After we have already been through the project brief and have discussed the main requirements, it is time to think about functional planning.
Just one glance at the original layout plan is enough for us to see that it is highly unsatisfactory. The living room is overfurnished and inconvenient, the kitchen is impractical, the master bedroom needs additional furniture as per the homeowners’ requirements, and the children’s bedroom needs more free space to move around.
LIVING ROOM – Functional Planning
Problems
As the apartment lacks a separate foyer, you are bound to find yourself right in the middle of the living room upon entering the premises. Even though we like the open concept floorplan, we are going to remodel it and design an entrance area.
In the original layout plan, the dining table stands in the way to the bedrooms and the bathroom. The whole dining area must go elsewhere, so that we can keep the natural traffic flow unobstructed.
The sitting area is way too big for a room of this size. We are also concerned about the sideboard behind the sofa – it’s just way too inconvenient and hard to reach. That’s a problem that needs to be dealt with.
In the kitchen area, the fridge is placed downright inadequately, which is a recipe for disaster. We’re also not OK with the location of the sink. We are going to find a much better solution than that.
Solution
Right next to the front door we are going to design a large floor-to-ceiling unit with storage space for coats, shoes and keys. We are also going to have a built-in refrigerator in the corner end, as well as a built-in washer/dryer machine and an electric water heater.
We are going to build up a partition wall to separate the main living area from the entrance area. We wouldn’t want to make the foyer too dark, so we are going to keep this new partition wall as short as possible, and we are going to add an open shelf room divider.
We are going to put a wall-hung TV on the partition wall with an L-shaped sofa facing it. As the TV will be put up right against a large window, we are going to design a blackout curtain to control sun glare and reflections during daytime.
In the kitchen, we will have the sink placed under the window, with a dishwasher right next to it. The cooking oven and the ceramic hob will go on the adjacent wall where we’ll also have a base cabinet and a drawer unit. Overhead, we are going to have upper cabinets with a built-in range hood.
The bar counter will be replaced by a regular dining table with a pair of chairs and a bench on the inner side. The bench could fit under the table when it’s not in use, so that it’s not in the way of moving around in the kitchen area. The lower base counter to the right of the dining table will be accessible from the living room area.
BEDROOMS – Functional Planning
Problems
Both bedroom are similarly designed in the original architectural plans. The only difference is their size. We have decided that the larger bedroom will be used by the married couple, as that’s the only place that can fit a double bed, a wardrobe, two personal computer desks, plus extra cabinets and storage space. The smaller bedroom will be designed to accommodate two kids in the near future.
Solution
A large fitted wardrobe will take up the whole space in the niche behind the door. The bed will go under the large window. On the opposite wall we’ll have a drawer cabinet with a wall-hung TV. The computer desks will go all along the fourth wall. There we’ll have two working areas and a bookcase.
For the children’s bedroom we are going to design a bunk bed that will go in the innermost corner area away from the window. Whatever space is left there will be taken up by a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe. Another wardrobe will fit in between the bunk bed and the windows. A study area with a desk and a bookcase will be designed along the opposite wall.
BATHROOM – Functional Planning
Problems
The bathroom is actually the only place in the whole apartment where we are mostly satisfied with the original layout proposal. We do have however some concerns with the bathtub. We don’t particularly like the monoblock toilet, either. We’ll also need to add a cabinet for personal belongings and bathroom stuff.
Solution
The bathtub will be replaced with a glass screen protected shower area. The toilet seat will be wall-hung and it will have a built-in water tank. The bathroom sink will go on top of a vanity base cabinet with a drawer. Overhead, there will be an additional wall-mounted cabinet with mirror doors.
All in all, what we get is a functional layout plan that is specifically designed to match the homeowners’ needs despite all size limitations. Tiny homes do require careful consideration of layout options, and a creative approach, but eventually they can all turn into highly comfortable living spaces.
Stay tuned for our next article when we’ll show you our 3D renderings of the design.