Sarah Susanka and Kira Obolensky - The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live

Pros: Lovely photographs, interesting ideas, but little for adapting what you do have.
Cons: Very much slanted towards Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts and Crafts movement.

I'm a helpless sucker for those glossly, make-you-drool books and magazines on homebuilding, design and plans. Inside we get glamour shots of polished wood, soft light, plenty of space, and exquisite detailing that pulls me right in. I can't help it, all...

Pros: Georgous pictures, a real conversation starter
Cons: None

My dream is to build a house. Not just any house and not a house that looks like the typical suburban house.

I have been thinking about the details and rooms I want in my house. I like wood trim and windows, fireplaces and area lights,...

Pros: Great ideas and examples, clear concepts, beautiful pictures, helpful floor plans.
Cons: Professionally self-referential, but not overly so.

This book is a great catalyst for ideas about both home improvement and new home design. Chock-full of concepts of home design and space use, ideas both for improving my existing home and details for my next home kept springing to mind. The best ...

Pros: Many wonderful ideas, beautiful pictures. It explains to you why you like certain things.
Cons: At first it can be a little technical. But well worth the effort.

My sister-in-law gave me a book by Ms. Susanka when I was beginning to form a mental picture of the house I wanted to build. Over the next few months I studied the book carefully and learned all I could from it. I didn't have the money to hire an ...