No doubt you've been in a home that felt crowded or oppressive. For maximum comfort, you want to avoid creating that feeling regardless of the overall size of the home. One way to achieve an open, large feel while keeping the coziness of small is to design at least one room (preferably the main, or "great room") to extend from one exterior wall to another.
Let's look at why this helps:
* You can get the largest possible room. Having at least one large room will immediately provide the feel of bigness without building big.
* You can do more with the décor of the room. A large room that extends from one exterior wall to another allows for creating unique "mini rooms" within a room. With the right furnishings, you can create an indoor/outdoor feel, a front yard or back yard feel or whatever you want.
* Bringing in light from both sides of the room and house. Having windows on both ends or sides of the same room can create the sensation that your home is as big as all outdoors without sacrificing the closeness and comfort you're looking for.
