When I first saw the NSB House book, I thought 'yes' there's an architect who thinks like I do. Not that I'm formally qualified in archtecture but I have reoranised rooms and even a couple of houses for my friends. I've redesigned their interiors. I've done it more by vibes and gut feel but also read books on Feng Shui. I've studied Frank Lloyd Wright's designs; and walked through hundreds of display homes and got copies of a myriad number of plans. (When I'm not doing things in information management & finance I'm a mixed media artist). My friends have said
Now Australia is an interesting country. We do not have basements in houses here and up until quite recently we didn't live in the centre of cities in appartments. They're still not popular. The 'city' is the big business district with the skyscrapers and big department stores and surrounding the city are the suburbs, where most of the population lives.
But new subdivisions have enormous houses on quarter acre blocks with soaring entrances, lots of rooms and space just because we can have the space. In walking through display homes we still have the formal dining room and sitting room. I have friends who don't use their formal sitting and dining room. I look at their house and think what a great artist's studio I could put there!! We Aussies tend to live in the family room/dining area and outdoors. Front porches are not used but back decks, verandahs, patios, whatever you want to call the spaces are used. Our climate is kind. There also seems to be a trend of having the main bedroom with an ensuite bathroom near the front door and the other bedrooms away from the parents main rooms. I've been told by many builders of residential properties that this is what we want. I don't believe it.
When I have rearranged and redesigned a room/s and even the houses for my friends I have asked them to tell me/show me how they live. I've tried to fit the particular room around them, not them into the room. I'm now experimenting with my own house.
My house is small. It is 15squares (I think that's 1500 sq.feet). My block of land is 59feet wide and 130 feet deep. Most house blocks are longer (deeper) rather than wider. I don't have the money to demolish and rebuild; nor do I have the money to renovate, but I do have the money to make a few minor adjustments that will make a huge difference. A huge diffence to the feel of the house.
What Sarah's 2 books have done for my is put into words what I've been trying to express but I haven't been able to find the words to do so. I now have a better way of looking at space. There are things that have been so obvious that I haven't been able to see them like a room doing 'double duty'. We have a small sitting room in our house called now the 'front office' because it doubles as a junk room for boxes of books & stuff; two desks; pc's etc. It is used as a home office. But I can't work with my husband. I also work from home on occassions but I need to be 'away' from the rest of the family.
I'm so excited by all of this. I could write more. I will post some photos and comments and show how very minor changes can make major differences.
Cheers. Loz
Posts: 6 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 21 January 2006
Welcome to the notsobighouse.com community forum. We're glad to have you here. Enjoy the books, and please do post your pictures. We'd love to see Not So Big - Australian style.
When I first saw the NSB House book, I thought 'yes' there's an architect who thinks like I do. . .. "
Loz, Seems like we lost you, but I think there are lots of people in the States who would love to see what resulted of your finding the NSBH books. Do show!
Hello folks. I'm a newbie to your forum, but I've been a quasi fan of NSBH since the first books and have done quite alot of reading on the forums, opinions, and so on for months. I love everything about NSBH philosophies, etc, BUT, I have come to one saddening conclusion: that NSBHs are just as expensive as the houses that are just "BIG" houses and are wastful in space. I understand that the reason why one would build a NSBH are about "home" qualities....details....warmth...etc. I get all that, I'm a designer. But, when you talk about $500,000 - 800,000 prices, it clearly shows that a philosophy comes at a cost. Too bad. It takes me out of the market. I'm not in the position to buy island property as some on this site, nor can I spend one million dollars on site and home. $200/sq ft is lots for a small house.
