The Jewel Box Home Gains National Attention as New Take on Not So Big House Movement

The American housing market crash and energy crisis are forcing many homeowners to "stay put" or go smaller. The Jewel Box Home, launched by small home living expert Genevieve Ferraro and soon to be featured in Midwest Living magazine, takes off as a popular "go to" resource where small home decorating, entertaining and lifestyle advice are just a click away.

(PRWEB) November 18, 2008 -- The American housing market crash and energy crisis are forcing many homeowners to "stay put" or go smaller. The Jewel Box Home, launched by small home living expert Genevieve Ferraro and soon to be featured in Midwest Living magazine, takes off as a popular "go to" resource where small home decorating, entertaining and lifestyle advice are just a click away.

"As we enter the age of a permanent global energy crisis (http://thejewelboxhome.com/site/pages/stories.html), (the large sprawling house) is coming off the menu," reports James Howard Knustler, author of The Long Emergency, Atlantic Press. With the residential real estate crunch expected to last until 2010, the American Institute of Architects report that the average size of new homes - rising from 1,600 square feet in the 1970s to 2,300 square feet today - is falling.

In a quest to go smaller and greener with style, a growing number of homeowners are making The Jewel Box Home a popular one-stop resource for small home living advice as "staying put" becomes the thing to do. Building on the Not So Big House movement and books which discuss the best architectural and design components for a small house, Jewel Box covers the nitty-gritty basics of small home living (http://thejewelboxhome.com/site/pages/newsletter.html) - decorating, accessorizing, entertaining, and more.

Delighted by its popularity, Genevieve Ferraro launched The Jewel Box Home Design Company and thejewelboxhome.com online community after she was unable to find an interior design professional willing to help decorate and style her home because of its small size. Techniques Ferraro developed to make smaller homes work and look fabulous, are available to Jewel Boxsm Design clients in Chicagoland. But it is the Jewel Box Home online community that has gained national attention and made Jewel Box synonymous with creating a beautiful small home.

Asked why she thought Jewel Box appealed to so many homeowners, Ferraro replied, "A lot of this attention is timing. But I also get emails saying most of the advice out there for small houses is impractical, expensive and not 'doable.' I think that's because it's coming from design professionals who use big house decorating principles for small spaces. That doesn't always work so well. I focus only on smaller houses - how to make them work and look good at the same time."

Ferraro admits to having "big house envy" herself once, recalling a time when she desperately wanted a larger house, but she has since sold herself as well as many Jewel Box converts on the idea of living small. "I don't think I'd ever want a big house now, though a Jewel Box vacation home is not out of the question," she laughs.

Those interested in finding out what the buzz is all about can visit thejewelboxhome.com (http://thejewelboxhome.com/index.html) and thejewelboxhome.blogspot.com (http://thejewelboxhome.blogspot.com).

About The Jewel Box Home Company:

Genevieve Ferraro is the creator and owner of The Jewel Box Home a decorating and lifestyle services company and online community for smaller homes. Ms. Ferraro and The Jewel Box Home have been featured in the Pioneer Press, a Sun Times regional newspaper, are listed as a resource by The Small House Society in ResourcesforLife.com, and will be featured in the spring edition of Midwest Living magazine. She makes her (1800 square foot) home on the north shore of Chicago with her husband and two teenage sons.

Genevieve Ferraro is available for media appearances and interviews and can develop written content on any aspect of small home living including:

•    Decorating styles best suited for a smaller home

•    Rules for accessorizing a small home

•    The best layout for a small kitchen

•    How to throw a dinner party, cocktail party or holiday party in a smaller space

•    Practical tips for raising a family in a smaller home

Inquiries about media appearances and written content development by Ms. Ferraro can be made through Amy Kalas at 773.354.4434.

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