Sarah talked about her new showhouse in Libertyville, Ill., which feature both Marvin and Integrity windows. She shared some of her design tips with us. Here’s a sampling.

• Varied ceiling heights. This makes a room feel cozy instead of stark.
• Aligning the house so that the eye has something to be drawn towards. For instance, Sarah designed the entry of the Libertyville house with a recessed shelf that can hold some artwork or a vase of flowers. You see the focal point as soon as you enter in through the door.
• Walking towards light. As Sarah reminded us, human beings are drawn towards light, so when designing a home, it’s important that we are able to move towards light-filled spaces, whether that is a window, a door, or just a lighted area on a wall.
• Multi-use spaces. Sarah showed us a floor plan that could be switched around to include large gatherings. As she pointed out, in traditional home plans, there are often spaces that get used once or twice a year. Why not design homes to be as flexible as possible?

Learn more about Sarah and her Not So Big philosophy here.

Image courtesy of Susanka.com.

Design tips from Sarah Susanka is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

Look around the SchoolStreet housing development in the northern Chicago suburb of Libertyville and you’ll witness a trend that’s experiencing a major resurgence across the country: front porches.

Increasingly, American homeowners are tired of hiding out in their backyards. A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders found 50 percent of all new single-family homes now feature a front porch, an increase of eight percent from just a few years ago.

Why the sudden interest in front porches?

Paddy Steinschneider, chief operating officer for the New York Chapter of the Congress of the New Urbanism, offered an interesting theory in a New York Times feature earlier this year:

When we embraced this weird thing called suburbanization, homeowners started living in their backyards. Front porches fell out of favor, especially in the late 1900s. Now people are turning back to them… New urbanism didn’t invent front porches, but it recognizes the importance of the porch in making the idea of community work. You can sit on your porch and watch the comings and goings of your neighbors and share a friendly hello. A deck in the backyard can’t do that for you.

Among the SchoolStreet homes prominently featuring a front porch is the Not So Big Showhouse, which was designed by architect and author Sarah Susanka. The front porch is no small feature, either. Susanka positioned the kitchen toward the front of the house, so homeowners are invited to enjoy their meals on the porch while taking in the vitality of the surrounding neighborhood.

(Of course, there’s another charming feature we enjoy about Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse — the special Marvin window Susanka designed as part of the myMarvin Artist Project.)

Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse — front porch and all — will go on public display this week. On Thursday, Susanka will appear at Libertyville High School to present her home, answer questions and sign books. On Saturday, Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The house is located at 138 School Street in Libertyville.

[Photo by Barry Rustin]

Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse includes a classic feature on the comeback – the front porch is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

According to NewUrbanism.org, new urbanism ”promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities.”

Perhaps no one has championed the benefits of New Urbanist construction like architect Sarah Susanka, author of the best-selling Not So Big book series that celebrates the smaller, more practical home without compromising quality.

This week marks the grand opening of Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse in Libertyville, Ill., a northern suburb of Chicago. The 2,500-square-foot house emphasizes functionality and multipurpose spaces. For instance, there’s no formal dining room. (Who actually uses them anyway?) There’s a large front porch before floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the neighborhood. There are no cathedral ceilings to be found and energy efficiency is a top consideration. There is no excess to be found — every room has its role.

The house also includes the special Marvin window Susanka designed as part of the myMarvin Artist Project.

Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse is a part of the SchoolStreet housing development in downtown Libertyville, a new urbanist neighborhood that promotes a strong sense of community. So much so that most of the homes feature kitchens positioned toward the front of the house, inviting homeowners to eat and socialize on the front porch rather than be secluded in the back.

On Thursday, Susanka will appear at Libertyville High School to present her home, answer questions and sign books. On Saturday, Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The house is located at 138 School Street in Libertyville.

For more information, visit the SchoolStreet website.

New Urbanism: A residential trend on display in Sarah Susanka’s Libertyville showhouse is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

For Marvin’s Life Remodeled series, we teamed up with leading designers, architects, and fine artists and documented some of their current work. Watch as their projects go from inspiration to realization.

