Is bigger BETTER?

OK. So yesterday, I revealed one of my guilty pleasures -- I really like extravagant European-style Homes. There is just something about them that appeals to me. I like steeply pitched hip or mansard roofs. I like arches. I like the "Old World" feel. There's just one problem -- I hate wasted space!

Now, it would be unfair to say that all European House Plans have under-utilized square footage, but most of them do. I hate to say it, but the Chatteau Novella (see yesterday's blog entry) is totally and completely impractical. I don't believe that anyone, no matter how big their family is, would ever honestly need that much space.

I am quite content living in a home that is approximately 2,200 square feet. In fact, I feel more comfortable in a modest-sized home than I do in houses that are a little more spacy. That's why I have to tell you about some plans that I found on The Plan Collection. The good folks at The Plan Collection have recently added a new category of "Small House Plans" (plans with 0-1,500 square feet).

The purpose for my next few blog entries will be to convince people that bigger isn't always better, especially when dealing with home design. That being said, I hope you enjoy my rantings!

Guilty Pleasures

Y'know, normally I like to consider myself as being a fairly level-headed guy. I try very hard to keep head out of the clouds by making sure my feet planted firmly on the ground.

That being said, I have to introduce you to a house plan that is kind of a guilty pleasure for me.

This is the Chatteau Novella, which was designed by the amazing Archival Designs, Inc. I first came across this masterpiece of home design while browsing through The Plan Collection. I'm not sure what it is, but something about the Chatteau Novella just catches my eye. I love the way it looks!

Upon further inspection, you can see just how luxurious it really is, but the thing that I like most about this house plan is its style. I just can't help myself. Honestly, I don't think I'd ever live in a home like this, even if my finances could justify doing so. I don't plan on ever building a home with more than 3,000 square feet, but that doesn't keep me from going back time after time to oggle at the Chatteau Novella. I guess that just goes to show that we aren't always as practical and down-to-earth as we'd like people to think we are.