Amazon.com
When describing a favorite room in the house, do you find yourself using terms such as "expansive," "formal," and "spacious"--a marble foyer or a formal dining room perhaps? Or do the words "cozy," "intimate," and "warm" come to mind--a cheery little breakfast nook or a window seat complete with plenty of pillows and a breathtaking view? More than likely, you--like thousands of other homeowners--are drawn to the more personal spaces in your home, where comfort, beauty, and efficiency meet. In The Not So Big House, respected architect Sarah Susanka and coauthor Kira Obolensky address our affinity for the "smaller, more personal spaces" and propose "clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements." The heart of the not-so-big house--which is not "just a small house ... [but] a smaller house," that uses "less space to give greater quality of life," and is designed to not only "accommodate the lifestyles of its occupants" but also to express "our values and our personalities," is discussed in chapter 1, entitled "Bigger Isn't Better." Susanka's urging for homeowners to get creative with their space as well as loads of ideas to encourage that creativity are covered in "Rethinking the House" and "Making Not So Big Work." Discussions of specific needs, such as a home for one and designing for kids, can be found in "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous," while "Dreams, Details, and Dollars" gets down to the nuts and bolts of the operation, looking at quality versus quantity, budgeting, and what "low end," "middle ground," and "high end" really mean in home design and construction. Lastly, the authors look at the home of the future, which involves simplifying, recycling, reducing waste, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs, as well as floor plans and Susanka and Obolensky's intelligent and lively dialogue, The Not So Big House is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. --Stefanie Hargreaves
Book Description
Sarah Susanka contends that people are naturally drawn to intimate spaces. Large structures inspired by outdated patterns tend to result in houses that just don't work. In The Not So Big House, she proposes clear guidelines for creating homes that serve spiritual needs as well as material requirements. Topics covered include designing for specific lifestyles, budgeting, building a home from scratch, and using energy-efficient construction. With more than 200 color photographs as well as floor plans, the book is perfect for homeowners ready to rethink their space. “Susanka says to evaluate what makes you feel at home and let your activities define your rooms.” — San Francisco Chronicle
Customer Reviews:
Great concepts, middling design.......2007-09-25
I've found this book to be an invaluable resource and appreciate the philosophy and information contained within it. I also found the numerous photos and illustrations to be helpful to convey Susanka's ideas.
The only problem is that I found the actual design and decor of the homes in the book somehow dated and uninspiring. This is definitely a personal reaction, and I'm sure others would disagree. Despite my issues with the actual look of the homes, I'd recommend this as an essential resource along with John Wheatman's books (whose design does resonate for me).
Inspiration & ideas for rethinking your living space.......2007-09-02
The ideas in this book encourage you to think about how you would like use your home space and how to accomplish this marriage of functionality with comfort and aesthetics. Almost every photo has some new little idea to think about. It gives me hope that I'll finally be able to create a comfortable home that integrates everyone's interests & needs. It's inspirational for those of us who have to adapt living spaces to growing families & to those like me who are now empty nesters (but who still need bed space for visiting family members).
A must Have If You Plan To Build.......2007-06-27
Useful, practical, creative. Anyone can gain something from this book even if you aren't building.
Reviewed by Amy Lignor.......2007-06-21
Have you ever found yourself asking, "Is this all there is to life?" We are running in a world of cell phone and blackberry technology, where life is so fast that we never have time to do what we truly want: sit back and enjoy our lives while we have one. This author, with a background in architecture, has put together a fantastic psychological blueprint, if you will, to make changes that will offer you a more rewarding life. This is not like the usual "schlock" that says close your eyes and all good things will come. No, this author takes the time to reveal that things like form and function are not only useful in building a house, they can be translated into building a better life. In a house, you can tear down interior walls to make more space and bring in more light; in your life, you can tear down your fears and open new possibilities.
