Now that it looks like the Mac Mansion is a thing of the past, that smaller homes will be in vogue, the first thing that has needs to be reduced is circulation. Instead of a series of spaces enclosed by walls and connected by a hall, consider eliminating the hall and combining a number of spaces. For example, combine the living room, dining room, and kitchen into a Great Room. But do not enter the house directly into the Great Room. Enter into a small foyer, which is separated from the Great Room with a built-in cabinet surrounded by 6"-0" high walls on three sides.
In order to create efficiency and organization, add built-ins. Maybe instead of a separate laundry room, put a closet in the kitchen or hallway and place the washer and dryer in the closet.
Instead of small windows on exterior walls, consider using large sliding glass doors, floor to ceiling in height. These large expanses of glass with daylight entering the areas, will make any room look bigger and integrate the indoors with the outdoors. Instead of standard 6'-8" high sliding glass doors, the use of 8'-0" high doors will give the rooms an openness not usually seen in basic model houses. If the project has the budget, single-pane French doors can also be another attractive alternative.
If the spans between walls are not too long (16' to the ridge) consider using regular rafters instead of trusses with flat bottom chords. Another option would be to use scissor trusses. Either of these can create a vaulted ceiling.
Instead of just planting trees and grass, consider a pergola and deck in the back yard. Again, this will give the house an area of expansion. If properly decorated with outdoor furniture, this will provide an additional space to congregate.
Instead of an eat-in kitchen, provide an island or counter for eating. With a luxurious countertop in granite or similarly expensive material, there is no reason why the kitchen should not be visible from the Great Room.
Use patterns in the floors of the bathrooms and the walls of the bathtub/shower. Use contrasting colors of a similar tile for a dramatic effect.
Lastly, paint the house in one basic color like white, off-white, gray, or beige. Then, pick a wall in each room and paint it in a bold contrasting color. It can be the same bold color in each room or it can be a different color in each room.
Houses which are smaller don't have to be dull and boring. They can contain interesting spaces with unusual finishes. Creativity is not limited by size.
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