Which Floor Plan is Right for You?

• Category: Apartment Living, Feeling Great in Your Home
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Which style apartment is right for you? When shopping for an apartment, you are dependent on using your imagination to picture your furniture and belongings in the model apartment you see. Below are some floor plan design elements to consider to decide if the apartment space is right for you.

Evaluating floor plan space
The most first thing to look at in a floor plan is space. The best floor plan design might not have enough actual space for you, your family, and your belongings. On the other had, some floor plans might have too much space.

Looking at the amount of square footage on a paper floor plan is not always a good indicator of how usable the space itself will be for you. An apartment might be a good size on paper, but when you get all your possessions in it, it may be too small. So how can you tell if the square footage is enough? Interior designers recommend looking at the space and classifying all the rooms into three categories: private areas, service areas, and public areas.

Private areas include the spaces where you want to be alone: your bedroom, your office, and your bathroom. In a good apartment floor plan, these private areas will be separated from busy public areas by physical barriers.

Living rooms are an example of public areas, the social spaces where you entertain, relax, and live most of your day-to-day life. These should be spaces where you can do a variety of activities from hosting a party to simply reading a book.

Service areas include the kitchen, which is a highly functional space that you use for a particular purpose. When you evaluate these spaces, look for logical layouts that will make your life easy.

Thinking about separating floor plan space into these three areas should give you a better idea of whether or not an apartment has enough usable space.

Storage considerations
Don’t underestimate the importance of storage space in your new apartment. Everybody needs a place to put food, clothing, and important valuables.

Evaluate the built-in storage space like closets, cabinets and pantries. Look for an apartment design that incorporates these storage features throughout the home and makes them easily accessible.

If you look around an apartment and don’t see as many built-in storage areas as you’d like, don’t write it off just yet. The floor plan may still work for you if it’s spacious enough to hold a lot of non-built-in storage furniture like dressers, shelves, or trunks.

Foot traffic
Traffic patterns are another important floor plan consideration. A floor plan’s traffic pattern refers to the way a person has to walk through the apartment to get from room to room. The best apartment designs are arranged so that you can move easily from space to space as well as enter and exit easily. It is best to look for floor plans where foot traffic patterns do not create too much movement in the private areas.

Questions to ask about floor plan design
When you’re evaluating an apartment floor plan, ask yourself the following questions to decide whether a space will work with your lifestyle:

• Will each person in your apartment have enough space to him/herself?
• Are bedrooms separated enough from living areas?
• Is there room everyday living?
• Does the apartment design include a logical foot traffic pattern?
• Are entrances and exits conveniently located?
• Is there enough storage space?

The key to finding the right apartment floor plan is to consider what really works for your specific needs. Think about how you need your space to function, and you’ll make the right choice.