This is a lovely read filled with wise advice. The author has successfully interwoven her extensive architectural background into well-compiled thoughts on how each and every one of us can make small changes in our lives that will allow us to treasure the time we have.
My advice? If you wish to begin taking time out to enjoy your life - begin by reading this book.
Insightful book with great ideas.......2007-05-26
I was starting to think I was crazy for wanting to build a small house, but this book perfectly articulates the thoughts I was having so much conveying. It is a wonderful basis for discussion and offers many practical, well thought out ideas for implementation.
Book Description
In her latest book, 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 who live there.
In Inside The Not So Big House, Susanka and Vassallo focus their lens on the tangible and sometimes intangible details that bring an otherwise ordinary home to life. Incorporating such details as dropped ceilings, built-in shelves, pocket doors, window seats, and well-placed alcoves infuses a home with the character of its owners and conveys a uniqueness that's mising in many homes built or remodeled today. From Rhode Island to San Diego, the 23 homes featured here illustrate exceptional attention to detail. Each offers inspiration for those building or remodeling to transform their home into an expression of all that is important to them. "Detail is everything in design. Sarah Susanka proves it again with this, her latest book."
--John Wheatman, author, Meditations on Design and A Good House Is Never Done
Customer Reviews:
Finally! A sewers dream resource!.......2007-07-02
Trying to find articles with photos and illustrations of sewing spaces is amazingly difficult - everything seems to center on home offices or crafting such as scrapbooking. This book has wonderful photos and suggestions, as well as many worksheets that can be used to evaluate everyone's personal needs and available spaces. Highly recommended for the avid sewer or quilter, this book will be a constant source of information, inspiration and dreaming for years to come!
I Love this book.......2007-05-14
I purchased this book the first time many years ago. I have referred to it many times, and always planned to set up a separate sewing room but never did. I have purchased it for family members who did get to set up their room and they loved it. I have loaned it to frineds and over the years lost it. So I bought it again and am now lucky enough to be able to put all the wonderful tips into the new room we are building now. This book covers everything needed to set up a room that will be tailor made to you with your height and comfort incorporated into everthing. Definitely a must have if you spend much time sewing.
Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large & Small.......2007-04-11
Great book I ogle over the pictures and photographs and wish for such dream work areas
Inspiring!.......2007-03-26
If you need a little motivation to reorganize your sewing or craft space, this is a great book. The photos are plentiful, and there are lots of good ideas for storage and work surfaces, no matter how much space you can devote to it. Let it inspire you to create your own dream sewing space.
If you love lots of photos!.......2007-03-11
I think this book is fantastic. Loaded with good before-and-after pictures, which I always find very inspiring. Also tons of simple, practical ideas. For example, I even learned a nifty trick to fold my fabrics so they always look neat. It makes a difference!
Book Description
With a little imagination and creativity--and without hiring a professional--almost anyone can transform a small living space into a comfortable and stylish environment. Whether decorating a dorm room, an apartment, or a little cottage, what we strive for is a look and feel that expresses our individual personalities. Part style guide, part idea sourcebook, this handy volume--designed to meet the needs of real people with real budgets--is packed with smart ideas, basic design principles, and enough inspiration to get you off the sofa to make it happen.
In her lively, informative text, design guru Marisa Bartolucci takes readers inside 33 small homes from cities across the U.S. to reveal how a strong sense of style--rather than design know-how or unlimited resources--is the most effective tool for transforming an ordinary cramped living space into a smart yet functional private sanctuary.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of inspiration.......2007-09-22
Love the way the book shows apartments of varying small sizes and multiple solutions for small-space dilemmas (like little room for sleeping, tiny kitchens). I was able to brainstorm a solution for my own apartment after one look through this book.
My only complaint is that there are no product resources listed--just designers' names and contact information.
Fabulousity on a budget.......2007-06-01
Well, I guess I'll add my voice to the chorus of reviewers for this book:
This is a jewel of a book. Lots of fabulous examples of small spaces with a lot of character. People who love art, collect books and appreciate unexpected decorating ideas will enjoy this book."
