We currently have a townhouse with two north-facing children's rooms. We don’t find that bad at all, as long as there are enough windows and therefore daylight. Our children's rooms are 10-11 sqm in size; only one is 25 sqm. Interestingly, that large one is exactly the one that stands empty, and the children prefer to live in the smaller ones. You have to play around a bit with the furnishing. Not every piece of furniture fits. The Stuva series from Ikea has proven effective for us because you can adapt it perfectly to small rooms. I would definitely plan the kitchen open as well, so that there is a sense of spaciousness in the living-dining area. If the staircase is planned inside, I would consider a daylight spot.