Blueprint Small: Creative Ways to Live with Less

by Michelle Kodis, Claudio Santini, Sam Mitchell

When it comes to deciding on the size of a home or living space, one question must be How much space is enough? Americans often relate "enough" space to dimensions, rather than to how a space will really be enjoyed. In Blueprint Small, Michelle Kodis examines small spaces (each 1500 square feet or less) from a wide spectrum of locations, budgets, and individual styles-each chosen because they illustrate that scaling back in size doesn't have to mean scaling back in comfort, spaciousness, or beauty. From a sleek urban apartment to a funky mountain home to a renovated beach house, Blueprint Small reveals how smaller homes invite rather than overwhelm, comfort rather than alienate. The projects offered here represent a variety of functions, locations and environments, combining the technical aspects of building and using small spaces with the stories of the people who live in them. Blueprint Small invites you to explore inspiring and imaginative ways to inhabit smaller spaces, and still live large. Michelle Kodis is a freelance writer and editor based in Telluride, Colorado. She is the author of Love Scents and The Telluride Cookbook; she has also written for The San Francisco Examiner, The Oregonian, and Backpacker magazine.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2003

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found my dream floor plan in this book and got this book dirt cheap at local library book sale. I just need to figure out the outside and save up the money for my small house of my dreams!

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected, it was just some examples of remodels or additions people had done with details about style and furnishings. It was not very useful for me.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

While similar to her Blueprint Affordable: How to Build a Beautiful House Without Breaking the Bank, there are several unusual and smart homes highlighted here. First place goes to the family who built a home on a trailer park lot they owned. While fairly large, they do rent out a room, which in their tight real estate market helps, and shows there are overlooked building sites. The 28 square foot bump out added to a California bungalow, improved the kitchen/dining area, brought in lots of light and improved energy efficiency and was cool looking. Lastly the addition built on a slant was amusing and eye-catching and fit in with the rest of the house better than I expected.

Like Affordable, most materials are on the low cost, looks good and lasts end of the building spectrum. A nice idea book.

[Lynx ~ 10/1 Never Forgotten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I checked out this book hoping more for tips, ideas, and suggestions for how to creatively design smaller. All it really was was words from the architects about the houses they designed, and lots of focus on the blueprints and buildings. It's more of something that would convince you to live smaller and make better use of space. That's about it. Overall a bit of a disappointment, and by the middle I was just skimming through it.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book first because I was under the impression that it was based on Permaculture. This book features mainly quite small homes that cost probably at least a million $$$ each in cities like LA and NYC. Interesting for architects but not so interesting for people who are seeking to leave the city to live off the grid.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to look at architecture, houses, and cool ideas, this is a great book. It can be looked at in an evening and has some really cool ideas for small places. It's a small book filed with small living spaces done beautifully.

[JaNel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love looking at books like this--how to live creatively in really tiny spaces. Call me weird.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; beautiful photos and easy to understand! Houses are my passion. (hence the degree in Housing)

[Semi-Academic Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful, creative layout

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love looking at books about small houses.

[Megalion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book and gave me some things to think about. I just question the inclusion of houses of 1600 sq ft when small to me is 1000 sq ft and under.