A lovely book that could use a bit of fine-tuning to best serve its intended readership.......2007-04-06
I really liked this book, but it only gets 4 out of 5 stars because I think the definition of "small spaces" is too broad. This book would be better if it showcased twice as many spaces from 100-600sqf, rather than going all the way up to 1000. Maybe for people who don't live in cities, 1000sqf is tiny, but I think a lot of the book's target audience would find that amount of space to be truly palatial. Many of the larger spaces had yards or terraces, sometimes doubling the real amount of living space, so that feels like a "cheat" to me. I got the most ideas out of the first half of the book, and the rest of the book was enjoyable as a general interior design book rather than a "small spaces" design book. Many of the featured homes' remodels involve knocking out walls and really re-working a space, so if you're a renter looking for what you can do with a small space you don't own, you might be disappointed. All in all, a very nice book with wonderful photographs, I just wish there was a greater focus on spaces under 600sqf, and more creative rentals being showcased for readers who are renters.
Really small spaces!.......2007-03-26
A small but pretty coffee table book with great content and some good ideas for living in tiny, tiny spaces.
1) 16 of the 33 profiled spaces were 500 sq ft or less! The other 17 were 600 - 1000 sq ft in size. I haven't seen many books on small space living that focus on this size range. Most books seem to present 2000 sqft houses as tiny.
2) The owners of these spaces didn't all have an unlimited budget. Many were in rentals so gut renovations, moving walls, etc was not an option. Many did have expensive or design worthy furniture and art but quite a few were heavily furnished with IKEA and thrift store finds.
3) Most of the owners had to be very carefull with clutter and picking pieces that would work in the space and that they really loved. Some of the other Amazon reviews found this to be somewhat unrealistic but I think that when you live in such small spaces, you are going to have to keep things very neat and tidy.
4) Part of the title is "expressing personal style". There is plenty of that in the book mostly clustered around what I'll call "modern" (eams etc), "drama" (red, red everywhere), "eclectic" (high design items mixed with garage sale items) and "standard" (danish). Many of the owners have extensive collections that are well presented and show off their unique personal style.
5) Most of these places are inhabited by: architects, artists, interior decorators, makeup artists, writers, curators, floral designers, etc. Essentially those who are in the "profession". I got the impression that hiring someone is de rigur if you are an accountant or fireman.
6) I liked the organization of the book by size of the space, architectural diagram of the space, lots of well shot photos, a narrative of who the residents are and how the space came to be and a picture of the residents.
7) One of my favorites were Francisco Parod and Ximena Orozco, the couple from Mexico living in a 450sqft NY apartment...with a baby! Not only did it look comfortable and open, they furnished almost everything at IKEA. My other favorite was Karen Meyer. She had translucent screens that could slide between the living room and dining room. This provided flexibility to the spaces by making it more expansive or more private, as needed. A murphy bed that was behind a shelf unit in the dining room could be opened up to create a guest room. A nice example of rooms doing double duty.
All in all, the best book I've found for realistic ideas for very small spaces.
Living Large in Small Spaces.......2007-03-19
Although I was not overwhelmed with inspiration, I liked the set-up of this book. The spaces are grouped by square footage complete with pictures of all areas of the space and a floor plan so that you can visualize how the spaces fit together. I also liked the fact that there were various design styles. However, I could not visualize myself living in the majority of the spaces displayed in this book. The majority of the homes displayed were homes of designers and artists. Since I myself am not a designer or an artist, I could and would not begin to design like what was displayed in this book.
Customer Reviews:
Love this boook!.......2007-10-03
I agree with the last review that this book will make you want to
sell everything to see just how much you can do without. I have
a very large home and yet feel unhappy with it. I had such a feeling of peace just reading about the kind of life described in this book!
makes you wanna sell everything!!!.......2007-09-23
This book takes my breath away...it makes me want to sell everything and move into the smallest space I can find. Everyone needs to read this and realize what we are all capable of living without!!
