Apartment Layouts Should Offer More Options

When building new apartments and renovating older ones, for example for the purpose of sale, certain planning standards have emerged. These are undoubtedly economical and easily implemented, but on the other hand, they reduce people's opportunities to design their homes more uniquely. This becomes particularly evident when looking at apartment drawings, where the locations of sofas, beds, and tables tend to always be the same.

But what if I wanted things differently? I've written down some thoughts worth considering when building new apartments or doing renovation work on some older residential spaces (of course within the limits of what's possible). I've also added some suggestions for improving overall living comfort.

– Floor-to-ceiling windows are undoubtedly good light providers in our latitude, but on the other hand, they also limit the possibilities for placing furniture. I recommend planning different window types so that, for example, in a home office you can place a desk under the window without the desk partially blocking it.

– Socket locations in the living room. I recommend placing them on opposite walls so that the sofa and television location are not too fixed. I've seen such a solution in some new developments and I recommend it to others as well. Many people want to position their sofa in a way that takes into account the location of a neighboring building or perhaps a nice forest view.

– Socket locations in other rooms. I recommend installing power strips also where a wardrobe is typically planned. Depending on the size of the household, the presence of a large cabinet may not be necessary in every room, and in its place you could create a pleasant work corner where everything needed for power supply is available.

– Hallways in new buildings. I recommend planning electrical panels and heat exchangers so that they can be hidden in wardrobes. It's aesthetically nicer.

– Bathroom location. If possible, do not plan the bathroom door right next to the entrance door. This creates a situation where dust and dirt brought in from outside are quickly spread through the rooms.

– Guest toilet. In large apartments there are often two toilets, one of which is for guests. I've seen situations where two bathrooms are located directly next to each other. It's better to avoid this as it's simply unnecessary space usage.

– Radiators. Although water floor heating has already become standard in many new buildings, recently completed residential buildings still have radiators standing on the floor. It's very ugly if they're installed in front of a floor-to-ceiling window and also curtains may need much more space in that case at the expense of the room. I recommend considering a different location or planning the lower part of the windows higher from the floor, creating a light recess in the wall for the radiator.

– Balconies and terraces. When casting a quick glance at the balconies and terraces of new residential buildings during summer, you immediately get a clear picture of which ones are in use and which ones are not. Square or more spacious rectangular balconies are most enjoyed by residents. Likewise, wide terraces at least partially covered by a roof. The most unpopular are narrow balconies and terraces that run around the apartment. You might have 40 square meters of terrace, but if it's narrow and everything has to be arranged in what we call a corridor system, then it's very non-functional. Many such terraces are unfortunately empty.