Right-sizing your home and your life

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BY KATHRYN CATES MOORE / Lincoln Journal Star

In 1998, Sarah Susanka was a “not so big” author. In fact, her days were spent focusing on architecture, which she practiced in Minnesota.

That was before her vision for a different home — a house that is not about square footage, but lifestyle — was published and began getting noticed beyond the architectural community. Homeowners and home builders wanted to know more about this “not so big house” concept.

Her first book, “Creating the Not So Big House,” was only the beginning. Susanka, who will speak in Lincoln at Southeast Community College at 7 p.m. Thursday, has taken the idea to another level — one which encompasses living space and day-to-day life.

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Sarah Susanka is a Minnesota architect and author of such books as "The Not So Big House" and "The Not So Big Life." (Photo courtesy of Strawbridge Photography)

Sarah Susanka is a Minnesota architect and author of such books as "The Not So Big House" and "The Not So Big Life." (Photo courtesy of Strawbridge Photography)

Susanka saw her role as an architect as someone who helped homeowners get the house they really wanted. Her first book, she said in a phone interview, was written to demystify the design part of building a home.

At the time, she said, there was a large residential market and it was underserved by architects.

Susanka was reacting to what she saw as an out-of-control building trend of large, cavernous homes which really didn’t suit the needs of their owners.

Some call these homes “McMansions,” although Susanka prefers the term “starter castles.” They have lots of square footage, but often lack the three things she believes are necessary in a home: comfort, beauty and a high level of detail.

Susanka takes a historical approach when explaining how this happened.

After World War II, Americans were eager to have their own homes, and tract housing was born.

“They were simple structures,” she said.

 As homeowners got more money, the homes got bigger, but not necessarily better, Susanka said.

Lifestyles changed, but houses did not. Large formal living rooms, rarely used formal dining rooms and small, closed-in kitchens are not in sync with today’s family, Susanka said.

So she began to develop a plan for “right sizing.”

Now, several books and almost 10 years later, her idea is much more mainstream.

And Susanka has become a full-time author, expanding on the idea, even taking it to the next level in her latest book, “The Not So Big Life,” (Random House, $24.95).

In Lincoln, home builder Greg Schwinn has taken Susanka’s advice to heart. He has read her books, heard her speak at seminars for builders and even toured a few of her houses.

Schwinn is a believer, and although it isn’t something he sells to potential clients, he has incorporated the ideas in his own newly built home.

The concept of creating living spaces which are adaptable for more than one use and long sight lines with fewer walls, architectural details and warm woods are all in his own home, he said.

Susanka said she sees many homes having three separate spaces, areas “where we really live.”

They include a kitchen/family room area, a master suite and a basement or lower level.

Sometimes, she said, each of those spaces is so self-sufficient, they are like “perfectly good houses in themselves.”

It is that kind of multiplicity which Susanka would like homeowners to re-evaluate.

Schwinn kept Susanka’s theories in mind when he designed his home, which has about 1,600 square feet on the first floor and lower level.

Schwinn thinks the concept works especially well for early empty nesters who want a home which works for two people, but adapts for family gatherings and entertaining.

Like Schwinn, Susanka follows her own design principles in her home in North Carolina.

She and her husband have a 2,400 square-foot Cape Cod which has been remodeled to meet their living space needs, including office space.

She writes and spends some of her time on the road giving lectures. Almost always, she said, homeowners talk about their own house design experiences — both good and bad.

“They want a house which expresses their life and is comfortable,” she said.

Her concepts have been embraced by Baby Boomers as that population bubble moves more toward retirement, she said. Those in their late 40s to early 60s are trying to figure out how and where they want to live in their retirement, she said.

“How do I downsize my possessions?” is a frequent question.

In her own life, Susanka, who is 50, said she regularly unpacks boxes of things in storage to re-evaluate whether she wants to keep them.

“I pitch a bit more every time,” she said.

And her most beloved items are out in the open, displayed in built-in shelves and bookcases.

Built-in storage, or visual storage, is a big part of Susanka’s design concept, taking advantage of nooks and crannies.

“Storage is a very important part of home design,” she said.

After finding the right space for yourself, Susanka advocates tailoring your life in the same way.

Ultimately, “we all want to feel more at home with our lives,” she said.

In her latest book, she writes about applying design principles to everyday living: Get rid of the clutter, reorganize the structure and individualize the plan.

Susanka has done it in her own life, creating chunks of time for herself and her work. “I weave in friends and family,” she said. “I can keep my life in control by living what I preach.”

Reach Kathryn Cates Moore at 473-7214 or kmoore@journalstar.com.