The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live | Sarah Susanka

The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live | Sarah Susanka | wonderful book

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The Not So Big Hou...

	The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live Sarah Susanka Taunton, 2001 - 208 pages average customer review:based on 147 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

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.

Sound ideas, Great house.

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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wonderful book

This book was absolutely awesome. Beautifully illustrated, excellent content, and I totally agree with the idea that McMansions are not the way to go. I'd much rather have a smaller home that has been personalized to me and made beautiful than some big, cold half-empty McMansion.

Outdated details, but timeless concepts

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.

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Are these homes really small?

I was expecting her projects to downsize to ~1000 square feet. It felt like she was reducing large McMansions to smaller McMansions. Good photographs though!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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