Think smaller. Space costs money to build and maintain, and most people live in a fraction of what they build.  If you think you need 5,000 square feet, cut your wish list in half.  Toss out the space you won’t use, and you might find that 2,500 is perfect.

We came across the above quote by Russell Versaci in the March/April 2009 edition of Southern Accents and were intrigued by the possibilities.  Reducing the size of houses that we design is something we are interested in, especially as many of our clients begin to come to us with reduced budgets.

This past year we designed a home based on similar principles that Versaci talks about and we thought we would offer it to the discussion.  The building site is an irregular lot in a subdivision which would most likely have gone unused had we not sought it out specifically with the idea of building a small house.  This home is 25%-35% smaller than the surrounding homes, but has enough street presence to blend in.  It is designed as a home for life with the master on main, complete wheelchair accessibility and  space planned into the master bedroom for future medical equipment.

Specs:  2,600 square feet, 3 bedroom, 3.5 baths

We’ll leave you with another Versaci quote:

Design your house like a yacht.  Plan your space so every inch serves a purpose.  Take a cue from the Colonial Revival and Arts & Crafts homes  of the early 20th Century, and maximize storage with built-in bookshelves, china cupboards, and armoires.

Note: Speaking of designing your house like a yacht, check out a great book on small houses: Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Salomon.  She has a section in there on that particular idea.  More to come on this great book.