Scan the newspaper racks or television shows and you’d think we’re living in a nation obsessed with attaining a simpler, decluttered, well-organized lifestyle. But then take a look at the homes builders are putting up all over the country and you’ll experience a total disconnect between this search for a simpler lifestyle and the houses we’re expected to live in. Home theaters, the “bonus room,” designer kitchens, gadgets you’ll never use, and even rooms set aside for such activities as gift wrapping—what's wrong with this picture? Sarah Nettleton will present her six paths to simple sustainability, each illustrated by examples of human-scaled, unadorned homes with straightforward floorplans from her book, The Simple Home.

   Learning objectives:

• Summarize the current trend toward simplicity as a design methodology and a practical aesthetic
• Discuss ways to design homes that embody the luxury of enough and help their owners live a simpler lifestyle
• Identify ways that sustainable is simple and takes advantage of simple pleasures