Create Central Access

• Use the plumbing as a central core and create the floor plan around it. Kitchens, laundry areas, closets and bathrooms can share a plumbing or water wall. In fact, in most instances, it's a smart, less expensive way to design a floor plan. Back a bathroom up to a kitchen, and add a laundry closet at either end or next to the bathroom to make for easy placement of dirty clothes. Add a bedroom and living area off the main core.
  
  

Incorporate Work and Living

• Tuck the kitchen, bathroom and closets into a corner and leave the rest of the space for living and work. Open spaces allow tenants to create task areas as needed using furniture, curtains or room dividers. Leave the floor finish the same throughout to give the occupants personal choices about where task areas begin and end. In small spaces, consider adding a breakfast bar between the kitchen and open area to eliminate the need for a dining table and chairs.
  
  

Work With Light

• Use natural light sources to designate living, sleeping and eating areas. Place plumbing walls away from windows to allow maximum views. Use interior areas for closets, storage, entry areas and bathrooms. Add skylights where windows do not provide enough light. Try to light or provide outlets for lighting in each area of importance---kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, closets, entry. Consider floor outlets where spaces become too large for proper lamp spacing.
  
  

Work With Narrow

• Long, narrow spaces can be broken up to create interesting apartment floor plans. The tendency is to create a long narrow hallway along one side of the space, and place bedrooms and storage along the other side with the living area found at the far end of the corridor. Instead, where entry doors are located at the back of the space, try creating an entry area across the full width of the apartment space. Place an opening into the entry room wall by centering the opening and placing necessities like bathrooms, storage and laundry on either side. Moving forward into the apartment, place a small kitchen and breakfast bar on one side and a bedroom on the other with an open living/work area at the end.