What I like to call “civilized living” is an older version of the now famous Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. I graduated from the University of Minnesota and I am sorry to say I didn’t have any connection with her while I was there. I regret that now.

This 1950 State House embodies her credos. “Built better rather than bigger” and “quality should always come before quantity.” I have no real proof, but would bet this State House was designed by architects, because it has almost all the pieces of a formal estate. I know, because I have remodeled a few and lived in housing without any of it.

I grew up in a small developer cookie cutter ranch house in a close-in suburb in the U.S. that was built during the same period. It was nothing special and its only redeeming value was that the construction was probably better than the average of what they are building today, essentially a private housing version of state housing definitely not designed by an architect.

Here are all the pieces that you want to see:

A Front Porch with light that leads in to a Front Entry with a Coat Closet and an exposed (in this case “baby grand”) Staircase that flows visibly into the entry.

A Back Porch with light that leads into a Mud Room / Laundry combo with a Second Toilet off it is a nice touch, even if not an official powder room off the entry.

A Second Story Landing leading to the Bath and three Bedrooms. Here is an entertaining description from pg.10 of the Branz book, even if it sounds dated today: “(T)hey should be three-bedroom family homes (a bedroom for parents, one for boys and one for girls).”

The Dining Area has an interesting history. In the Branz Renovate 1940-1960s book on pg.19 “The first state houses were designed with a dining alcove in the living room, and the kitchen was used for food preparation and cooking only. However, an early survey indicated that tenants preferred to have cooking and dining spaces combined, so floor plans were soon adapted.” This house has that adaption.

So just remember when you walk in one of these houses you are walking into a “Not So Big Estate” and that is the way it should be in the age of global warming.

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