Sarah Susanka

For 20 years, architect and author Sarah Susanka has been leading a movement that is redefining the American home and lifestyle. Through her “build better, not bigger” approach to residential design, she reveals that the sense of “home” we seek is a quality that has almost nothing to do with square footage. Her “Not So Big” message has become a launch pad for a new dimension of understanding how we inhabit our homes, our planet, and even our day-to-day lives.

Susanka is the best-selling author of nine books including The Not So Big House, Home By Design, and The Not So Big Life, which collectively have sold well over a million copies. Her books provide the language and tools for homeowners to bring their own dreams of home to life.

As a cultural visionary, Susanka is regularly tapped for her expertise by national media, including “The Today Show,” CNN and The New York Times. Builder Magazine recognized Susanka as one of 30 most notable innovators in the housing industry over the past 30 years, Fast Company named Susanka to their debut list of “Fast 50” innovators whose achievements have helped to change society, and U.S. News and World Report dubbed her an “innovator in American culture.” She is also a recipient of the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award for outstanding individual achievement toward making positive contributions to our world.

• @sarahsusanka

Sarah Susanka's Posts

• Varied ceiling height adds interest

  by Sarah Susanka

  When we want to define one space from another, we typically use a wall. But once there is a wall, there is also an impenetrable barrier to views and to conversation, which is not always desirable.

• Look Here

  by Sarah Susanka

  A point of focus can be as simple as a favorite piece of art at the center of the main living space. Or it can be more elaborate, such as an inglenook around a beautifully designed fireplace or a composition of windows looking into the garden beyond. Its purpose is to draw you into the space and to give the area a center.

• Upscale Remodeling

  On the Beam

  by Sarah Susanka

  Exposed structural ceiling elements can enhance interior character.

• Upscale Remodeling

  Slippin' & Slidin'

  by Sarah Susanka

  Sliding doors and panels offer a variety of ways to divide and unite spaces.

• Shelter Activity

  by Sarah Susanka

  Have you ever noticed that when you are looking for a comfortable place to sit, you often select a corner rather than the center of the room?