A small house must read............2007-07-15
I was skeptical when I first heard of the book since the cover had photos of what I considered some old, boring small homes. Then I looked closer and saw there were some really interesting looking ones like I have seen in Mexico, Greece and along the coasts of France, Italy and Spain and even in Scotland and Ireland.
Like that the author challenges the reader to really set aside notions that one had about how things have to be done. And how thinking outside the box, and asking oneself how little does one need to be content and how can that thinking be applied to designing or redoing a small home to make it more livable as well as more calm and enjoyable.
And how to use materials that are reclaimed but also energy efficient and appealing to the eyes. And a home that will allow you to live well and below your means. In fact I lay in bed and realized the small cottage I live in that was built in the late 1800's is to big for me. That I want something clean, small and open.
And the book may make you go even further as I have done, and sell off a lot of stuff one has that one doesn't need nor often even want. Almost like being told that a really cool sailboat with living quarters below can be yours within two weeks, and you then get really serious and sort out what you really need and then make the move.
This book should challenge as well as inspire the reader. Even the one who thought owning a McMansion was the only way to go.
With New Eyes.......2007-03-02
This book really changed how I look at home life. The text is meaty and kept me up two nights in a row. I had been grumping about how cramped my house seemed. With a spouse, two dogs, and a cat our 2000 sf seemed, well, just not big enough. After reading the book, and thinking about it, I saw the real problem, it was never a space issue, it was a stuff issue. For the past two weeks we have thinned, sorted, trashed, donated and otherwise cleared out roughly half of what was in the house. Now the house can breathe and there is space for us. So, even if you live in a regular size space, or can't imagine living in a small one, this is a grand book. It really helps you see the functions of a home and isolate your needs. If you are working at living a simple, green or wabi-sabi life this book is a must.
this book is amazing.......2007-02-28
It is much much more than a set of floorplans. It is a guide to a happy life in your home. Here's a quote "do you want to live in a home or a bank?" - So many people look at their home as an investment first, and dont really look at how happy they really are in their house.
This book made a major difference in how I look at my existing house. My fiancee and I are using the insights from the book to happily merge two households into one - without "space wars". It has given me insight which enabled me to feel that "I own my house - my house does not own me". There are lovely photographs and ideas - as well as a great sprinkling of history and insightful thoughts throughout the book.
Like the small but elegant domiciles the authors highlight, this book is no assembly-line product... it is obviously a carefully constructed labor of love.
Book Description
The complete how-to guide for turning faux, mural, and decorative painting skills into a viable, home-based career! Covering everything from the fundamentals of buying supplies to coping with the growing pains of a successful business, this essential sourcebook provides a wealth of tested tips and techniques on such crucial topics as getting referrals, buying insurance, building a portfolio, dealing with supply stores, evaluating job sites, negotiating prices, interviewing clients, and much more!
Customer Reviews:
Amazing!.......2007-10-05
The first thing I learned from this book is that I'm NOT ready to start my own faux/mural painting business!! This book is chuck full of information from someone that has been there. The author really explains scenarios well, and prepares you for, from what I can tell, every situation. In the back of the book she provides sample forms, and check lists, etc. I really feel that this is a true gift for anyone interested in this field. Even people that have been doing it for a few years might get some good tips here. Great job!
Very good book.......2007-01-19
I bought this book for my brother who is an artist and he loves the book.
Excellent.......2006-07-03
I read and re-read this book then handed it over to my sales and marketing manager. A MUST for a faux business owner.
