What is a Railroad-Style Apartment?
A railroad-style apartment is one without hallways.
Each room opens directly into the next similar to the layout of a train car.
A remodeled NYC railroad-style apartment by designed by Daniel Rauchwerger and Noam Dvir of @bond_architecture.Eric Petschek /BoND
There can also be a lack of airflow and natural light, particularly in the middle of the apartment.
Railroad-style apartments were built into the early 20th century in tenement buildings.
Modern standards generally consider railroad-style layouts awkward and tend to be less desirable.
NYC tenement railroad apartment in the 1930s.New York Public Library
Today, architects and interior designers use creative solutions to make original railroad-style apartments livable in the 21st century.
Railroad vs.
Shotgun Style Apartments
Railroad- and shotgun-style apartments and homes are modest dwellings.
Busà Photography / Getty Images
Shotgun homes, with roots tracing back to Haiti, have narrow front profiles and long rectangular silhouettes.
The rooms are connected directly without hallways in a shotgun-style apartment or house.
The enfilade style of interior architecture is typical of museums, where one gallery leads into the next.
A remodeled NYC railroad-style apartment by designed by Daniel Rauchwerger and Noam Dvir of @bond_architecture.Eric Petschek /BoND
Tips For Decorating a Railroad-Style Apartment
Railroad-style apartment floorplan by Daniel Rauchwerger and Noam Dvir of @bond_architecture.Eric Petschek /BoND
