Best Layout For A Small Apartment (apartments, rental, tenant)

[TommyThePlumber]

My mother owns/lives in a legal three family house. One of the apartments is small cottage, the tenant just moved out after 15 years and the place is getting some needed work, mainly a new kitchen, bath, boiler and heating system. Currently their is a separate bathroom, kitchen, living area and bedroom crammed into a 19' x 19' apartment. The wall between the kitchen and living area is being removed to open that up. I suggested opening the entire apartment up. I posted pictures of the existing layout (first picture) and my proposed layout (2nd picture) and how I would set it up if living there (3rd picture). Which layout would be better for living and do you think one or the other would get a higher rent?

[TransplantedFloridian]

[TommyThePlumber]

Only problem with your concept, no bunkbeds. How do you do activities without bunkbeds?

[TransplantedFloridian]

Originally Posted by TommyThePlumber

Only problem with your concept, no bunkbeds. How do you do activities without bunkbeds?

You're right...dang it.

[ocngypz]

Keep the existing bedroom configuration.

Without it...........it's a studio apartment...........no longer a one-bedroom.

[OhBeeHave]

I second keeping the original layout. My first cottage rental was 20'x 20'. The front door was centered. The living room was front right, kitchen rear right. Bedroom 1 was front left, bedroom 2 (glorified closet) and bathroom rear left. The kitchen living room side was about 60% of the space. For 2 people it was fine. The living room held a sectional, bookcase, entertainment center and cocktail table without looking cluttered. We didn't open into the kitchen. Instead of a kitchen table, we built an island that doubled as a dining area/counterspace and placed a small washer dryer under it. (The w/d were a stackable set we chose not to stack.)

[OhBeeHave]

This is similar to what I lived in: