When my first book, The Not So Big House, was published just over ten years ago, I could not have predicted the groundswell of support for the book’s message. It almost instantly rose to the top of best-seller lists as readers demonstrated their eagerness to build houses of beauty and quality, designed with the lifestyles of the inhabitants in mind.
Today, “Not So Big” is a mindset that has evolved into an entire lifestyle, showing us how to thoughtfully inhabit our houses by creating better — not bigger — homes. It’s all about the importance of living a balanced existence while maintaining a healthy planet.
By starting with a “Not So Big” home that’s thoughtfully crafted with energy efficiency in mind, people can begin to make noticeable contributions toward solving the current crisis of scale and consumption, while finding respite and regeneration in a home that reflects the values that motivate the rest of their lives.
The first step toward “Not So Big” living is to examine how you use the existing spaces in your home. You may discover that, by making a few changes in how you inhabit each space, you’ll create a home that functions much better for your lifestyle.
Here’s an excerpt, shared with permission from The Not So Big House – 10th Anniversary Edition, Taunton Press, 2008:
Take a look at your existing home. Now make a list of the rooms you have, along with the approximate square footage of each one. Under each room name, list what happens there. Under each activity, list the frequency of each activity and who does it. Finally, reorganize the list of rooms in order of most used to least used.
For most people, this exercise offers some surprises. A room that has significant square footage may not be used very often. This is a clear indication that you should rethink the space to see if there’s another way to accommodate the activities it houses. In many cases, rooms such as the formal living room and formal dining room serve limited purposes.
Some people will discover that the formal living room is in use every day. In that case, the living room works. The point is to identify how you live and then tailor the house to accommodate those needs rather than just assume that every house has to have the same set of rooms.
Sarah Susanka is an architect and author of eight best-selling books including The Not So Big House, Home By Design and The Not So Big Life. Her latest book, Not So Big Remodeling, promises to become as powerful an influence on existing home remodeling as The Not So Big House has been on new home design. Read more at www.notsobig.com.
