Well, everybody, it’s been another exciting day here at Hooked on Houses.
I just heard from Sarah Susanka, author of the bestselling Not So Big House books, saying that she read my interview with Dan McGinn and has a few things she’d like to contribute to our discussion.
In yesterday’s interview with the author of House Lust, I mentioned that I am a fan of Susanka’s work and enjoyed the chapter in his book that included her. I have appreciated her “not-so-big house” philosophy for a long time, and I took cues from her books when building mine several years ago (for example, I had the builder re-design the two-story family room that everyone else in our subdivision has so that we could have a playroom upstairs instead of that empty vaulted space and ginormous window wall).
Mine’s Bigger Than Yours (How Square Footage Became the New Scorecard),” McGinn visits some Starter Castles in Potomac, Maryland, interviewing their owners to see what, exactly, they do with all that space. (One woman, when asked how many bedrooms and baths her sprawling house has, is stumped for a minute, and has to stop to count.)
He writes, “As these homes proliferated, a whole industry has risen up to draw attention to their alleged shortcomings. At the head of this movement stands Sarah Susanka.”
In her 1998 book, The Not So Big House, Susanka challenged the notion that bigger is better: “More rooms, bigger spaces and vaulted ceilings do not necessarily give us what we need in a home. It’s time for a different kind of house. A house that is more than square footage . . . A house with a floor plan inspired by our informal lifestyle instead of the way our grandparents lived.”
McGinn took Susanka with him to look at a model home in a new development to get her thoughts (let’s just say she wasn’t impressed by what she saw, such as the brick facades with vinyl sides). In my interview with him, I asked whether he saw any end in sight for the Hummer Houses. Would the end of the housing boom finally bring an end to the “bigger is better” mentality and make people rediscover the value in smaller homes that are better built?
He responded that although he likes a lot of Susanka’s theories, he’s not sure if some of her “basic messages–that cathedral ceilings often don’t make sense, that we’d be better off without formal dining rooms–have evolved to the point where they really resonate with the masses yet.” (Read the entire interview here.)
I found Sarah Susanka’s thoughts on the subject not only interesting, but inspiring. I think you will, too.
Sarah Susanka: “As the author of the Not So Big House series, I have a bit more to contribute to this question. People usually don’t recognize that there are several rooms in their homes that rarely get used until it’s pointed out to them–that’s what my books do. Suddenly a light bulb goes on as readers realize they’ve never actually sat in the formal living room, for example. Dining rooms often, though not always, meet a similar fate.
“But Dan is right–until this realization is brought to their awareness, homeowners tend to want what everyone else seems to want . . . more space, taller ceilings, etc. They want it because that’s what they are taught to want. It’s what our culture promotes as the American Dream. I’m simply asking “What is YOUR dream?” If that coincides with the American Dream then go for it.
“But there are a lot of people for whom that bigger house just isn’t what they aspire to. They just don’t know what the alternatives are. I suggest to people, if you don’t use a room, don’t build it. You are not alone. Use the money instead for something that has meaning and value to YOU.
“Increasingly people are doing just that, and are living in houses that fit them much better as a result. In the past ten years, since The Not So Big House first came out, I have seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of people who are interested in better design and a more comfortable house that’s designed for the way they really live. Although there is still a large percentage of the population that equates bigger with better, there are increasing numbers that want better but not bigger. They’re looking for a sense of moreness that’s not related to size.
“So what I describe is not so much about building smaller as it is about better designed for today’s lifestyles. That’s the key, and I believe there is a distinct shift in attitude as people recognize there are alternatives to bigness alone.
“What I advocate is using the dollars you have available to secure a quality of design that will make your heart sing everyday. That’s what will swing the compass. It won’t happen overnight, but from my perspective at the center of this debate there’s no question that there’s more awareness of the tangible value and increased quality of life that results from tailoring a house to fit you like a glove rather than a sack.
“Time will tell, but I’m convinced that the future will be filled with houses that have a lot more to do with quality than with quantity. I hope I’m right!”
Thanks to Sarah Susanka for sharing those thoughts. I’m so inspired now. I almost feel like I’ve been to church (the Church of Good Design)!
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