The house was influenced by the "Not So Big House" book series. The philosophy is to create houses where every room is used every day. And that big rooms have a purpose but small has a purpose too.
With about 5,000 square foot under roof in the main living areas of the house, it's a pretty big house. However, it has the usable capacity of an even larger house.
The large kitchen and its oversized island with seating all around, replaces the standard kitchen with bar and kitchen nook. It takes less space and has amazing "feng shui" that people naturally gravitate towards.
Implementing a study as an alcove off of the master bedroom with a sliding door, instead of a full, separate room saves space and is intentionally located off the beaten-path.
Instead of a separate dining room and formal living room which take up extra room and often sit empty, the house has a "library" which has the main dining table flanked by a relatively small seating area with fireplace and window seat. The Not So Big House series calls it an Away Room. Unlike the large, main living, or "great" room, this room gives off an intimate feel and is a great place to sneak off for a conversation, read a book, or spread out the books for studying.
Adding media and game rooms separately in a house is another way to have run-away square footage for rooms that are rarely, if ever used, simultaneously. Combining them as a single, amply-sized, room utilizes that synergy and creates a perfect multi-purpose recreational gathering area.
