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Summary: Help for MY not so big house :-)
Review: Disclosure: I live in a not-so-big house that not so recently lacked creativity, quality craftsmanship, and comfort. My do-it-yourselfer husband has been steadily working for years to add his original stamp to our abode. We loved this book and the ideas Susanka presented in it. We have been inspired to seek out the best use of each of our 1600 square feet, and this book confirmed many of the decisions we made while remodeling our kitchen area - an area that now feels like a welcome hub in our home, open to the family and living rooms and open right into the backyard. This book is also helping me to visualize (something that really doesn't come easy to me) "cozy" spaces like a window bench (which opens to store toys!!!) reading areas to create smaller, intimate areas that add character and comfort to my livingroom. Anyway, I didn't really mean to give so much personal info, just wanted to convey the idea that this book can help even someone as clueless as myself to create great things in small spaces!
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Summary: FANTASTIC IDEAS AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME
Review: I wish developers would take this book to heart. Bigger is not better. I love the ideas in this book and can't wait to apply them to our old house when we get ready to renovate it.
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Summary: How about an AirStream?
Review: This is an excellent book and whets the appetite of any home-buyer with brains. Less space, more comfort, cheaper and more efficient. Have you stayed in a hotel recently? Did the room somehow feel more efficient than any room in your house? That's because it was designed that way; not designed to look expensive from the street. IMHO American builders have just gone crazy. They build for corporate America, not for Americans (maybe I'm wrong?) THEY are the people who need to read this book!Personally I can't wait to be able to choose a Not So Big House to live in, with a nice south facing exposure and a kitchen vegetable garden out front. Perhaps the garage could be on the back of the house too so that the world isn't greeted by my personal transport shelter? In the meantime, I'm going to pop into my AirStream to feel cosy.
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Summary: Highly recommended for general readers of interior design
Review: The principle theme throughout The Not So Big House: A Blueprint For The Way We Really Live is that when it comes to the places in which we live our private lives, quality should come before quantity. Highly recommended reading for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in interior design, Sarah Susanka" The Not So Big House provides homeowners the "language" they need to convey to architects, contractors, and interior designers the comfort, beauty, and level of detail that best suits their own personal lifestyles and needs. Also very highly recommended is Susanka's companion volume, Creating The Not So BigHouse, in which she provides an informative and inspiring survey of twenty-five houses designed according to her "not so big" design principles.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but...
Review: This book has some interesting concepts about how we live and should build our houses around these lifestyles. But unless you like contemporary architecture, you may not get that much out it.
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Summary: Quality rather than Quantity
Review: Although the concept of 'The Not So Big House' is not a revelation to many people, sometimes we need reminding that 'more' is not always 'more, and this book is a wonderful source for inspiration, both philosophicaly and practically. The book begins by showing some examples of when people put their money into building a small home with character, and others that put their money into square footage. The second of the two is only too familiar in my area (Colorado). Here there has been a trend for the last ten or so years of developments being built with large (4000+sq.ft) homes that have absolutely NO design qualities what-so-ever. Even the paint jobs are identical on literally thousands of homes. These developments are not communities. Personally I see them more as the large scale slums of the future. Really ugly. The majority of the book however shows examples, home by home, of how people have built with minimal square footage, using well thought out floor plans, and delicious design details, to create a feeling of comfort, coziness, spaciousness and drama without pretence. Some of the homes were clearly built by people who had quite a bit of money to spend on custom cabinetry, stonework and refined plaster molding. Probably not within the budget of many people even if they do choose quality over quantity. Others are very simple, light filled, and within the budget of pretty much anyone who has it in their budget to build thier own home in the first place. Just a note that this is not an interior design book. This is a book for those seeking a different way of living 'in space' and creating an environment for family life and enjoyable pasttimes. Much of the interior decorating is really quite boring. But the homes themselves are very inspirational. The use of wood work reminds me of older homes, built up to and including the Arts and Crafts movement. The authors are pining for homes to be built the way that they used to be, and by the time you have finished this book, you will be too. I do believe that beauty, and quality of life, is in the details, and a properly designed home makes use of the square footage it has and requires much less 'room' than is commonly thought necessary these days. If you feel this way, or think you might like to, this book is for you.
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Summary: Thought provoking
Review: Granted, the pictures probably make the rooms look larger than they actually are....I believe it's due to the use of a wide-angle lens. However, the book accomplishes its goal in that it makes the reader consider a house that is designed for the family that lives within its walls, rather than a generic floor plan designed by a mega-developer. It has helped me to consider designing a house that is smaller (and thus more budget conscious) yet reflects the purpose for which I will use the rooms. It also provides ideas on putting construction money into items that will enhance the interior, the comfort of the home, saved through reducing the overall size of the house.
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Summary: Special Book
Review: If you're thinking of building a new home, this is a MUST read. No more MacMansions! Learn ways to make your home really special, not just BIG! My husband and I design homes and home renovations and agree with so much of this book that we now share it with our clients.
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Summary: A great *House* Book
Review: My husband and I both enjoyed this book and look forward to the author's new one. It has wonderful photographs and understandable explanations of how the architect's ideas were executed. Since we are Prairie-Style fans, this format really appealed to us, although I am sure it is not for everyone. We got this book when we were in the planning stages for a new house at the beach, a house where we may someday live 50% of the time. We used many of Susanka's ideas for the new house, mainly the storage ideas and the multiple uses of certain areas. It was most helpful to have this resource. Our builder enjoyed it as well.
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Summary: Enjoyable, albeit slight, book that will make you think
Review: I enjoyed this book, and it is definitely a keeper. It is very much focussed at the American market, where building houses is more common than it is in Europe, especially in the UK. What I got from it was some interesting ideas about how a house is actually used, and a reminder to focus on daily use, not just impressiveness. I would have welcomed more detail on other matters, but the book is more a manifesto for the above idea, than a detailed how-to guide. I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about remodelling or building their living space.
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