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

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Summary: The interiors all look the same!
Review: Susanka has a great concept: less is more. But the problem is that her "less" is gunked up by more, more, more! I've never seen so many interiors so similar to each other, all featuring tons of that Minnesota wood. Susanka raps modernism for its impersonality of style, but her "detail" in house after house is just as alienating. Try Terence Conran's "The Essential House Book," and fill up one of his minimal homes with your own style, not Susanka's or HGTV's! And beyond that, her environmental message is compromised. Excess is excess no matter how you cut it, whether it comes from gross size or gross detail. Maybe the answer is simply simplicity....at all levels of construction and design.

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Summary: Terrific book
Review: 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.

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Summary: Excellent, easy to read, invaluable information
Review: This book was beautifully written and helped us to gain words and concepts to express the ideas that we were struggling with for the addition that we are planning. The ideas here were just what we needed.

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Summary: A "House Book" in Amazon's Bestsellers list--it's that good!
Review: For those in the hunt for fresh ideas of a house designs that are: a. not just another "yuppie-domed" spec house b. looking for a more tailored house that fits your current/future lifestyle. c. that offers some interesting accents without expending the megabucks for a full blown architectural palace. Sarah Susanka provides some thoughtful, practical insights & some architectural tricks that make residential house design an alternative to the conventional contractor designs that are sooooo boring. Thanks Sarah, nice book.

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Summary: Great ideas book for not-so-big homeowners
Review: My wife and I are living in our second not-so-big (and not-so-new) house and found this book to be full of great ideas about how to make good use of the space we have. This would certainly be an excellent book people like us living in smaller homes. It would also be a great book for homebuyers thinking about how big a house to get. It will convince you to buy something not-so-big and use the savings to make it comfortable and cozy.

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Summary: It helped me to "re-think" the way I use my house.
Review: Though the book is directed toward someone planning a new home, I found it a very useful tool in helping me "re-think" the way I have been using my small home. For the last few years, I've been vaguely discontent with my conventional layout. Reading through this book and thinking about the illustrations is enabling me to do a lot of "redecorating" just by using my spaces differently. I'd recommend it as a resource for someone with a small house now if they are considering redecorating or remodeling.

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Summary: Nice! Very Nice!
Review: I don't know if we're related but she has the same last name as I do! It was a really awesome book! I loved it!

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Summary: We would all have a better designed house!!!
Review: This book is well written. It has a lot of information to teach people to build a house thats comfordable instead of conforming to old design ideas that just don't work. If everyone followed much of what this book says we would all be happier with our homes and use every room daily.

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Summary: Important Concepts If You're Building or Renovating
Review: Insidious lies in our culture have made many believe that prodigious homes reflect some greatness about oneself. The idea that the American Dream is a house that is huge and ostentacious is ridiculous. This book takes us back to basics and fine workmanship. With the world's resources being tapped, it's important that we change the way we think about using the resouces that we have...and building a house wisely is a great place to start. The information in this book is wise and well thought out...the pictures are thought provoking and helpful in thinking about how you want your dream home to be planned out. This book will help you to create refreshing new perceptions about the purpose of your living environment and the usability of it.

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Summary: Design is visual, but these photos don't make the grade
Review: I picked up this book at the store but didn't buy it because it has a dated, depressing "feel" about it. I read the comments from the reader who didn't feel the dated photos were importand and I must disagree. I'm looking for a good home-building-ideas book that mixes good tips and home philosophy with photos of apealing rooms. By appealing, I mean rooms that offer a seamless blend of appealing architecture AND interior design ideas. Good design must have both. This book only does half the job -- it seemed to have a nice philosophical slant, but, unfortunately, the tired interior design shown in many of the room pix made me put the book back down.