Thank Heaven for Rebecca Pittman.......2006-06-14
This book gave me everything I need to start my own faux painting business, including confidence! Thank you Rebecca for the insight, the humor and the weekly accounting ledger located in the back. Great, superb, and HIGHLY recommended.
excellent.......2006-03-18
starting out as a muralist, and i bought the book before i landed my first job. i found it amazing how DETAILED and ENTERTAINING this book was. i knew nothing about how to start being in this business, and this book served as a complete guide. as i was reading it i thought that there were suggestions what i would never never need in life, BUT !!! boy, was i wrong. every word this book has in it is worth the pennies you pay. if you are startin out and have no clue how to manage your own business, this is a must for you!!!
Book Description
America's most famous architect was obsessed with small houses. Even though this exciting aspect of his work has been long overlooked, the truth is that Frank Lloyd Wright spent most of his career addressing the problems of houses intended for individuals or small families of modest means. In the only book on the master architect to focus on "the house of moderate cost," Wright expert Diane Maddex takes the reader inside a selection of his small houses from across the country, turning the spotlight on Wright's ingenious solutions to make these homes look and feel large.
Customer Reviews:
Wright-Sized Book for custom homes........2007-08-02
I am building a custom home and I keep going back to this book for inspiration and important details. I have a library of at least 20 other FLW (Frank Lloyd Wright) books, but this is the most up-to-date and most on target reference for new home design. The photographs are large and focused on details, not just exterior elevations. Doors, windows, roofs, entrances and many other important features are explained and given an indepth perspective. This is a must have for any FLW library and I guarantee you will be handing this to to your architect if you want FLW details in your custom home. A great read.
Ludicrous topic, excellent book.......2007-04-01
Despite the questionable purpose to show "solutions for making small houses big", as if using Wright's architecture for a DIY book, and the fact that all houses in the book are small like a condo, this is a very good book.
Selection of the photographs, print and layout are excellent and decidedly over the average, even for such a popular subject.
Plans and texts are plain and clear and eventually contribute to making it very easy for quick consultation. Somehow and unexpectedly, in my studio, you can never find this book in the same place.
Illustrates Wright's Ideas - Easy to understand.......2007-03-09
I'm a Wright fan and an architect, so it was good to find a book the describes and illustrates FLLW's architecture "gems" to be considered in home design. Well done and useful, whether you are considering a "FLLW-inspired" or another architectural style. I think this book is a good compliment to Sarah Susanka's books (i.e., "the not so big house", etc.).
I my opinion, Wright's approach is universal to many architectual style.
Very good synthesis of Wright's work.......2007-02-24
I really liked this book. Quite well structured, it presents first key characteristics of Wright's architecture apearing in Prairie but also Usonian houses.
The second part gives full details of some houses (mainly Usonian since the theme is about "making small houses feel big")
Special interest for Isabel Roberts house, River Forest (on front and back cover pages) which is to my mind Wright's Masterwork joining Prairie and Usonian concepts.
Photos are nice and drawings are also indicated (with scale and orientation).
The only point I disliked is the fact comments relative to photos are not always fully precise : they could have highlighted a bit more key characteristics quoted in book's first part. The author has also preferred giving some details about Owners rather than focusing only on architecture.
One of the best Wright books out there.......2006-05-11
This is a beautiful picture book that keeps its title's promise. Maddex actually identifies the specific FLW solutions for making small houses feel big. Her description of these solutions are well-written and aimed at appealing to the intelligent layman. Mercifully, she avoids the academic, pedantic and patronizing tone. A real pleasure. Couldn't recommend more highly.
Book Description
Following the success of Harper Design's Mini House, Mini House Style continues to show that size doesn't matter.Or rather, size only matters when you know what to do with it.
Featuring elegant and imaginative homes no larger than 900 square feet, Mini House Style features a variety of projects that incorporate innovative ways to make a small space more livable. It may be a clever storage area, or an unexpected flow to the room's use, or maximizing the impact of window placement or special architectural features to create the illusion of space. Also included is a discussion of foldable, mobile, and multifunctional furniture especially suited to small spaces. Featuring the work of today's most talented designers, this captivating guide is provides endless inspiration for your own small home, be it single-family house or individual apartment.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointed.......2007-03-14
The projects covered are (from my perspective) very interesting. I like modern, minimilistic elevations.
