Sound barries....

Remember that one of the most profound irritations of small space living is the intrusion of other peoples noise. On the whole, it is much easier to contain loudness in the room of its origin than to keep it out of any other area, so retain barrier doors in a family dwelling, and improve sound insulation generally by laying carpet and underlay in all the rooms and on any stairs, landings or halls.Line the walls of relevant  rooms   a teenagers bedroom that contains a stereo perhaps or one where a noisy hobby is carried on  with cork or fabric covered softboard on which mementoes can be pinned.
If racucous neighbours are your problem, putting these measures into operation will bring you some peace, but getting on good enough terms so you can encourage them to do the same is even more effective.

A solid run of shelves filled with books or records acts as an extremely efficient layer of sound insulation. Cover the wall behind them with cork, softboard or thick fabric to muffle music or the noise from a television, typewiter or sewing machine even more effectively.

To increase light in your home.......

To increase light in your home dramatically replace solid doors with those containing clear glass panels. Glazed internal doors will give an impression of greater speace while cutting noise levels and maintaining maximum insulation.