Compact Houses: 50 Creative Floor Plans for Well-Designed Small Homes

by Gerald Rowan

Overview

Discover the huge possibilities to be found in a small house! Whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan focuses on efficient layouts and creative ways to use every inch of your space, including closets, decks, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. Artist renderings bring each house's exterior to life, and detailed interior drawings illustrate special space-saving features. Compact Houses includes one- and two-floor designs and plans with one to three bedrooms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612121024
Publisher:	Storey Books
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	180,277
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Gerald Rowan is the author of Compact Cabins. Retired from full-time teaching, he now teaches architectural history part-time at various schools in Pennsylvania, including Lehigh University and Haverford College. He has owned and renovated more than 60 small houses and cabins.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Why Live Small?

One - Plans: 50 Designs for Compact Houses

Two - Design: Key Factors for Small Spaces

Three - Energy: Efficiency and Sustainability

Four - Retrofits: Finding and Renovating a Compact House

Index - Including an Alphabetical Listing of Plans

What People are Saying About This

Kristen Eaton

“Compact Houses is packed full of designs for creative-yet-comfortable, efficient-yet-indulgent houses of 1400 square feet or less. My favorite thing about this book, though, is the section on creative ideas for making the best of space in any small home, like drawers or shelves built in under a staircase. This book is a great resource for folks who might not be ready for a micro home, but still want to simplify their lives and lighten their carbon footprint.”

tinyhouseblog.com Kent Griswold

"A great book with wonderful designs for smaller homes. Just the inspiration you need to find the right design for a small home for your future needs."

Editorial Reviews

Whether building a new home or renovating an existing one, homeowners looking to downsize will find plenty of ideas here.”

From the Publisher

09/01/2013
Rowan (Compact Cabins: Simple Living in 1000 Square Feet or Less) has renovated more than 60 small dwellings. Here, he shares his experience and offers advice for homeowners interested in constructing or remodeling small houses. There are 50 floor plans shown for buildings ranging from 800 to 1400 square feet, with another six floor plans that showcase energy-efficient and sustainable homes. In addition, Rowan presents before and after floor plans for residences that have been renovated. He is quick to point out that readers will need expert assistance from architects or contractors in order to see the results of these designs. Rowan also supplies a wealth of information on design for kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, basements, storage needs, and landscaping, once again highlighting energy-efficiency and sustainability. VERDICT Whether building a new home or renovating an existing one, homeowners looking to downsize will find plenty of ideas here.

Library Journal