In this context, one would do well to remember that "bigger" seldom – if ever – equates with "better"!  A huge, formal living room capable of accommodating a crowd will feel overwhelmingly large and, thus, uncomfortable to be in for a family of 4 or 5.  Hence, it will be used only on "Occasions-of-State", NOT on an every day basis.  The same is true for a dining room that can seat 8, or more, people.  Feeling lost in it, the family will therefore use it only when they have family or friends over for dinner, for the kids to do their homework, or to wrap Christmas presents!  And, while we are at it, why have an enormous and imposing, two story, hotel-like, "foyer", where a smaller, friendlier, and vastly more inviting entrance hall would do just fine? 

     If those rooms and spaces don't really contribute to your quality of life, why not do away with them and integrate their functions with the "family room−kitchen" combination where you spend 80%+ of your (awake and at home) time?  Why waste a ton of money on space (and furnishings) you don't need and will hardly ever use?  If you can afford to, why not spend that extra cash on creating a home the exterior and interior of which looks (and feels) like a jewelry box instead of an oversized packing crate and offers some, or all, of the many features discussed below?

     What all this means is that,  the more "dedicated" and "tailored" (not necessarily, the smaller} the home, the more important it is that EVERY sq ft of its available space is designed to be able to pull double duty;  i.e. that every bit of space and every nook and cranny returns a maximum of usefulness, satisfaction, happiness, and joy!  That is what we at "Your GardenHome Architects" will do our best to help you achieve!

2. is embraced (enveloped) by a wonderful, true garden ...
     composed of several "outdoor-rooms-without ceilings" that are meant for living, dining, and entertaining, and that are expressly designed such that, together with the home and its "<GardenRoom" cum family room, they form an inseparable whole the overall beauty and utility of which is far greater than the sum of its parts.

     Why have a real garden instead of just some cookie-cutter "landscaping", a high maintenance lawn, and a sea of empty, unused (useless) space?  Because in these days of sky-high realty prices and property taxes, the cost of owning, say, a 1/2 acre (21,780sft) lot has risen to the point where most folks are now paying anywhere from $0.25 to $0.30 annually in mortgage interest, property taxes, and maintenance costs for EVERY square foot of the land around their homes whether they use it or not!  In the case of a house and a driveway with a combined footprint of −say− 4,000sft that means that the owners pay anywhere from $4,445 to $5,334 annually for the "privilege" of owning the remaining 17,780sft of (usually) open and unused property!  NOT to put some, if not all, of that land to the private (exclusive) use and enjoyment of its owners is being viewed, more and more, as a ridiculous waste of both the money AND the land involved!

3. is a "Home for Life", meaning a home ...
    ●  that, rather than mere "Accessible Design", offers "Universal Design" which
     will make it vastly more "User-Friendly" and livable for any person, male or
     female, young or old, large or small, weak or strong, regardless of his/her
     physical abilities, disabilities, or handicaps; 
     ●  that is designed not only to be wheelchair but piano and sofa moving friendly
     as well simply by having 3'+ wide doors and 3½'–4'+ wide hallways, and stairs; 
     ●  that has doors offering (European) lever type door-handles rather than round
     (American) doorknobs that are difficult to turn for 6yr olds with tiny hands and
     66yr olds with arthritic ones (and for perfectly healthy 6' males with their arms and
     hands full of grocery bags, we might add); 
     ●  that has counter tops and closet shelves that can readily (and relatively
     inexpensively) be lowered or raised should the need arise; 
     ●  that has phone, power, and cable outlets that are at least 30" above floor level;
     ●  that has a spare bedroom with private bath either on the second floor or in the
     basement to accommodate guests or a full-time nursing assistant should the
     need arise;
     ●  that has a first floor "home-office"  or "library" with a full bath that has a
    slip-proof  floor and strengthened walls capable of being easily and cheaply
    modified to accommodate someone who needs hand-holds, etc, such that,
    should you ever become disabled, it can become your master bedroom thereby
    allowing you to stay in your Dream Home forever!

4. that offers high energy efficiency, superb insulation and a
    Geothermal Heating & Cooling System" ...
    ●  that will reduce your monthly HVAC and water heating bills by 50%, or better;
    ●  pay for themselves in from 2 to 8 years and last 40+ years with little or no
     maintenance!

5. that offers a semi-interior, multi-purpose, "GardenRoom tm" ...
     ●  that, like a standard family room, can be used for everyday living, dining, and
     entertaining;
    ●  that is partially glass-roofed, "plant friendly" and, thus, can act as a transitional,
     "indoor garden" that is intimately related to its outdoor counterparts; 
    ●  that, unlike commercially available, one-style-fits-all, slap-on "Sunrooms"  and
     "Conservatories",  is designed such that it (like the "Orangery" at
      Dumbarton Oaks)  effortlessly and beautifully blends in with its surroundings and
      with the architectural style and integrity of the home of which it is an integral part.