Meet Sarah

Bestselling author, architect, and cultural visionary, Sarah Susanka is leading a movement that is redefining the American home. Her "build better, not bigger" approach to residential architecture has been embraced by homeowners, architects and builders across the country and her Not So Big philosophy has sparked an international dialogue. As a leading advocate for the re-popularization of residential architecture, Ms. Susanka has improved the quality of home design while countering the elitist image of architects so commonly held by the public.

Sarah Susanka is a sought-after resource by industry groups and members of the media. Professional organizations, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Home Builders, regularly ask her to address local and national conferences. She has shared her insights on big ideas for small spaces with The Oprah Winfrey Show, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and Charlie Rose. "In February 2001, Fast Company named her to their debut list of "Fast 50" innovators whose achievements have helped to change society - an honor preceded by her selection as a "top newsmaker" for 2000 by Newsweek magazine and an "innovator in American culture" in 1998 by U.S. News & World Report. She ranked number 14 out of 50 in Builder Magazine's "Power Brokers" — the most influential people in the building industry."

Susanka has earned similar accolades for her books. Her first, The Not So Big House (1998) spent two years among the top five best sellers on Amazon.com's Home and Garden list. Creating The Not So Big House (2000) ranked among the top 15 books in the New York Times "Advice & How To" best-seller list. Through her columns in Fine Homebuilding and Inspired House magazine, Sarah explored issues commonly encountered in new home design and remodeling. Not So Big Solutions for Your Home (2002) is a compilation of the best columns, and provides everyday design solutions for people of all skill levels and budgets. In 2004, Sarah produced Home By Design, along with a companion demonstration Showhouse at the NAHB International Builders Show. Both the book and the Showhouse illustrate principles that govern how we experience space, light and order in our homes, and reveal the tricks used by architects and designers to make their creations comfortable and engaging. Sarah Susanka believes that by giving names to the key ingredients of good design and explaining how they can be applied in any home, builders, designers, and homeowners will be able to dramatically improve the quality of house design. Her current book, Inside the Not So Big House (September, 2005) explores details that bring a home to life and will be followed by Outside the Not So Big House in January, 2006.

In 2007, Random House will publish The Not So Big Life, where Sarah will adapt the same revolutionary principles to how we experience our lives. She will offer guidelines for easing our chaotic and overcommitted lifestyles, slowing down and eliminating less fulfilling activities to make time for those things that give our lives a personal signature and deep satisfaction.

Prior to her work as an author and public speaker, Sarah Susanka was a principal and founding partner of Mulfinger, Susanka, Mahady & Partners, Inc., a firm specializing in residential architecture in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She spent 16 years at the company, which was selected to design the 1999 Life Dream House. Susanka is a registered architect, a member of the American Institute of Architects and is a certified interior designer.

Visit Sarah's websites
Notsobighouse.com and Susanka.com