Q: What is driving the statement that “Small is the new big”? Is there a backlash going on to the McMansion fever? If so, to what do you attribute this new trend? Are small spaces becoming more popular? What do they offer that larger houses do not? Any stats on how this has become big?

A: I think that “small is the new big” because people started to step back and see how big things had really gotten, whether it’s a car, a couch, a cup of coffee or a cheeseburger, we got carried away with “biggie-sizing” everything. I think people also started to see the results of “living large”; in the cost of filling up your car, gaining weight, big mortgages and just living with STUFF everywhere! There is an underlying desire right now to simplify our lives, get back to basics, what really matters and of course that’s now translating into the spaces we choose to live in, people are wanting to live with less. And less doesn’t mean without luxury, people want style, elegance and comfort it’s just now they are realizing they can have that in a smaller space. There are not many people I know who don’t feel like a million bucks after cleaning out a closet or uncluttering their desk; small spaces give you the feeling that you are completely in control, your home isn’t running you, you are running your home. When things at home are manageable and contained that’s bound to manifest itself in other areas of your life.