Granny's Country Store > Home-Building Resources > Not So Big Houses | Search | View Cart

The Not So Big House
A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
by Sarah Susanka

      Nearly a quarter-million people bought this ground-breaking book when it was published in Fall 1998. Since then, the book's simple message -- that quality should come before quantity -- has started a movement in home design. Homeowners now know to expect more. And the people responsible for building our homes have also gotten the message. Architects and builders around the country report clients showing up with dog-eared copies of The Not So Big House, pages marked to a favorite section.

      Why are we drawn more to smaller, more personal spaces than to larger, more expansive ones? At parties, why do we spend more time in the kitchen and family rooms than we do in the formal living and dining rooms? What makes the sunny, intimate breakfast nook more inviting than the vaulted spaciousness of a cathedral-ceiling great room? The Not So Big House proposes clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements, whether for a couple with no children, a family, empty nesters, or one person alone. 200 pages. 1998. ISBN: 1-56158-376-6.

-Please scroll down the page for the "Add to Order" button.-

Creating the Not So Big House
Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
by Sarah Susanka

      The Not So Big House (above) created a movement that is changing the way people think about the American home. That groundbreaking book proposed a new blueprint for the American home: a house that values quality over quantity, with an emphasis on comfort and beauty, a high level of detail, and a floor plan designed for today's informal lifestyle.

      Creating the Not So Big House is the blueprint in action. Focusing on key design strategies such as visual weight, layering, and framed openings, Sarah Susanka takes an up-close look at 25 houses designed according to Not So Big principles. The houses are from all over North America in a rich variety of styles -- from a tiny New York apartment to a southwestern adobe, a traditional Minnesota farmhouse, and a cottage community in the Pacific Northwest. Whether new or remodeled, these one-of-a-kind homes provide all the inspiration you need to create your own Not So Big House. 258 pages. 2001. ISBN: 1-56158-605-6.

-Please scroll down the page for the "Add to Order" button.-

Not So Big Solutions For Your Home
From the Pages of Fine Homebuilding Magazine
by Sarah Susanka

      Sarah Susanka has done it again. Following in the footsteps of her first two influential works, Not So Big Solutions for Your Home provides over 30 design solutions originally featured in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Ranging from selecting the site for a new home to figuring out where to put the afternoon mail, Susanka's new book helps you find practical, hands-on solutions to transform your living space -- regardless of your skill level or budget. The book includes details on:

• Site selection: avoiding the pitfalls
• Designing a gracious entry
• The kitchen/family room relationship
• A porch for all seasons
• Designing a pantry
• Using tile to personalize a kitchen or bathroom
• How to use skylights for maximum effect
• Making the most of your remodeling budget
• The art of adding on