Ironically, my personal story draws a parallel to what consumers are increasingly asking for in residential design. Led by concepts published in Sarah Susanka’s book “The Not So Big House”, and fueled by the green building movement in the wake of the global warming concept, consumers are realizing the benefits of utilizing more of their home’s wasted spaces. Whether for storage, accessibility or enjoyment, the little nooks and crannies that were once attics, stairwells or voids are filling up with creative and strategic uses for bookshelves, entertainment systems and wine cellars. Multiple rooms are being combined to improve flow, and in some cases, homeowners are downsizing altogether by moving into condos and townhomes. They are in effect making conscious decisions to have more fun with a lesser “footprint”.I’ve been in enough homes to know that we as a society will fill the available space – often to the point we can’t park in the garage anymore. The TV show Clean Sweep illustrates how we’ve been conditioned to believe the one with the most ____ wins and how little of it we actually need. Try asking yourself: what’s it worth to me to improve the enjoyment of my home? A qualified consultant can speculate what marketability those improvements might bear.
Michael Tenhulzen, CGR, CAPS is President of Tenhulzen Remodeling in Redmond (425) 885-9871 www.tenhulzen.com.
