The closer the layout of the apartment will be to your needs, the fewer alterations you will have to make during the renovation, and the more efficiently you will be able to use every square meter of space. So the first thing you do is to clarify who will live, how many people will live, how you want to: relax, work, socialize, spend time with your children, entertain guests. On this basis, you understand what area you need for each room. The first thing everyone pays attention to is of course the size of the apartment, the number of windows. But the apartment can be large and at the same time uncomfortable. Our customers are often faced with standard layouts from the builder with elongated rooms, huge unnecessary space in halls and corridors, with indirect corners, with columns in the middle of the room, with ugly risers and pipes in the bathrooms and sometimes even with heating pipes on the ceiling.
Shape of the apartment
Everything is clear with a rectangle. But there can also be a T-shaped or L-shaped apartment. Interior walls are often not load-bearing, which means they can be moved. In the case of an L or T-shaped apartment, the room dimensions can no longer be changed.
Bearing walls and columns
Interior walls can be removed and moved, but load-bearing walls cannot be moved. In some cases, it is allowed to make a doorway in a load-bearing wall, but it still needs to be approved. Ideally, the less load-bearing walls your apartment has, the more you can do with it whatever you want. Columns are also not allowed to be dismantled.
Shapes and proportions of rooms
Great if the rooms are square or if they are an unstrained rectangle close to the golden ratio of 1:1.62. Multiply the small side of the room by 1.62 to get the large side of the room. For example, a 12x20 ft. room is close to the golden ratio. Such rooms are cozy and pleasant to be in. And long and elongated rooms you have to divide into functional zones with partitions.
Windows
For about 160 sq.ft. you need at least one window, the more windows the brighter it will be. Pay attention to which side the window is facing: If you're a morning person, it's great when the bedroom has windows facing east, you wake up and see the sun. When the windows face different sides of the house is also good, airing works better.
Right angles in the rooms
If there are no right angles in the rooms, for example in one of the rooms of 5 corners, then if you leave everything as it is, it will be uncomfortable and there will be internal imbalance. Of course you can solve this issue by creating a storage area in a triangular area. Or if the angle of curvature of the walls is small, then straighten this wall partition of plasterboard, using part of this zone for storage shelves. But it's better to choose apartments with right angles. If we talk about circular walls, then here you need to look individually.
Corridors and halls
If there are too many hallways and corridors, it's not good. It can be either a long hallway, or it can be a huge hallway, or it can be corridors to go to other rooms. Look at whether the hallway has load-bearing walls or not, if the walls are not load-bearing, that's great, everything can be rearranged. Typically, a hallway can be laid out from 50 ft.sq. This is enough to accommodate a storage closet and a pouffe to sit down and take your shoes off.
Kitchen and living room
A kitchen area without an island with a 4-person dining table would require about 130 sq.ft. If you want an island, then the kitchen should be 215+ sq.ft. Of course if you are doing a shared kitchen and living room then there are more layout options. Pay attention to the sewer risers in the kitchen. If you have the riser in one place and you want the sink in another part of the kitchen, you have to run the drain through the floor and raise the floor by 4-8 in.
Bathrooms
If you are 2 people, then 1 bathroom is enough, if you are 3 or more, then you need 2 bathrooms. Developers often draw a bathroom and toilet not to scale to show that their bathroom fits everything. You should allow 70.87 in. for the bathroom, 15.75 in. for the toilet, and 9.84 in. to the right and left of the toilet, for a total of 35.43 in. for the toilet, and at least 23.62 in. wide for the sink. Also consider the installation depth of about 7.87 in. If you intend to have a shower in the bathroom, it will be at least 3.28 feet wide and 2.95 inches deep for the shower area. Pay attention to the risers where they are, they also take up space.
TV area with sofa
Will take at least 108 sq.ft.
Bedroom
The bedroom should have room for a Queen Size bed, bedside tables from 15.75 in. long each, and a 78.74 in. closet. If you also need a desk, it will add another 21.53 sq.ft.
Kid's room
For the children's room is the same as for the bedroom, but there must be a desk with good natural light, and if you need extra space for games from 22 sq.ft.
Walk-in closet
Space from 32 sq.ft. will also work for a walk-in closet, but keep in mind that cabinets are 24 in. deep, if the closet is very small, it will only have cabinets on one wall.
It is best to discuss with the interior designer the layout and what you want to implement before buying an apartment.
