Drawing from Sarah Susanka's Not-So-Big House principles, we designed the living room to be multi-purpose defined by the grand staircase and our "reading cave" alcove. Knotty hickory flooring, craftsman trim and walnut accents gives the home American character. This home is built to European Passive House standards to drastically reduce our energy use by 70%, then we added solar panels on the garage to become Net-Zero energy use for the year and carbon footprint of Zero for the home. Energy bills for the home are $10.77 per month (the minimum grid connection fee). Photos: Jen G. Pywell