Archtitect Sarah Susanka is often credited with creating the idea of the "not so big house." Planning a home of her own, she wanted a home which combined the beauty of a large house with the efficiency of a small home. In her book Creating the Not So Big House she writes, "Not So Big doesn't necessarily mean small. It means not as big as you thought you needed," although she does write that "sometimes Not So Big can be truly tiny."

When asked the ideal size for a home, she answers "as a rule of thumb, a Not So Big House is approximately a third smaller than you thought you needed."

Cutting square feet from a home is often harder than it sounds. A good space-saving architect is worth his/her weight in gold here. 

A few small ideas:

Eliminate:

• Halls by walking through and combining rooms
• Attics by using for conditioned storage, loft space, or just visual appeal.
• Walls by using changes in materials or changes in ceiling height, even furniture.
• Formal rooms that you will rarely use.
• Massive bedroom suites unless they really serve a purpose--which they rarely do

Add:

• A foot to the height of rooms rather than more square footage.
• A small atrium to bring the outdoors in.
• "Long views" that go through a room or several rooms, then to outdoor space.

Americans are used to sprawl; Texans even more so. Look at European house plans for small, concise ideas..  

Take time to:

• Get your possessions under control.
• Get your possessions organized.
• Consider a tight design, then reconsider what you can do without to make it even tighter.

Be light:

• Light colors make a small room look larger.
• Add natural light through clerestory windows and solar tubes.
• Add natural light through properly shaded windows adjoining patios or porches.

Texas provides us with a wonderful and warm climate. Take advantage of this with an outdoor room. 

Consider these features for your outdoor room:

• Natural breezes come from the south and southeast in our area.
• Shield from sun in summer but invite sun in for winter.
• A ceiling fan does wonders for making Texas summers more comfortable.
• Flooring should be kind to bare summer feet.

Small home directory

Contact Terry Jensen at 972 251-1532 or 817 545-0140.

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