"The qualities we long for have everything to do with taking time, building for the long term, crafting and paying attention to who we are, what we care about, and how we affect our world. The Not So Big House celebrates the beauty of daily life. With minimum means, it makes the act of living an art. It restores the soul to the structure. "
- from The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka
I have long recommended the series, "The Not So Big House" by Architect Sarah Susanka as a primer for homeowners considering remodeling. While a Not-So-Big House might be small or affordable, it's much more than that. The Not-So-Big House is actually a design philosophy - a revolution, really. It teaches that your home should be the best (rather than the biggest) that you can afford.
- Bigger is not necessarily better. As a designer, I emphasize lifestyle over square footage and a sense of home over sheer size. A house that is beautiful and that inspires you is more delightful than one that is merely "big".
- Allow your budget and your lifestyle to inspire you. What is your daily life like? What do you value? What sort of design would simplify or complement your way of life? Once you identify what you want for your home, you can take the money you have available and make it work for you in the most powerful way possible.
- Build a little smaller so you have a budget for the details. Again, Not-So-Big doesn't necessarily mean small. Use the money you would have spent on unnecessary square footage and use it to create handy, exceptional or just plain beautiful details in your home.
- Remodel smart. Use storage, lighting, color, furniture arrangement, built-ins and the floor plan itself to make a smaller home fit your needs. Create adaptable spaces that are useful for a variety of functions. Avoid duplicating functions that you've already covered elsewhere in your floor plan.
- Create a home with care, quality and craftsmanship. A well-thought out home with a floor plan that inspires and complements your lifestyle will be appreciated for generations.
I plan to discuss many of these ideas at several classes I am offering at Continuing Education courses this fall. Join us!
Green Remodeling /Acton-Boxborough Tues, Sept 27th, 7 to 9
Green Remodeling/Minute Man Tech Thurs, Oct 20th 7 to 9
Kitchen Remodeling/Acton-Boxborough Tues, Oct 4th & 18th, 7 to 9
Like many folks, you may already have a Sarah Susanka book full of stick-it notes. Show it to us! If you don't have one, we are also offering copies of "Not So Big Remodeling" at our showroom, This Green House Design Center at 358 Great Road in Acton, for half-price ($16) through the month of September for visitors.. Stop by and get your copy.
| A Not So Big example from one of our projects. |
From a review of Not-So-Big-House at Amazon.com: "Talk about timing. Although it was conceived in 2004, "Not So Big Remodeling" arrives right on cue. Where once we bought houses as savings plans, collecting a tidy profit upon their sale and rolling it over to the next house, we now wonder how to make do. Here is salve for our recession depression. Like the other books in the "Not So Big" series, the quest is to live responsibly, sustainably and meaningfully; make every dollar count. The point to taking this new look at your old house is the possibility of making a big impact with relatively inexpensive changes. Not just a book of ideas, this "Not So" helps readers think like an architect along a room-by-room journey of examination and evaluation. Who couldn't use a little more comfortable, functional and sustainable nest right about now? Besides, you might be reading this in the house of your dreams. You just don't know it yet." |