It’s no secret that Home Comfort Company is a fan of the Not So Big House philosophy. One of our recent custom homes in the Swan Creek neighborhood is a perfect example of fitting more possibility into less square footage. At an efficient 1850 finished square feet it boasts 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and plenty of living space. Join us for a tour…

Welcome to the Swan Creek neighborhood located in Fitchburg, WI

Charming details lend a Cape Cod cottage feel

Open floor plan subtly divided by decorative pillars

Amish-made maple cabinets provide plenty of storage and work space in the kitchen

Two bedrooms on the main floor…

…can also function as an office or toy room!

Two spacious bedrooms on the second floor…

…including a skylight and added study/office space.

Two full baths with lots of counter space

Rec/office area in the basement with doors leading to storage and laundry space

Whether you’re looking for bedroom, office, nursery, storage, hobby or recreational space, this cozy cottage home provides lots of options. It’s Energy Star Certified to assure low energy bills and is located less than a block from a neighborhood park. It is versatile, efficient and charming. Thank you for joining us on our tour. We hope you can see for yourself why we love this Not So Big House and everything it offers!

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Not-So-Big House”?

While a Not-So-Big House might be small or affordable, it’s much more than that. The Not-So-Big House is actually a design philosophy – a revolution, really. It teaches that your home should be the best (rather than the biggest) that you can afford. Here are five things WE as Madison area custom home builders love about the Not-So-Big House and use regularly when designing our floor plans:

1. Bigger is not necessarily better. We emphasize lifestyle over square footage and a sense of home over sheer size. A house that is beautiful and that inspires you is more delightful than one that is merely “big”.

2. Allow your budget and your lifestyle to inspire you. What is your daily life like? What do you value? What sort of design would simplify or complement your way of life? Once you identify what you want for your home, you can take the money you have available and make it work for you in the most powerful way possible.

3. Build a little smaller so you have a budget for the details. Again, Not-So-Big doesn’t necessarily mean small. Usually it means utilizing space and flow so your home is about a third smaller than you thought it needed to be. Use the money you would have spent on unnecessary square footage and use it to create handy, exceptional or just plain beautiful details in your home.

4.  Build smart. Use storage, lighting, color, furniture arrangement, built-ins and the floor plan itself to make a smaller home fit your needs. Create adaptable spaces that are useful for a variety of functions. Avoid duplicating functions that you’ve already covered elsewhere in your floor plan.

5. Create a home with care, quality and craftsmanship. A well-thought out home with a floor plan that inspires and complements your lifestyle will be appreciated for generations.

Next time we’ll show you how we applied these Not-So-Big design inspirations in two of our recent custom home projects. Visit us again soon!

Want a feel for the new home construction process? Check out this 3 minute video showing the process from start to finish.

This home was built in the Madison, WI area and completed by Home Comfort Company in July 2010. A big thank you to our clients, Mike & Cathy, for allowing us to document the construction of their beautiful home…right down to the gorgeous double rainbow!