“Not So Big Remodeling” Book Giveaway
Sarah gives you room-by-room guidance with fantastic photos and examples.
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Tody I am excited to introduce you to a very interesting and talented woman, architect and author, Sarah Susanka. A few years ago, I ran across Sarah’s book The Not So Big House in the library. The photos of cozy, sun-washed rooms sucked me in, but the information on how to make my own home more user friendly and beautiful is why I read the whole book. That first book was published in 1998 and since then, Sarah has published a whole string of books following the “Not So Big” philosophy. I had the pleasure of speaking to Sarah on the phone the other day and I wanted to share what I learned about this passionate and genuine designer.
To give you a little background, Sarah had been a very successful architect and principal in a firm in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for 16 years. She loved practicing architecture but as time passed she found herself really looking forward to her speaking engagements more than anything else. This was a time when she could connect with real people and answer their questions about a topic that was near and dear to their hearts: Home Sweet Home!
So she started working on her series of books that show us all that it’s not the size of your home that matters, but rather how you use the space. Many people have their eye on their “dream home” but Sarah points out it’s quite possible they are already living in it! She says that many people live in their homes always thinking in terms of resale, yet they are not going anywhere anytime soon. If you don’t have a need for a formal dining room, then why do you have one? Make it a reading room or yoga room or whatever works for your family! We need to modify our existing homes to fit our lifestyle instead modifying our lifestyle to fit the home.
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A wonderful book to help you bring the "not so big" philosophy into your life.
Just recently, Sarah published the book Not So Big Remodeling. Her timing is impeccable! When she started writing the book, she had no idea that many of us would be looking to improve our homes rather than move over the next few years. This book is a treasure trove for anyone looking to improve their home. It dedicates a chapter to each area of the home starting on the exterior, entry and foyer and moving to kitchens, bedrooms and basements. She also teaches us about the considerations when it comes to “green” remodeling. Whether you are doing a $1,000 renovation on your bathroom or a small addition, this book helps guides you through the process.
Today, Sarah is offering a free copy of “Not So Big Remodeling” to one of our lucky readers. And as a super deluxe bonus, you will also receive a copy of “The Not So Big” life, which I was tempted to keep for myself!
Would you like to win these Two Fantastic Books?
Simply Enter Here…
- Visit Sarah’s Website and have a look around.
- Leave me one comment below telling me what part of your home could use improvement and how this book would help you.
If you are receiving this via email, go back to the site to enter. Replies by email will not be accepted.
One entry per person. You have until 11:59PM EST on Wednesday, April 22nd to enter. Two random winners will be chosen and announced soon after.
Good Luck!
~Lorrie
Win a $200 JCPenney Gift Card!
Tags: giveaway, My Favorite Things
April 16th, 2009 at 8:33 am
My home is so old I think ANY good information or help is needed whenever and wherever I can get it.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Please enter me to win the remodeling books-my daughter just bought a fixer-upper house and could sure use these books!
April 16th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I have these two books on my Amazon wish list , and have for a while. I have three young children, and I have this ongoing fantasy that when they leave the nest, my husband and I can build one of those really small (less than 800 sq.feet) homes. It appeals to me on every level. My husband and I rent right now, so we can’t make any major changes to the home that we are residing in. But I am gathering information to make my dream a reality. I would love to win these two books.
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net
April 16th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I live in a small apartment, so any help with storage and organization would be great.
April 16th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I have a small office in my home, and would love to get ideas on how to max out the space.
April 16th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I have a small house, and I am on a tight budget. I could use all the help and ideas I can get.
April 16th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
oh this would be great would give me idea on what to do with the place i live it thanks
April 16th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
the whole lower level it was done by a fly by night contractor and it is worst than when he started thanks for the giveaway
April 16th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
My upstairs bathroom is small and it needs a makeover. I’d love to have Sarahs book to help me with ideas.
April 16th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
We have a 20 year old house that has a lot of ‘little issues’ that need to be addressed before we do any remodeling. But she has a 100 different project ideas that will help us!
April 16th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
i would love to have new ideas. just bought a new home. mverno@roadrunner.com
April 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
i’ve got a small apartment, so this would be very helpful to make the most of the space i’ve got
April 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
My living room needs some help. We live in an old house. The living room isn’t very big plus it need to be kids friendly since I have 4. This book would hopefully give me some good ideas and give me an idea where to start. I really need some storage and seating ideas.
