Sarah Susanka’s The Not So Big House and other architecture books, carried by the major book retailers, emphasize quality over size. I used her ideas in designing my own house. She teaches how to make a house appear larger: open views from one end/corner to another, rooms differentiated by variying ceiling height instead of walls. She teaches that one space can serve several purposes: study center in dining room. Other ideas are having private spaces within a larger room by creating alcoves. You don’t need your own getaway room – you can carve yourself a small window seat in the living room, etc.
She advocates wood ceilings, timber beams, large windows, window seats, interesting roof lines, design of walkway/gate/entrance, patios. While her houses cost more per square foot, they are well designed and comfortable. I am more drawn to the quality of her house, than the big nameless McMansion, cold and lacking any imagination.
I’ve read that builders will return to crafting homes, with unique styles, to set themselves apart in this age of overbuilding.
I can certainly foresee that the next generation of homes will favor quality over size.