Case Study: Lake House from our Life Remodeled series is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

While conjuring up comfort in the home seems like a basic principle, it’s a far more complex process for architect & remodeling guru Sarah Susanka, who believes that comfort can significantly influence the sustainability of your personal abode. With her mantra of “build better, not bigger,” Susanka promotes quality over quantity when remodeling a home. Through transforming your living space into a more beautiful and comfortable environment, Susanka says that any home’s occupants will automatically take better care of their space in a more sustainable way. We sat down with Susanka to get the low-down on how to do more with less when revamping your space.

Read the full interview here.

5 tips on green home remodeling from “Not So Big” author and architect Sarah Susanka is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

Sal discussed many issues of importance to builders and remodelers, but there’s some valuable information in there for homeowners, as well. The following is an excerpt. To read the whole interview, please visit the Builder Blog.

What’s your favorite architectural style?
The American Four Square is one of my favorites, and I also like bungalows. And of course, working in New England, I saw a lot of Capes and Colonials. I spent a lot of time remodeling and adding on to classic Vermont farmhouses, many of which started out as post-and-beam Capes, and had at least two major additions by subsequent generations. In my experience, the original, which was built by grandpa, had the best bones, and it was all downhill from there. But during those years working for the design-build firm, which was operated by three architects, I built a lot of modern stuff, too.

Comparing cost to value, year after year, which remodeling projects stay near the top?
Replacements are always near the top. In fact, over the years, they have consistently outperformed additions and interior remodeling. That said, kitchens and baths are still the focus of a lot of remodeling activity, and they are the rooms that prospective buyers are most interested in.

Let’s talk footprint: Add on, bump out or work within the existing footprint?
The recession has really changed the way homeowners look at this issue. Big additions are simply too expensive, because they involve breaking ground, foundation work, and a lot of exterior matching to the existing home. Plus, permits are often harder to get. For the same money, you can often remodel within the existing footprint and end up with higher-quality finishes.

Do you think consumers are remodeling for function or style?
Back in 2005, homeowners were standing in line, waiting to get on the list for a major addition or whole-house remodel. Everybody wanted the best of everything and the sky was the limit. Those days are over. There’s more interest now in “need to do” projects than “want to do” projects. Even homeowners who have no intention of selling feel less wealthy because they are unsure of what their home is worth. So they are spending to repair and maintain, and postponing major makeovers. And credit is still hard to find.

I do believe, though, that there is a lot of pent-up demand out there. As soon as people feel comfortable about economic stability, they will start thinking about remodeling projects that create new space, different space, better space. That’s especially true if they aren’t planning to sell or aren’t sure they can get the value they want out of a sale. In that position, they’re likely to think, “Why not remodel?”

Is the formal living room dead?
That’s a more important question for a builder than a remodeler. One advantage remodelers have is that their clients have already spent some time living in the space and they know what works and what doesn’t, what they want to keep, what has to go, and what’s missing. They can’t always articulate it plainly, but a good remodeler who asks lots of questions and listens carefully to the answers eventually deciphers the message.

That said, in general I think spaces that are visually connected have been the norm for a while. Small, cozy spaces are still important, but there are ways to accomplish that without actually erecting walls between those spaces. Designers like Sarah Susanka have made those ideas accessible to the general public, but the design principles have been around for a long time.

Trends in remodeling gleaned from a chat with an expert is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

• Built Around You: Laundry in a Closet
• Remodeling Using ‘Quality Over Quantity’
• Unusual homes: Cool conversions
• How To: Grow Tomatoes Upside Down
• Space-saving ideas for small spaces
• Built Around You: Stylish Bathroom Overhaul
• Small on Space, Big on Style
• New Uses for Old Windows
• Amazing Windows Created By Amazing Artists
• myMarvin Architect’s Challenge: Lake Cottage

Farewell to 2010 is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

So homeowners are demanding, and builders are building, smaller houses that reflect the way that people really live. For instance, according to the article, we are going to see less and less of rooms like libraries and media rooms. For that matter, homes will have fewer formal rooms like living and dining rooms that are only used a few times a year. Family rooms and great rooms where people congregate will fill the void.

Additionally, rooms will need to be able to serve dual purposes over the course of the house’s life: a guest room could turn into a game room for the kids which could turn into a home office. Flexibility with rooms’ purposes is important since our needs change throughout our time in a house.

