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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk 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, author Sarah Susanka, a respected architect and columnist for Fine Homebuilding magazine, addresses our affinity for the "smaller, more personal spaces" and "proposes 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, Susanka looks 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's intelligent and lively dialogue, The Not So Big House is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. --Stefanie Hargreaves
Product Description
Why are we drawn more to smaller, more personal spaces than to larger, more expansive ones? At parties, why do we spend more time in the kitchen and family rooms than we do in the formal living and dining rooms? What makes the sunny, intimate breakfast nook more inviting than the vaulted spaciousness of a cathedral-ceiling great room?
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First Sentence
So many houses, so big with so little soul. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
So many houses, so big with so little soul. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you are building a new house or a remodeling, check this book out. It doesn't show you how to do it, so much as how to think about it. You may discover, on reflection, that the way you use the spaces alters what it is you thought you wanted considerably.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
. .
The author's perspective will very likely save the reader (who wishes to build) time, money and aggravation.
We highly recommended this informative and handsome book. It has the feel of a coffee table book, but has a well articulated reason for being.
th
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a wonderful book. First I was drawn to the pictures which tell their own story of how our homes could be - for a wide audience, not just the rich and famous. I think our souls crave beauty and warmth because we are surrounded with so much that is cold, artificial and an assault on our senses. Second, when I started reading, I found so much that affirmed what I think is an emerging rethinking of our value structure. The tone though is one of telling the truth with compassion, not attacking people for their previous choices. Susanka addresses lots of practical issues from kids areas to storage to the placement of TV's and the use of sustainable resources. She advices how to think globally while acting locally in your own home. It's great stuff. She is enhancing a great paradigm in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. We deserve sustainable, personalized beauty and function rather than the packaged houses that are on the market at the moment. I strongly recommend this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Nice pictures, a few interesting ideas, lacking in substance
A nice book to read with plenty of quality photographs. As with most books the settings seem staged (you never see the occupants in these houses) After the first few chapters one... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Steve Evered
Refreshing
This is my second copy of this book as I lent it to someone and never got it back! It really helped me when designing my last house and I need it again for my next one. Read more
Published on 2 July 2004 by Ms. S. Enmarch
Lovely
This is a wonderful book; beautifully written and full of excellent illustrations and photos. It's clearly aimed at a US audience, but it equally applies to other parts of the... Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2003 by Mr. M. Wilson
A must read for anyone in the market for a new house.
Grab this book and read the text carefully. Don't just glance at the great photos. It is an excellent guide for anyone who is trying to figure out what they want in a house to... Read more
Published on 14 Jun 1999
Shows You How to Have a Big House in Less Space
I bought this book as a Christmas present for my parents. My Dad grew up in a small house and insists on keeping their big house even now that he is retired and they have an... Read more
Published on 20 April 1999
Will change the way you think about homes!
I always thought "bigger is better" when it came to homes- and was depressed because I knew we'd never be able to afford something big. Read more
Published on 13 April 1999
Delightful but not for everyone
From coast to coast, today's suburban landscape is littered with badly designed "trophy houses"- mini mansions that have two negative distinctions: From the outside... Read more
Published on 17 Dec 1998
Excellent Book!
This book really points out the inadequacies in suburban houses. Lots of pictures and great ideas to turn a house into a comfy home. Money well spent!
Published on 10 Nov 1998
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