In the late ‘90s, acclaimed architect Sarah Susanka made a radical suggestion: Maybe we should build houses that are not so big. In the nearly two decades since, that idea has become common sense, thanks largely to Susanka and her Not So Big series of books. Susanka argues that the key to happiness isn’t a palatial house filled with hordes of stuff; rather, happiness comes from finding inspiration in the little things. We talked to Susanka about how to create a fuller life by having less.
Mindful: What do you strive for when designing a house?
Sarah Susanka: When I’m designing a house, I try to make sure every square foot is lived in every day. I also try to help the house become an expression of useful beauty. Think of a well-designed window seat. If it’s beautifully crafted, it invites you to sit there. It’s small, but it becomes the treasure of the house. It’s a place you really want to be. It’s a place between inside and outside. It’s charming, and it makes you want to sit down and relax. And I’m trying to make houses that make you want to say, “I’m safe. I’m sheltered. I can sit and enjoy the views. I’m home.”
Mindful: What do you mean when you talk about “rightsizing”?
SS: Contrary to what people expect, rightsizing doesn’t start with a notion of size, but with the question, “What do I need? What do I love?” What grows out of that is rightsized. Your quality of life is based on how you are in your space, not the size of it. So, when I say, “not so big,” it’s got a paradox right in the name. Because what I’m really trying to get people to see is that it’s not about the size at all. Some people think 1,200 square feet is way too big and others think 3,000 square feet is too small. I’m not there to judge. I’m there to help them discover what’s right.
I’m working with a woman right now who has two large rugs that are going to make the core of her house. They were her mother’s, and so she loves them dearly, so we are shaping the house around those rugs. Without them, we might make the house smaller. But, for her, rightsizing includes those pieces of her past.
Mindful: Why does rightsizing so often mean downsizing?
SS: A lot of the population has gone overboard. We’ve got more space and stuff than we need. We’ve equated more quantity with the notion of a better life. That’s a lie. When humans were living in very small, cramped spaces, bigger was probably an improvement. But there’s a point at which more square footage does not make a better life. We passed that point, most of us, quite a way back.
Mindful: How do you determine the right size for yourself?
SS: You have to observe yourself in different spaces to discover what feels right to you. You need to pay attention to what your body tells you about a space and its size. You can learn a lot from being in friends’ houses or going to open houses and architects’ house walkthroughs.
Mindful: When you say, “what your body tells you,” what do you mean?
SS: I’ll give you some examples.
Sometimes I notice that a client of mine feels uncomfortable sitting with their back to the door—they don’t like not knowing what’s going on behind them. Knowing that, I might design them a different shape of room. I might orient the kitchen table differently, so that the longer sides are in an alcove, and maybe even put the kitchen island close by, to give a sense of protection. It’s like tailoring a suit for a body rather than just putting on a sack.
Another example: right now, I’m in what I call my “inner office.” It’s a room in the roof of my house, with a sloped ceiling that comes down to about three feet at the edges of the room. At the center it’s eight feet. I love it. It feels like I’m wearing a big hat. But I have worked with many clients who go nuts in this type of space because they feel cramped.
I have my clients keep a little journal of places they love, memories, friends’ houses, and pictures from magazines. If you pay attention, you can learn quite a bit about what makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable. And this becomes more important, the smaller the space.
Mindful: How do you see your clients’ outlook and priorities change once they move into a smaller space?
SS: When you put multiple people in a smaller space, they tend to interact more. Some of my clients get to know their families again, in a totally different way. When we’re living in a larger structure, we float away from each other. In a smaller space, gathering becomes more of a celebration. There’s not as many places to be, so you group together. I think that’s a wonderful thing about smaller structures.
I know an interior designer who remodeled his one-and-a-half-story house, and his 10-year-old daughter found that it became her friends’ favorite place to hang out. It was also the smallest. But it was really cool. It was the place with nooks and crannies, interesting spots to play hide and seek, and a sense of being in an adult world and a child world simultaneously.
Mindful: What is “breathing space,” and how can you create more breathing space in a smaller home?
SS: This is really key. And it’s counterintuitive. Breathing space is where you take a pause before you move into another space. In many older and smaller houses, you enter the front door and—bam!—you’re right in the main living space. That’s an example of no breathing space. You can feel very awkward there.
When something is beautiful and tailored to the right scale, your everyday life is enhanced tremendously. It reminds you why you’re alive.
If you have a very tiny landing space at the top of the stairs before you go into a bedroom, the house feels cramped. Adding extra square footage at the top of the stairs might seem like a waste, but it’s not. It gives you the opportunity to transition before you move into the bedrooms. It’s paradoxical, and a lot of what I talk about is paradoxical, because it’s not useful in our normal way of thinking. And yet, psychologically, it’s incredibly important.
Mindful: In your opinion, what are the most significant benefits of going smaller?
SS: On a sustainability level, a smaller house uses fewer resources and is easier to heat and cool. Furthermore, I think that making your home beautiful is a very big