What do you think is an important part of a house? Do you regret the formal dining room that gets used only at Thanksgiving? Do you wish you had more private spaces (such as bedrooms) as opposed to public spaces? What about your yard? Would you be all right with giving up mowing, raking, watering and shoveling for more community green space or does a big lawn give you pleasure in the form of gardens, room for kids and pets, etc.?

Building for the way we live is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

We were delighted to have architect and author Sarah Susanka as a guest of Marvin Windows and Doors at this year’s Remodeling Show. Here are some tips from Sarah’s latest book, “Not So Big Remodeling,” written with Marc Vassallo.

1. Two Become One. Make two smaller rooms feel more spacious by opening a shared wall to create a framed opening. This is most effective when it provides a wide connection between spaces while maintaining the differentiation of each room.

2. Columns Instead of Walls. Columns allow for differentiation of places with minimal view obstruction while providing the structural support of a load-bearing wall. Particularly effective where the kitchen connects to adjacent spaces.

3. Let There Be Light. Increase the size of existing windows or place them adjacent to perpendicular walls and ceilings, allowing those surfaces to act as giant daylight reflectors. Bringing in more daylight is one of the best ways to increase the apparent size of a home without adding on.

4. Look to the Ceiling. Unify a remodeled space by creating a spatial theme with varied ceiling heights.Use lowered ceilings over subordinate spaces, higher ceilings over the more important rooms.

5. Use the Floor. Differentiate activity areas in an open space with a change in floor material or level.

6. Connect With the Outdoors. No matter what climate a house is in, it will feel several times larger if the location of the doors and windows draws in the surrounding views and allows easy movement to outside.

7. Bring the Inside Out. Create another room by sheltering an exterior sitting space with a widened overhang or new section of roof. The addition of a screened porch can also serve as an excellent connector between inside and out.

8. Increase the Apparent Size. Differentiate surfaces with a beltline or headband — a continuous line of trim that divides the uopper part of the room from the lower part, such as a chair rail, wainscoting or molding that ties together the tops of all windows and doors. Make the area below the line darker than the area aobve, and the ceiling will look higher, making the whole room seem bigger.

9. Create Visual Vitality. Make a living space come alive by accentuating a focal wall with a saturated paint color.

Sarah Susanka’s tips for creating open living spaces is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

We were delighted to have architect and author Sarah Susanka as a guest of Marvin Windows and Doors at this year’s Remodeling Show. Here are some tips from Sarah’s latest book, “Not So Big Remodeling,” written with Marc Vassallo.

1. One is Better Than None. When undergoing a remodeling project, include as many green upgrades as the budget allows. If the prospect of many upgrades seems overwhelming, just pick one and do it well. Every improvement makes a difference to the long-term sustainability of the structure.

2. Waste Not, Want Not. Reuse as many of the original components from the existing house as is reasonable. There are often interesting ways to repurpose materials, such as using wall studs to extend the eaves or grinding up old stucco for the driveway base.

3. Mind Your Materials. Choose paints and varnishes that are free from harmful VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and formaldehyde. Look for engineered wood products and FSC-certified woods (Forestry Stewardship Council). Marvin offers FSC-certified wood windows.

4. Give Your House a Check-up. Obtain an energy audit from a home energy expert to identify problem areas and streamline the process of improving the home’s energy efficiency. This alone can save hundreds of dollars a year.

5. Seal Leaks. Have the existing HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system checked by a qualified contractor. Replace substandard ductwork and seal all ductwork in unconditioned spaces.

6. Improve Efficiency. Increase efficiency and lower energy bills by using double or triple-paned windows with a coating known as “low E.” Choose efficient HVAC equipment and EnergyStar rated appliances.

7. Increase Insulation. Attics and crawl spaces are common culprits for substandard insulation. There are many insulation options to choose from, such as sprayed-in, closed-cell, no-VOC foam insulation.

8. Use the Roof. Extend the roof overhangs to protect the exterior from weather and shade the house from the high summer sun. Consider adding a solar hot water system or a photovoltaic array.

Sarah Susanka’s green remodeling tips is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style