Not So Big House (Susanka)

Given the content of the other reviews, I have to be clear about the intentions of this book. It is not a book about building inexpensive houses. It is written by an architect, and architects are generally not consulted when price is the ultimate consideration. It is not a book of house plans, nor a how-to book on house design. It is a book about a design philosophy which considers the house as a place to live rather than as a monument to impress ones neighbors. The philosophy is not terribly original; why does it have to be? It is a return to basic principles of good design.

We began this project with a very clear idea of the style we wanted, and someone concerned with style alone might not recognize this book's influence on our home. On the other hand, anyone who compared our home to the starter castles on our block would see the difference immediately. Every room is comfortable and constructed on a human scale. I would recommend this book to anyone in the process of constructing a new home. If I had the money, I would send anonymous copies to a number of builders and designers in the area. This book deserves a wider reading.


Quality rather than Quantity   December 6, 2000
130 out of 133 found this review helpful

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.


A Great Book for Home Builders   October 25, 1999
43 out of 43 found this review helpful

After reading this book, I would have to disagree with those who don't think it's a good book for someone building a house on a budget. Although that's not the point of Susanka's work, she wants her reader to change the way they think about homes, and to review their choices in a custom home. Trading square footage for higher quality craftsmanship is the way to go--but you can also cut out the excess square feet and use standard materials and labor and cut your cost. It's up to the builder--that's the beauty of it. She shows you how to choose and some of the possibilities, whether you're on a tight budget or have half a million to spend. I learned a lot from this book, and would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of building a home, or takes a fancy to architecture. There are wonderful pictures in here, many of which have given me ideas for my own home. Definitely worth the cost.


Not so original, but well said.   May 9, 2000
55 out of 57 found this review helpful

I enjoy reading and re-reading this book, so I think there's a lot of useful content here. I bought this book shortly after remodeling my house, and found that the book expressed many of the ideas and goals of my house remodel. I find myself disagreeing with most of the criticisms I have read, save that many of the photographs are examples of the same "style." I think the author's intended audience is people who are planning to build a new house (or substantially remodel an existing one), and obviously as an architect she is encouraging people to find and work with an architect, to value the importance of design, and to spend money on qualitative aspects of a house rather than raw square footage.

I would note that many ideas in the book are neither original to the author nor to this book; the fact that the book seems to be a big success indicates however that previous efforts to put forth these ideas had not reached many people. An example of a good book in a similar vein (and written in 1985) is: "Modest Mansions: design ideas for luxurious living in less space" by Donald Prowler (now out of print but Amazon might get it for you used, or try the library).


I Only Wish That The Book Had No Ending   February 22, 2000
tjnaleid@win.bright.net (Park Falls, WI)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

I'm not in the market for a new home or even thinking about replacing the home we built 25 years ago. Yet I couldn't put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed the author's presentation. The text was outstanding and I was able to relate to the author's expressed viewpoints on home design through the floor plans and photographs presented (which were conveniently placed for the most part on the same page as the related text).

I've always remarked that there isn't anything that I wish I had done differently in the design or construction of my home. Having read this book, I know now why I enjoy my home every day of every season.