Americans’ love affair with the McMansion is over. Gaining in popularity are smaller, highly detailed, long-lasting dwellings -- all tenets of architect Sarah Susanka’s vision of “right-sized” homes, which she has advocated through her Not So Big House series of books. Susanka, who has advocated for smaller, more personalized homes for the past 12 years, said she sees more interest in the movement than ever before. Susanka offers some suggestions for ways that building industry professionals can help their clients personalize smaller homes:
-- Use varied ceiling heights to make spaces look bigger and to differentiate areas.
-- Build for the way the owners live. For example, Susanka, who designs many houses in the Minneapolis area, said she emphasizes a range of lighting choices for clients who leave the house in the morning and arrive home in the evening during the dark winter months ... (EcoHome)
