We are the only guests that night and take dinner alone in a large living-dining room whose floor-to-ceiling windows look out on a grove of pines.

Each has a full kitchen, living-dining room with working fireplace and bathroom, and a large loft upstairs.

At the back of this room, a stairway leads up to two cupboard-style bedrooms, and another stairway goes down to the now-windowless original living-dining room and kitchen.

Apartments have woodburning fireplaces in living-dining rooms 24 feet by 40 feet, two baths, walk-in closets, ceiling heights of 13 to 17 feet and large arched windows.

Their tiny living-dining room has a table, a loveseat and a ladder that leads through a hatchway to a subterranean space where the uninitiated might imagine rats scampering freely.

The main floor has a 12- by 19-foot living-dining room, two bedrooms and kitchen and bath, plus hookups for a washer and dryer.

In a combined living-dining room and open kitchen, a small dining table unfolds to seat 10 people.

Hicks had a two-bedroom unit, which compensated for the smallish living-dining room.

A primary example of this style is the Lewis Court Cottage, which had a large scale pergola acting as an entrance, living-dining room and outdoor porch.

It was tiring, but the one available apartment was a find: two bedrooms, two walk-in closets, a medium-size living-dining room, plenty of sunlight, $875 a month.