As someone who is considering building a 'mini' house project I have been inspired.
However, it was extremely disappointing to have so few photographs of relevence or to have those photographs plastered over the floor plan. Perhaps the editor is concerned we readers might infringe copyright? I don't think so...
no practical advice - weird intellectual detachment from real life concerns.......2006-04-10
There is no author for this book, only a design/editorial group (ricorico), and that is the problem. That is why there is an impersonality to the approach, a studied, purposeful detachment from the subjects..
Yes the houses are really small (unlike Susanka's huge houses) but almost all of these are these modern boxes or domes built in the middle of nowhere.
Maybe it's supposed to be a highly conceptual, intellectual study. It's about if the whole world got destroyed in a nuclear meltdown, how would you rebuild. It's not about making do with what you have, which was built eighty years ago.
As a layperson, I got little enjoyment or real life, real-budget advice out of it. There are hardly any people, no magazine piles, no food, no messes in this book.
You do get lots of blueprints and plans.
The text is also not fun to read. I think the whole thing was written in Japanese, then translated into English. There's something that is too much of a literal translation and does not jibe well. A lack of editing, I think, a lack of interest.
Lastly, the photographers use weird wideangle photographs - there is a very noticeable distortion - they should have invested in a better architectural lens. Using the extreme wideangle creates a false illusion of greater space, which contravenes the interest in a small space.
Decently done book, but only if you really have to like minimalism.......2005-11-29
The houses profiled in this book are of the minimalist modern style, and sited in Europe or Japan. You know the type: futuristic boxes that are basically a glass cube, or strange triangular shapes, or an experimental modular house that's meant to be connected to other modular houses. There's even a spherical house.
This book is great -- if you're into that type of thing. But to me, they looked largely unlivable. Furnishings inside were minimal, as if they were there for show. It appeared as if the occupants never so much as boiled an egg or read a newspaper. The bathrooms look like airplane bathrooms. One building had a rusted metal grate draped over the roof and windows. I'm sure the authors thought it was an architectural wonder, but it looked like a prison to me.
If you can get past the style, the pictures are very pretty and the layout is okay. The architects seemed very passionate about their work. Their articles had a lot of substance about form and function and natural light. However, the busy line-drawing blueprints, which I'm sure is all the rage, are very hard to follow.
Book Description
In an age of "McMansions," this international survey of the latest in residential architecture proves that small is beautiful-and responsible. The houses profiled are designed to make maximum use of the smallest possible footprint in order to protect the environment. The houses profiled here prove that efficiency as well as beautiful, thoughtful design can be had in a tiny setting. Each project includes a case history describing its design challenges and how the architect overcame them, a detailed blueprint for each house, full-color photos of the interior and the exterior, and plans of the layout. This book will be an inspiration to anyone in the interior design or residential architecture field as well as to anyone considering a second home, and proves that environmentally responsible design principles are not just a style but a philosophy for sustainable living.
Customer Reviews:
Small is Beautiful and Less is More...........2007-07-14
As a member of the Small House Society I love this book. The houses are small and to the point without all the clutter some small houses tend to have. And as the title says its Compact Houses: Architecture for the Environment. And in an era of McMansions its so refreshing to see small homes that use small lots to make the best use of the land and provide for the most open and airy feeling home. Or for those who like myself love the idea of a 500-800 square foot home in an open field that is environmentally sound but also simple and minimalist this is a great book.
Taster.......2007-03-14
I enjoyed the wide variety of projects presented. I'm a visual person, so thought there could have been more photos per home to orientate oneself with the accompanying floor plans.
Overall, I return to this book (amongst others of its genre in my collection) because of the celebration of small project design.
This is not for those who dislike modern, minimilistic elevations.
save your money.......2006-06-28
Empty square boxes; cold and modern. The flat roofs would never work in the northern climate.
