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Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life (Susanka)
Best-selling author of The Not So Big House Sarah Susanka teams up with architectural design writer Marc Vassallo to expand upon the message that has resonated with over a million homeowners and builders across the country: opting for personalized, well-crafted, thoughtfully designed spaces over superfluous square footage results in a home that comforts and nourishes those...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
October 1st 2007
by Taunton
(first published September 1st 2005)
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This is a follow up to The Not So Big House. The idea behind this style of home is that you look at your budget for a house, decide how much you can afford and how much square footage you can get for that price. Then you decrease your square footage by one third and spend the money that you would save on custom details so that you really love your house and it really fits your personality.
This book is a high level idea book for customization. I found some things that I love. Whet...more
This book is a high level idea book for customization. I found some things that I love. Whet...more
I read the introduction and the first few chapters (each chapter highlights a separate home). When I felt that I had the general idea behind Susanka's 'not so big house' theory, I skimmed the rest of the book looking for pictures I liked. The photographs throughout the book are beautiful.
I find that I agree with Susanka's basic architectural philosophy - choose/build a smaller house, focusing on the details that make it beautiful. When you don't spend so much on square footage you...more
I find that I agree with Susanka's basic architectural philosophy - choose/build a smaller house, focusing on the details that make it beautiful. When you don't spend so much on square footage you...more
Full of beautiful photos! This book is about architectural, permanent details, not organizational details. This book would be perfect for someone remodeling, building, or ready to make some significant changes to a home. So, it wasn't as useful to me as I thought it might be when I picked it up off the shelf, but hopefully in a few years I'll need to pick it up again.
I don't like this one as much as her original book, The Not So Big House. Some of the houses included in the book just seem ugly to me, and many of the details seem less doable by regular people. On the other hand, there are some gems, and I appreciated that she keeps hammering home that in a kitchen less expensive finishes do not have to equal generic plastic sameness.
It's all about the details and this book goes into great details about what makes a not so big house a perfect home. Great for anyone interested in building or remodeling a house and looking for those little details that really make a big impact.
When people come into my house for the first time, one of the first things they notice is the arched opening between the living/dining rooms. It's also the first thing I noticed and it made me want to buy the house right away. Why is that?
This book helps you understand why certain details in a home are so comforting and/or compelling. It also helps you see how you don't have to have a lot of money or an enormous space to have a house that's a real pleasure to live in. The photography...more
This book helps you understand why certain details in a home are so comforting and/or compelling. It also helps you see how you don't have to have a lot of money or an enormous space to have a house that's a real pleasure to live in. The photography...more
There's a photo in here of a tall window that goes nearly to the floor behind a kitchen sink that I kept flipping back to. Marvelous.
Love this whole series. She dissects those home features that I intuitively gravitate towards--cozy spaces, views, light.
This one is better than the first one. It's more practical and has less "cost was no object" narration.
superb photos; particularly like architect Jim Samsel's simple details = easy to achieve, clean & maintain
This is a great book if you want to make some changes.
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This book feels more relevant having moved to new york.
I'm a big fan of Susanka
This book suffers from a error in its titling. In an attempt to generate reader interest, they described houses that are actually quite large(but not, as they might argue, expansive, or behemoth in size) as "not so big". While it is true that they are not so big as some McMansions that are popular with many people, they are also not as small as the tumbleweed or other compactly designed houses that the title might evoke.
Susanka explains the details that make smaller homes more livable and beloved than cookie-cutter mcmansions. I support the struggle, even as I doubt the impact her books will make on the housing industry. But her, I'd be delighted to be wrong, and to see smaller, better constructed houses replace the big random uglies. Certainly she's influenced the design of my mental dream house.
G g xerà zzaz
A re-read of one of my favorite "living space" authors. So many wonderful ideas for a beautiful home - makes me crazy!
See my review of the other Susanka book I read. In a nutshell: Her ideas are cool, but more expensive than I'd spend on a "not-so-big" remodel. Also, she assumes you have more space to work with than the average person does where I live. I could see this book being much more helpful in the Midwest, or any other less pricey zip code than mine.
I've never seen anyone recycle so many of the same photos from one book to the next. Regardless, Susanka definitely knows how to articulate the fine points for achieving a "this-feels-like-home" look.
This was the best of the three I got. Good wood ideas for P.
This was the best of the three I got. Good wood ideas for P.
Alexandra
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who want to re-model their place
Shelves:
home-and-design
It's probably a good book if you're thinking more about remodeling than decorating.
Right now it's not really what I need.
Right now it's not really what I need.
Sarah Susanka does it again! This book is all about details inside the home that make a space special. Helpful pictures throughout help us see what the space in question would look like with and without the details.
I've enjoyed the series so far, but this is the one that I can see myself referencing over and over. It's enough to make me want to whip out the miter saw and get to work.
This book is a diluted form of the previous two books. Great photos, but I think it is a little light on content. Or maybe just over my head.
Reads more like a text book. I think all the topics are covered in other Not So Big books, so go with the Remodeling one or the original.
contains many good ideas on how to incorporate small details and design into a house to create character and increase functionality.
more for people who are designing a house than people who are living in a pre-designed space.
some simple ideas that make a big difference.
All of her books are spectacular
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Sarah Susanka is a bestselling author, architect, and cultural visionary. Her "build better, not bigger" approach to residential architecture has been embraced across the country, and her "Not So Big" philosophy has sparked an international dialogue, evolving beyond our houses and into how we inhabit our lives. In addition to sharing her insights with Oprah Winfrey and Charli...more
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