The Not So Big House

Morris champions intentional small-space living with real examples from her own 400-square-foot home — same philosophy as Susanka, but through a styling and decor lens.

Readers who responded to Susanka's argument that a smaller, well-designed home beats a sprawling but generic one will feel right at home with Whitney Leigh Morris's Small Space Style. Morris documents how she and her family live beautifully and functionally in a tiny California cottage, using smart storage, layered light, and purposeful material choices — principles that echo Susanka's architectural thinking but translate them into hands-on decorating decisions anyone can act on today. The book is rich with photos and specific room-by-room strategies, making it especially useful for readers who want to move from philosophy to practice. If you've been searching for 'books like The Not So Big House' that show smaller living in action rather than just arguing for it, Small Space Style delivers that grounded, visual counterpart.

Smith argues for fewer, better choices in home design — a stylistic and philosophical cousin to Susanka's case against oversized, underused houses.

Myquillyn Smith's Cozy Minimalist Home sits in the same philosophical space as The Not So Big House: both authors push back against the idea that more — more stuff, more rooms, more square footage — automatically means a better home. Smith focuses on the decorating decisions that make a space feel warm and considered rather than cluttered or cavernous. Her 'cozy minimalist' framework helps readers figure out what to keep, what to remove, and how to arrange what remains so every piece earns its place. Where Susanka approaches this from architecture and spatial planning, Smith operates at the level of furniture, textiles, and everyday objects. For anyone who finished The Not So Big House wondering 'now how do I actually decorate this smaller, better space?', Cozy Minimalist Home is a practical, encouraging answer.

Gaines walks room by room through design choices that make a house feel personal and lived-in — a visually rich companion for readers drawn to Susanka's 'design for real life' argument.

Joanna Gaines's Homebody shares Susanka's conviction that a home should reflect the people who actually live there, not an abstract ideal of what a house is supposed to look like. Where Susanka builds her case through architectural principles and floor-plan analysis, Gaines works through style, material, and atmosphere — exploring how color, texture, lighting, and furniture arrangement combine to make rooms feel genuinely welcoming rather than staged. Organized room by room, the book is approachable for readers at any experience level, with abundant photography that makes the ideas concrete. If you liked The Not So Big House's emphasis on designing for real daily life rather than for impressive square footage, Homebody extends that thinking into the decorating decisions you'll face once the walls are in place.