The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live | 
 enlarge | Author: Sarah Susanka
Publisher: Taunton
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
Buy Used: $2.48
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Rating:  149 reviews
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 9.8 x 0.7
ISBN: 1561583766
Dewey Decimal Number: 728.37
EAN: 9781561583768
Publication Date: March 31, 2001
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Condition: Standard used condition.
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Amazon.com Review
When describing a favorite room in the house, do you find yourself using terms such as "expansive," "formal," and "spacious"--a marble foyer or a formal dining room perhaps? Or do the words "cozy," "intimate," and "warm" come to mind--a cheery little breakfast nook or a window seat complete with plenty of pillows and a breathtaking view? More than likely, you--like thousands of other homeowners--are drawn to the more personal spaces in your home, where comfort, beauty, and efficiency meet. In The Not So Big House, respected architect Sarah Susanka and coauthor Kira Obolensky address our affinity for the "smaller, more personal spaces" and propose "clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements." The heart of the not-so-big house--which is not "just a small house ... [but] a smaller house," that uses "less space to give greater quality of life," and is designed to not only "accommodate the lifestyles of its occupants" but also to express "our values and our personalities," is discussed in chapter 1, entitled "Bigger Isn't Better." Susanka's urging for homeowners to get creative with their space as well as loads of ideas to encourage that creativity are covered in "Rethinking the House" and "Making Not So Big Work." Discussions of specific needs, such as a home for one and designing for kids, can be found in "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," while "Dreams, Details, and Dollars" gets down to the nuts and bolts of the operation, looking at quality versus quantity, budgeting, and what "low end," "middle ground," and "high end" really mean in home design and construction. Lastly, the authors look at the home of the future, which involves simplifying, recycling, reducing waste, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs, as well as floor plans and Susanka and Obolensky's intelligent and lively dialogue, The Not So Big House is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. --Stefanie Hargreaves
Product Description
This best-seller was met with an extraordinary response when it was published in 1998. In it, visionary architect Sarah Susanka embraced the notion of smaller, simpler shelters that better meet the needs of the way we live today. The book created a groundswell of interest among homeowners, architects, and builders. More than 200 photographs bring the spirit of the "Not So Big" house alive.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 144 more reviews...
 Worth a Look for the Inspirational Possibilities November 7, 2008
Tricia Huff (Cincinnati, OH)
"The paradox we confront is that our productivity has given us the wealth to acquire whatever we desire materially, but we are finding that material alone is an insufficient vision. 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 the world." (page 192, @1998, Taunton Press)
Where most interior/home design books display lackluster writing, Susanka's text is engaging and informative. She asserts that home building rests upon three bases: quality, quantity, and cost. An increase in one, for example square footage (quantity), may mean a decrease in design details (quality). She also shows the reader how the cost of a home has much to do with the sizes of the roof and sides of the building, not just simple square footage as we are prone to assume.
Susanka clearly possesses an abundant passion for homes and home life. The homes pictured are inspirational, (if not inexpensive), in their artful fusion of contemporary space and light. Traditional design details constructed of wood, stone and glass evoke a sense of continuity and comfort. The work of Susanka and her fellow architects strikes a resonant chord with modern man and woman's material and spiritual desires. Even if you are not planning to build a home in the near future, this book is worth a look for the inspirational possibilities alone.
 The Unaffordable Not So Big House October 21, 2008
Larry Greisel (Seattle, WA USA)
1. Many pictures of very beautiful, inspiring houses. Fantastic views looking out the windows. A buildable lot of this size and with views of this quality, within commuting distance of a major U.S. city, will cost at least $1 million.
At this moment in time the U.S. is exiting a housing bubble and entering a deep recession. Americans have an unfortunate lust to purchase far more house than they can afford. Must architect Susanka feed this lust?
2. This is a book about a design philosophy: Design every room to be a comfortable, informal, frequently used, multi-purpose space. Design every house with an optimum traffic pattern, with no wasted space. Design a house proportioned on a human scale. In this aspect, the book is inspiring.
3. Many pictures showing very beautiful, very expensive custom woodwork, expensive custom windows, etc. Here again, pursuit of this ideal would bankrupt every American middle-class worker. Some reviewers have offered the excuse: "An architect-designed house must necessarily be very expensive." But this excuse won't fly: architect Susanka explicitly offers the houses in her book as an alternative to the $500,000 super-sized tract house.
4. Beautiful spaces with none of the clutter of daily life. No children live here, no dogs, no messy adults, no artists immersed in their projects and raw materials. Apparently the owners are busy professionals who only use the house for entertaining.
The only sign of life here is the professional photographer, employed by an architecture journal.
Architect Susanka really should view a few programs on HGTV, to see how humans actually live.
 The Not So Inspiring House July 9, 2008
N. MARTINO
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I ordered this book after reading great reviews since I was in the middle of trying to work out the purchase of a turn of the century home where space was the size of just that, turn of the century. The Amazon review picked all the best photo's in the book and the only pages worth reading in it, so I bought it. I was extremely disappointed to receive a book that had too many 1980 - 1990's dated, uninspiring interiors and not so much in the way of smart architectural choices to think about, as was advertised.
Outdated details, but timeless concepts June 26, 2008
April A. Pierson (Eau Claire, WI)
First of all, I bought this book used and it was not in very good condition. A page that I really wanted to read was missing, for one thing. Unfortunately, I can't recall the seller's name now but I left a bad review when I received no response to my concern.
But anyway, the book itself was very good. My husband and I are remodeling a house built in 1949 which used every nook and cranny for some function. It doesn't fit the modern concept of lots of empty space, so we are working on creating a little more empty space while using some of Susanka's ideas for making certain areas more compact. We are expanding our kitchen into a porch, but the ceiling in the porch is lower and this book gave us the idea to just keep it as it is because lowered ceilings add character and are something Frank Lloyd Wright used. I also like her recommendations for wood trim and moulding to warm up rooms and use many windows to bring the outside in. As my title implies, some of the details are pretty outdated such as any picture involving a computer and the kitchen chairs, but that can be overlooked since the overall ideas are still very usable.
Sound ideas, Great house. May 13, 2008
Anne S. White (Wenatchee, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Not So Big House was given me by a craftsman friend who had used it building his new, wonderful home.
I kept this book through my new addition / remodel project of 7 months, using it as the reference for my decisions.
The ideas are sound; easy to understand and implement. I recommend The Not So Big House to anyone embarking on a home building project who loves good design and is on a budget.
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