The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka Review: A Groundbreaking Argument for Quality Over Size

Sarah Susanka's The Not So Big House stands as one of the most influential arguments in popular residential architecture — a book that gave homeowners a vocabulary and a vision for the homes they actually wanted to live in.

At its core, The Not So Big House advances a single, forceful thesis: when it comes to where we live our private lives, quality should take precedence over quantity. Susanka, an architect by training, argues against the oversized, inefficient homes that dominated American residential building and offers in their place a design philosophy centered on spaces that are smaller in footprint but richer in detail, craftsmanship, and livability. The book lays out key design strategies and provides a practical framework — a blueprint, as the subtitle states — for creating homes built around the way people actually inhabit them, rather than around square footage as a status symbol. Barnes & Noble describes it as "a powerful, inspiring argument against oversized, inefficient homes" that delivers "the practical plan" for a different kind of dwelling.

First published in 1998, The Not So Big House arrived at a moment when the McMansion had become a cultural norm, and it quickly established itself as a counter-cultural touchstone. Over more than two decades, the book catalyzed what Susanka herself has called the "Not So Big Revolution" — a broad shift in how homeowners, architects, and designers think about residential space. According to Susanka's own site, the book gave homeowners "the language they need to ask for the house that they want," a phrase that captures precisely why it resonated so widely: it translated architectural thinking into terms accessible to non-specialists. The expanded edition, published by The Taunton Press, includes a new introduction and a new chapter, refreshing the argument for a new generation of readers without abandoning the principles that made the original essential.

One of the book's most celebrated contributions is its role as a bridge between professional architectural knowledge and the general public. Barnes & Noble's editorial recommendation describes it as "highly recommended reading for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in interior design," noting that it equips homeowners with the language to communicate meaningfully with architects, contractors, and interior designers. The book is structured around key design strategies, and its origins — Susanka developed much of the material through articles originally written and illustrated for Inspired House magazine — give it a grounded, practical orientation rather than an abstract theoretical one. The expanded edition's illustrated format brings these strategies to life on the page, connecting concepts to visual examples.

The book's focus is fundamentally philosophical and conceptual rather than prescriptive in a step-by-step technical sense. Readers approaching it as a how-to construction manual or a source of detailed specifications may find its register — more inspirational and principle-driven than nuts-and-bolts — an imperfect fit for their needs. The Not So Big House is, at its heart, a framework for thinking differently about home design; those already converted to smaller-footprint living, or professionals deeply versed in residential architecture, may find that the core argument yields diminishing returns across its length. The book's strongest value is arguably in its early chapters, where the central philosophy is laid out most freshly.

The Not So Big House belongs squarely on the reading list of anyone planning to buy, build, or renovate a home — particularly those who feel the pull of larger square footage without being entirely sure why. It speaks directly to homeowners who sense that their dream home has more to do with how a space feels and functions than with how many rooms it contains. Design enthusiasts, students of residential architecture, and anyone curious about the principles underlying what makes a house feel like a home will find Susanka's framework a durable and clarifying lens. As a foundational text in its field, it rewards reading not just as practical guidance but as an argument about how built environments shape daily life.