April 16th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
oooh – I have 3 feet of counter space in my tiny house and desperately need a kitchen remodel – but I can’t spend much…
April 16th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
What a great idea! I am looking for ways to make my home office less cluttered, more user friendly, and I would love to read this to find ways to restructure my current setup!
April 16th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Wow, beautiful books AND great philosophy behind them! I love that Sarah encourages better design, not bigger design.
The colors she uses really pop out to me– mixing woods, bright colors, etc. I think my living room could use that because it’s a little drab. THANK YOU! –Michelle, blogattoday [^at) gmaildotcom
April 16th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I would love to start remodeling our home one room at a time starting with the kitchen. This would help me be organized and not feel to overwhelmed:) Thanks!
christinbanda(at)yahoo(dot)com
April 16th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I live in a small condo and decorating and painting walls is something I could use help with. What colors, mirrors etc. could possibly make my space POP. Thanks so much for this very special giveaway.
April 16th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
My basement could use remodeling right now its pretty junky and blah. I think this book could give me ideas.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
April 16th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I have lived in my house for 6 months/// I still have not unpacked my office I need help with storage and organization
April 16th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
All of the rooms in my house are small and most magazines and websites only show remodeling tips for large rooms. This book seems to be the exception. My small bathrooms need help the most. Thanks.
April 16th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Our living room is very oddly shaped with mutiply “focal points.” I’d love this book to help me organize the space into a truley livable room.
April 16th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
My whole home needs improvement and I am hoping this book will take what feels like an overwhelming task andmake it seem a lot more manageable.
madamerkf at aol dot com
April 16th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
What beautiful covers and photos!! The room that is need of the biggest help…hard to choose…I would have to say it is a tie between the living and the main bedroom. The bedroom has just been put on the back burner for the time being and the living room gets the most use. I would love ideas on how to redecorate! Thanks
April 17th, 2009 at 9:44 am
“Making room for what really matters”–after you told us to check out Sarah’s site, these words popped right out at me. Although we live in a small 1920s house, I wouldn’t change it for the world, and I know that Sarah’s books would help me figure out how to create a home that would encompass the things that do really matter, while at the same time keeping it purposeful and peaceful (clutter-free) at the same time! I’d start with our dining room that we never USE but would LOVE to use for SOMETHING other than dining!
April 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Oh boy could my house use help. I am very decorating challenged. I don’t overdo I under do. Everything is painted off white looks like a rental.
April 17th, 2009 at 11:13 am
My movie room/family room could really use a new look, and I am clueless as to what to do. This book would be great for some ideas and tips. Thanks for the chance
April 17th, 2009 at 11:20 am
We are doing a whole house remodel, but right at the moment it’s the kitchen that needs work.
April 17th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
My main floor bathroom is a lime green from the late sixties.Everything including the bathtub ,toilet bowl and walls is lime green.I need a make over badly to bring this bathroom up to date.
April 17th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I would love to remodel my kitchen – new countertops, backsplash, sink. I have the “Not So Big Life” in my Amazon wishlist!
April 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
My living room needs help.
April 17th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
my attic could use help, i’m turning it into my bedroom and having problems with the unique shape of the space!
April 17th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I don’t have a home yet – we’re looking to buy but I know we will get a fixer-upper, so this could probably help the whole house!
autumn398 (at) yahoo.com
April 17th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Our closets could use the most help ! We really need to purge the useless things in our lives and Sarah’s books would provide the inspiration we need. Thanks for the chance to win them!
April 17th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
We desperately need to remodel and update our Master Bath, but haven’t had the money to do so. I think the “Not So Big Remodeling” would be perfect for us since the author avoids high-end architectural solutions, focusing instead on how Not So Big ideas can dramatically improve even the most modest home. The author(s) show readers how to think like an architect, so they can accurately access their homes shortcomings, apply Not So Big principles to their remodeling plan and phase in their project incrementally over time – that’s us! We’re more the DIY type and don’t have a lot of money to complete our home projects:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
April 17th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
my kitchen, my living room, i could just paint and be happy
April 18th, 2009 at 8:23 am
My bedroom is not a relaxing or organized place at all. It could really use some help.
April 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I have a spare bedroom that is crammed with stuff. I need some ideas for storage and decluttering.
April 18th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I’m looking forward to retirement and redoing my home so it fits our retiree lifestyle. I think this book would help with lots of good ideas.
April 19th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I have a kitchen that is big on square footage but lousy in layout. I’m sure the person who designed it never cooked! I could sure use some help.
