The Not So Big House

I wrote a post a while back about my thoughts on the American McMansion. I received a few responses from people who felt the same way about them, but one response in particular intrigued me. David Helm told me about a book called "The Not So Big House", and that it might interest me since I was writing an anti-McMansion blog post.

Well I think the word about this book should be spread. The book is written by Sarah Susanka, an architect. That alone should tell you that economic considerations are not the focal point of this book. Rather, The Not So Big House is about quality over quantity. Anybody who has paid attention knows that quantity, in the form of McMansion housing, has all but taken over home building in America. Unused, impractical space in a home is ridiculously common in builder's floor plans these days, but that is where Susanka's book comes in.

The gist of the book is not that you should live in a small house. It's that you should utilize space wisely, create more livable space, and do so on a scale more fit for your family as opposed to a small village. You do not have to sacrifice style or comfort either. What you will find are spaces that you might call 'cozy', or 'warm', rather that 'vastly spacious', or 'magnificently scaled'. If you prefer the latter terms, this book probably is not for you.

You do not have to have deep pockets to follow Susanka's advice. Some of the book covers people who obviously spent a lot of money, but that's not the rule. Anyone can apply these principles in building their own home. If you've already built, read it still and I'm sure you'll get some good ideas on how to modify your space.