got 1400 between units &/island so can push island across a little bit.  Mrs Bozza really wants a big island.  If I used a narrow slimmer table (even glass) that may help.  

[Ferdinand]

To narrow the island you could fit wall units one side, if the heights work.

[ProDave]

This is my 900mm island with 1400mm between the main units and island

 

 

That picture is still with the temporary worktop on the main run before we got the granite fitted.

 

Beware of reducing the gap to less than 1400 before sign off, you may fail to meet circulation space requirements.

 

I have a feeling our island may go for a bit of a walk after sign off........

 

[Bozza]

Thanks Folks DIY kitchens do 460 deep units too so I’ve definitely got options.   Difficulty though is I need to order the desired units and end decor panels ahead of moving in as Mrs Bozza wants the kitchen done for Xmas.   Entry date 27 Nov.   I asked Mrs Bozza would you prefer a larger distance between island and dining table, or a deep island.  She replied both. ?
 

At our last house our dining room table was about 90cm from a wall on one side and we got folk seated there ok.  Tight but ok.  Funny thing is we dont use the dining table much.  I think a combination of narrowing the island a bit (so Mrs Bozza doesn’t notice), moving it slightly left a bit, buying a slimmer table and narrow styled chairs might just be ok.  Some of the other options she’s not keen on.  Personally I quite like the table connected to the island look.

attached pic suggests it possibly doable 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Bozza