It’s fall! It’s cozy! Finally, it is time to snuggle up and thoughts turn to home…
My husband and I met long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away called Minnesota. As newlyweds, he was a student at the University of Minnesota’s graduate school of Architecture, and we spent many weekends dreaming about designing and building our own home. One day we visited a home designed by then-Minneapolis architect, Sarah Susankah. That home was on a parade of homes, and it was an example of her philosophy: The Not So Big House. It was a revelation. Everything that contemporary American home design said — big, bigger, biggest — is wrong according to Susankah. The big, bigger, biggest attitude consumes more resources, wastes space, and builds homes which create divisions and separation in families rather than bringing them together.
We went home from that home tour and immediately bought Susankah’s book, The Not So Big House. It has been a touchstone for us as we considered which homes to buy (this is number three) and what renovations to consider (this house will be our third major renovation). More than anything, The Not So Big House helped to shape our thinking about quality over quantity, energy efficiency, and sparing resources.
I have more about The Not So Big House today on my website. I hope you’ll check it out! Susankah has written several other books as well as other resources on her website, too.
And don’t forget to check out the Autumn Bunting project I posted last week. Not only is there a longer bunting for a fireplace or doorway, there’s also a cute little one that says “Home” which is perfect for your front door. The downloads are free, and the buntings use items you probably have around your house. Put it up instead of a wreath for the season. Enjoy!
Happy Wednesday!
Angela
The Not So Big House
Sarah Susanka
DIY Autumn Bunting
Free Download!