April 19th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I was wowed by what Sarah wrote about sacred spaces in our homes. It was an ah hah moment, realizing our children each had their own rooms, my husband and I now married 30 years and empty nesters could make some sacred spaces for each of us. Maybe his has always been the garage …
April 19th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I love the Not So Big House books – and unfortunately, nearly all parts of my house need work, so the remodeling book would come in handy. And the Not So Big Life book sounds good!
April 19th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
[...] Not So Big Remodeling, by Sarah Susanka, at My Design Secrets (ends April 22, 2009) [...]
April 19th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
This book would be ideal for helping me remodel a teeny tiny kitchen!!
thanks
April 20th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
My small living room could use some help, and I think that this book could give me ideas to help it!
April 20th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
My bathroom needs remodeling and this could help with ideas!
April 21st, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Her book would really come in handy for us – we are remodeling our basement and sub-basement areas and need some great ideas
April 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm
The bathroon needs some loving, but I would like to start with some ideas here in the kitchen.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:49 pm
In addition to remodeling our Master Bath, I would like to remodel or update the Master Bedroom. About five years ago I got the pine wood bug and purchase an entire pine bedroom set. The bed frame is too large for our room and I am constantly knocking into the end posts, bruising my arms, and I no longer like the look of pine. I spent a small fortune on our bedroom furniture so how do I replace it all on a small budget? I’m hoping to find the answer(s) in the Not So Big Remodeling book
maggie@mannwieler.com
April 21st, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I would love this book to help me with a kitchen remodel.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:59 pm
I need help with my living room. Make me a winner!
April 21st, 2009 at 8:55 pm
my office area more shelves more organization anything thanks for the giveaway
April 21st, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Did Sarah and you both know that this is what I need at exactly this time? We have a 22 year old home, a reproduction 18th century cape cod which my husband designed and built. At that time, our kids were ages 7 and 13, and we didn’t want to “over-build” and be stuck with a huge home for just the 2 of us when they moved out. The house really isn’t practical for me…a 12 foot long hall with many very small rooms, small bath and master BR downstairs, and 2 BR and a bath upstairs. Of course the kids left most of their “stuff” here with us, and my parents have passed away, and I don’t have a lot of space to put things. There is no chance that we’ll be moving…the house is paid for and my husband is retired and I very much need help in organizing and using the things that I do have and the things that I want to keep, but in a practical way. In my mind, I know what I want, and keep a file online of rooms and colors that I like, it’s just that putting it all together is a dilemma. Would love to win these books to help me. Thanks for the giveaway!
April 21st, 2009 at 10:19 pm
My bedroom really needs help and this book could give me some good ideas.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:23 pm
The brown paneling needs to go in our livingroom.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:35 am
The “not so big remodeling” book would come in handy for tips on fixing up my small kitchen and bathroom. This house was built in the 1920s and those two rooms seem to have been the most neglected over the years. I’ve only had the house for 10 years now and had to do major remodeling jobs (roof, windows, insulation, furnace, plumbing, etc.) I’d love to get tips to really make this house my dream home. Thanks for the chance to win!
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 am
OH I would love this book!! The rooms in my house are not big so I’m always stuck on what to do with them. This would really help!! I really hope to win this one! Thanks so much!
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 am
This book looks great. I also like the website…love the quote of the day.
I really need to redecorate my bedroom and the tiny spare room. I would love to have this book for inspiration and guidance. thank you~
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I have a small bathroom that needs work and I could get some good ideas from this book
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I live in a 100 year old house so help with enlarging closets or finding other storage space would be very helpful.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I’d love to remodel my basement. It needs some major organization in terms of storage. Please enter me
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I’d love to re-model the attic, thanks for the chance!
I`ll keep my fingers crossed!! (:
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
ty 4 the awesome giveaway and the entry:)my laundry room is small and needs remodeled:)
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
My whole house need remodeling but I have to start in the kitchen because that part is the worst. A small leak is now a major disaster.
April 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Once again an excellent written post from you. Keep it up!
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Great article . Your writing is really fabulous.I need to remodel my home and i hope i will get good ideas from this.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
We do various forms of energy work with a half dozen people once or twice a week in our small and buzy bungalow. We wish to create a sacred welcoming space for our energy group; family of four; group and individual meditation.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:11 am
[...] weekly in-post giveaways. Currently, you could win two books from author Sarah Susanka: Not So Big Remodeling and The Not So Big Life. Crys Lewis took the time to enter one of our recent in-post giveaways [...]