 NOT SO BIG HOUSE (photo by Roarofthefour) |  BIG HOUSE (photo by Dean Terry) |
To anyone who is considering building a new home or remodeling an existing one, I recommend reading architect Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big House books. A “not so big house”, by Susanka’s definition, is not necessarily a small house, but one with a floorplan inspired by our informal lifestyle, where each room is used every day. It combines the beauty of a large house with the efficiency of a small one, favors quality of design over quantity of space and is filled with special details that express our values and personalities.
Sarah’s first book, The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live (written in 1998) struck a chord with readers, and she went on to write six more books in the series, including books on remodeling, interior details and landscape design. For an introduction to the NSBH concept, I recommend starting with her first book, mentioned above.
In addition to the Not So Big House series, she wrote a book in 2004 called Home By Design, which explains 27 principles of design which are the building blocks of well-designed homes. Principles include “the process of entering”, “ceiling height variety”, “light to walk toward”, “pattern and geometry” and “point of focus”. Home By Design is a great book for anyone who wants understand some of the tools that architects use to design beautiful spaces.
Susanka’s books are beautifully illustrated, very accessible and can be applied to any home, regardless of style. Her website is www.notsobighouse.com
Sarah’s first book, The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live (written in 1998) struck a chord with readers, and she went on to write six more books in the series, including books on remodeling, interior details and landscape design. For an introduction to the NSBH concept, I recommend starting with her first book, mentioned above.
In addition to the Not So Big House series, she wrote a book in 2004 called Home By Design, which explains 27 principles of design which are the building blocks of well-designed homes. Principles include “the process of entering”, “ceiling height variety”, “light to walk toward”, “pattern and geometry” and “point of focus”. Home By Design is a great book for anyone who wants understand some of the tools that architects use to design beautiful spaces.
Susanka’s books are beautifully illustrated, very accessible and can be applied to any home, regardless of style. Her website is www.notsobighouse.com
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