Studio living comes in many forms, from the singleton's starter home to the holiday flat and the weekday pied " terre for the worker unwilling to commute. Space will be tight but let in light and make your furniture multitask hard.

What is a studio apartment?
A largely open-plan flat on a single floor. The usual configuration is a combined sitting room, bedroom and dining room. A galley kitchen is sometimes incorporated along one wall, or both bathroom and kitchen may be separated from the central space.

How will I find one?
Studio flats can be tucked away almost anywhere, so tell the agent precisely the part of town you fancy. If you are happy to rent, you will find a studio more easily: leasehold examples do come on the market, but the options for rent are far more numerous.

What should I look for?
Centrally located, purpose-built studios rather than a DIY conversions; on the top floor, or with access to the garden. Natural light and built-in storage are a bonus.

What is the best configuration for me?
Decide what you can happily sacrifice. If your studio is a weekday dormitory in the city, you may not want to cook, but you might need a bit of extra square footage to put up friends: overlook the lack of a separate kitchen but insist on a larger central space, with enough room for a couple of sofabeds.

Will a studio be cheap?
You will find few under £200,000 in central London, in areas such as Regents Park, where large apartments are pitched at seven figures and above. In Bristol, for example, these first footholds on the property ladder can be under £100,000.

How can I make the most of the space?
The long low lines of B&B Italia-style coffee tables and modular sofas can be used to create zones in your studio without overcrowding the space. If your taste is for antiques, campaign furniture fits the bill – the compact, foldaway chests and travelling tables used by 18th- and 19th-century Englishmen abroad.

What about a wardrobe?
Insist on built-in storage for clothes, books, dishes, linen and TV and hi-fi. Some firms, such as Domus, specialize in designing problem-solving storage for underutilised areas of your home, such as above doors and radiators.

Or shape-changing, multifunctional furniture?
Try Mark Humphrey's B001; it combines bed and cocktail cabinet, clothes storage and desktop with internet access. Or B&B Italia's Cloud range, which can transform from a bench to a sofa by adding on other elements.

Decorative tips?
Use textiles and paint colour to establish boundaries. A rug can mark out the border between bedroom and living room. Warm colours can flag up the difference between your seating space and crisp, white kitchen area.

Paints or papers?
In general, keep it simple: plain, pale paintwork. Oversized, bold pattern on one wall, such as Cole & Son's 'Orchid', can be a striking decorative device but beware of small, detailed designs.

Life in one room?
Studio flats are not for those who crave a room for every mood, but lightweight, semi-opaque sliding screens, such as Draks's room dividers, can create a sense of many spaces within one open-plan home.

How can I maximize the light?
Make the most of daylight by doing away with heavy curtains and installing slatted or Roman blinds in translucent materials.

What about the kitchen?
Noise and smells are the enemy in a confined space. Ideally, the kitchen should be separate from the rest of the flat. Otherwise, make sure you have a good extractor fan and go easy on boisterous gadgets such as espresso machines.

Get the look
• B&B Italia, 250 Brompton Road, London SW3 2AS, www.bebitalia.com
• Campaign furniture: Christopher Clarke Ltd, The Fosseway, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1JS, www.antiques-in-england.com
• Mark Humphrey, Albany House, Shute End, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BJ, www.markhumphrey.co.uk
• Domus Furniture, 6-7 Tilia Road, London E58 8JB, www.domusfurniture.co.uk
• Cole & Son, Unit G10, Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, London SW10 OXE, www.cole-and-son.com
• Draks, Unit 221, Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire OX25, www.draksonline.co.uk

WORDS KATRINA BURROUGHS