A new book — pre-order now

The Art of Rightsizing

A new way of thinking about your home — and 100 rules that will make it work.

By Russ Bragg and Mick Nash

Pre-order — £30 →
Ships September 2026.
Limited first edition.
About the book

Most of us spend more on homes and making them nice than anything else in life.

We're not taught the room dimensions we need, or how to size and place what goes into those rooms. We learn by our mistakes.

Most people simply lack the language and confidence to communicate effectively with the architects, builders, fitters, designers and estate agents they rely on. The Art of Rightsizing fills that gap.

Whether you're buying a home, extending a home, or improving the home you live in, this book gives you a framework, a language, and 100 plain-English rules and ratios for getting it right rather than hoping for the best.

Your home and everything in it.
Not too big. Not too small. Just right.
Who it's for

Anyone deciding what to buy or rent, or how to make the best of where they live now.

First-time buyers working out how to make a small space work for them. Families shaping a home that nurtures a growing family. Empty nesters repurposing their floor plan or downsizing. And in truth, anyone who lives in or owns a home.

A dog squeezing through a cat flap
— 01

First Time Buyers

Plan storage from the start. Choose one good piece over five compromises. Smarter, not bigger — and ready to grow.

— 02

Family Homes

A home that grows with you. The kitchen as the engine room, working from home, room for all.

— 03

Empty Nesters

For the first time in ages, you can plan your life for just the two of you. Rightsizing to your current needs.

— 04

Rightsizing Later in Life

A new, better world for the you of today. A makeover, an adventure — not a compromise.

The book covers each life stage in turn, then sets out the rules and ratios that apply across all of them: kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, the rooms we forget to plan, and the garden — "the other room".

The authors

Two careers shaping homes — from small private projects to landmark spaces.

Russ Bragg
Residential Strategy

Russ Bragg works in housing and residential — helping clients with feasibility, business planning, product propositions, sales and marketing across hundreds of projects. He's seen how design decisions get compromised by the mixed interests of everyone involved in the making of property — however well-intentioned — while the person who'll actually live there is rarely in the room.

Mick Nash
Interior Architecture & Design

Mick Nash is an interior architect and designer with a poly-sensorial approach — focused on how a space feels, flows and functions, not just how it looks. His work spans private homes and landmark projects including The Gleneagles Hotel, the Southbank Centre and Olympia, where the discipline of spatial organisation has always been at the heart of how he designs.

Between them, 75 years
of helping people get it right.
What's inside

A 172-page hardback, illustrated throughout.

The first half walks through the spatial realities of buying, renting, extending and downsizing at every life stage. The second half is the reference: 100 rules and ratios, organised room by room, written in plain English with diagrams where they help.

100 rules and ratios across eight chapters.
I.
General Design
Light, flow, storage, heating, the relationship between rooms.
II.
The Kitchen
The working triangle, worktop heights, cabinetry, storage volume.
III.
The Dining Room
Table proportions, clearances, lighting heights, seating depth.
IV.
The Living Room
Sofa scale, rug sizing, viewing distances, conversational spacing.
V.
The Bedroom
Bed orientation, circulation, lighting, master and guest layouts.
VI.
The Bathroom
Ensuite vs family, shower sizing, accessibility, bath or shower.
VII.
Other Rooms
Utility, study, playroom, conservatory, cloakroom, garage, loft, basement.
VIII.
Outside Spaces
Gardens, plot ratios, driveways, sheds, garden offices, side access.
Sample rules

Plain English, where it matters.

Every rule is laid out on its own page or spread, with the rule headline first and the reasoning underneath. Diagrams, tables and floorplans where they help.

Format
Hardback
Pages
172
Dimensions
210 × 260mm
Price
£30
Pre-order

Secure your copy from the
first edition.

The first print run is sized to demand. Pre-order by 31 July 2026 to secure your copy — your card will be authorised today and charged when the book ships.

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Free UK delivery. International shipping calculated at checkout.
Ships September 2026.