Interiors: Smaller houses are big

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Homes are getting smaller due to the high cost of building! Oh ... you already knew that. Old news, huh? But did you know that this last year, for the first time in 10 years, the average square footage of a single-family home under new construction fell, from 2,629 in the second quarter to 2,343 in the fourth quarter? That's about the size of a bedroom.
The McMansion is out and the quality vs. quantity is in. People are focusing on what they really need. Homes are being architecturally designed to provide the consumer with a small house that lives large.
Check out www.CusatoCottages.com. Architect Marianne Cusato will have her 1,500-square-foot, three-bathroom, half-bath, four-bedroom home floor plan available this month online. Another site to try is www.rosschapin.com. There are several floor plans of various sizes on this site. One plan that is only about 1,200 square feet accommodates three bedrooms, two baths, living room, kitchen and dining area. These plans are also great for vacation homes. There are even smaller plans, such as 700-square-foot homes that can be used for guest homes. Some plans are as tiny as 300 square feet.
When planning for a new house, keep some things in mind. By general consensus, the three most important things that seem to dominate a homebuilder's mind are quality, quantity and cost. If you pick just two and go with those two, you will be better off. Trying to accomplish all three might result in greater debt, not only in construction but also in maintenance.
Think, make lists and plan. Decide what you need, such as an office space, how many bedrooms and how many baths. Do you need a living room and separate dining room, or one space that can serve as both? Have you considered eliminating the living room and having a family room instead? Perhaps some activities can be done in a designated space rather than using an entire room, such as having office space as part of the living room or family room.
Storage is important no matter how much downsizing you intend. Plan for effective and efficient storage spaces with plenty of extra shelves, pullouts and the like. Don't forget the garage, as it can be an excellent place for storage if planned properly. Will your place have access to an attic? If so, plan on using it for storage also. Be sure to include large-enough openings with pull-down steps to get storage items up and down easily.
So what will you do with all the furniture you can't fit into the small home? Relatives might want some. Consignment stores will be glad to help you out with a little money in return when the furnishings sell. Other places, such as homes for unwed mothers or orphanages, will welcome your furniture. You'll find good homes for your extra furnishings.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann is an interior designer in Naples, Fla. For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com.)

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