Sarah Susanka

Marc Vassallo

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. 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.

Discovering the Details That Bring a Home to Life

Inside the Not So Big House

Discusses how to evaluate, plan, and execute minor alterations to different rooms in the home which can maximize living space and improve its overall appearance.

Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live

Not So Big Remodeling

A change is taking place all across the country and especially on the West Coast, a shift led by the younger generations. People who in years past might have headed for the suburbs are instead moving to the city or choosing not to leave. Many will live in apartments or condos. But in cities that have neighborhoods of detached dwellings (and most cities still do), people are buying, building, and fixing up little houses. Many people who already live in a little city house are staying put, remodeling perhaps, but not trading up or moving out. Others are building a little house in their backyard to serve as quarters for guests or extended family, or as a rental home for single people, couples, or small households, or even as an Airbnb for overnight visitors. A few intrepid souls are finding clever ways to fit a little house into novel spots in the city--building one on the rooftop of a warehouse, or repurposing an industrial structure, or transforming a two-car garage into a home. The 35 houses featured range in size from 500 sq. ft. to 1,600 sq. ft. and include infill houses, remodels, and backyard dwellings from all across North America.

Marc Vassallo

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