Makes Me Want to Go Build a New House.......2006-03-25
I review a lot of architecture books, and this one more than most makes me want to go out and build a new house. The subject of the book is small houses. It consists of pictures and the story of some fifty houses, all of which are less than 1,300 square feet. Many of them are much less than 1,300 feet, indeed down into the 300-400 square foot size.
I live in a small house -- 900 square feet or so -- that's about a hundred years old. But compared to the layout, the beauty the simplicity of design, mine's a dump. I'm getting the urge to go visit a realtor friend. One thing about these houses is that many of them are on what would be considered hard to build on lots. And such lots tend to be cheap. There's a new architect in town that's fresh out of school and may have more originality than the older guys. Maybe if I give her this book, with a few houses marked. Hmmmmm!
One thing I didn't like, most of the bed rooms are on the second floor. I was in a house once that had a fire. The amount of smoke generated in just a minute or two was incredible. I don't want a bed room upstairs, if necessary I want to be able to close the door to keep the smoke out and get out through a wondow or emergency door.
Other than that, this is a great idea book. The pictures are beautiful. There's not as much detail as I would like, but adding detail would have to mean either fewer houses or bigger book, so I guess it's a nice balance.
Quite good.......2006-03-24
This is a quite good book dealing with compact houses. I'm not totally satisfied because some of the houses represented are more an architectural exercise than houses in which living. However really good photos, nice ideas and a good rating from the quality-cost point of view.
Customer Reviews:
Small Houses.......2007-07-12
I am going to build a small house and found great ideas in this book. I like this book a lot.
Save your money.......2006-02-28
If you want a picture book to leaf thru, I guess it's okay. As far as practical ideas, forget it. Most of the homes here are very site-specific, and most are multi-story. I didn't really see any innovations or adaptable ideas that I could actually use in my own home construction, which was why I bought it.
New Material.......2002-05-29
Fine Homebuilding does a great job of highlighting unique architecture. My only wish is that it wouldn't get recycled over and over again in hardcover. My plea is for Fine Homebuilding is to keep searching out fabulous homes to keep it fresh. My admonishment is to Taupin Press for boring it's very attentive audience. I now look through a book before I purchase it, I usually find that I already own 20-30 of the pics that I find interesting.
WOW.......2000-05-21
I just love the small(?) houses in this book. I'm one of those people that dream of one day being able to build my own home, and therefore have numerous books and magazines with house plans. This book is the best by far that I have. The plans and pictures in this book are just brilliant. I love the fact that most of the houses are different to the normal square or rectangular shape that is so prevelent these days. All though most of the houses in the book aren't really that small, at least not to me, there are some wonderful designs. The detail provided about each design is thorough. The Energy-Efficient Houses and Craftsman-Style Houses books are terrific as well.
one of the best books on small houses.......1999-08-04
This book has a wide variety of different homes-- which to me didn't seem that small. The plans as well as a description of primary concerns in design are often included. Best of all, many of these homes were designed on a budget of about $100,000, which makes these houses seem much more inspiring and realistic to the potential home builder. I'd never thought of designing my own home until I saw this book, but now it's one of my hopes for the future.
Books:
- The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor's Kit: How to Make Money Buying Distressed Real Estate -- Before the Public Auction
- The Somerset Hills (New Jersey Country Houses)
- The Unexpected George Washington: His Private Life
- The Victorian Home: The Grandeur and Comforts of the Victorian Era, in Households Past and Present
- The Virgin's Lover
- Tree Houses You Can Actually Build: A Weekend Project Book (Stiles, David R. Weekend Project Book Series.)
- Windows and Doors (Build Like A Pro)
- A House on the Water: Inspiration for Living at the Water's Edge
- A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney
- Adobe Details
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Indemnity Only
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| Books
Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life (Susanka)
Not So Big Solutions for Your Home (Susanka)
Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home
The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters
