Big and Getting Bigger

What item in America has been constantly increasing since the early 1900's? No, I'm not talking about our waistlines?
It's our homes. In 1970, the average American home was 1,400 sq. ft. Today, in 2005, the average American home is 2,349 sq. ft. while the average household size is 2.
Wow, talk about inflation. Does the average person need 500 sq. ft. more in living space to function today? Despite the large size of our homes today, they continue to grow. In fact, for a segment of the American population, it is their dream to own a bigger house. Says Georgia Psihas,

Bigger bigger, better better, it's just a part of life.

Talk about lofty ambitions.

The sad thing is that the house people think is their dream house doesn't bring happiness. Says Georgia,

I don't know if I enjoy it more. The only room I ever sit in is the office. Then I go to sleep in my bed. I don't even know what my bedroom looks like.

Bonnie Bennett adds in regard to one of the rooms in her 8,000 s.f. home,

It's kind of stupid, because we never sit in here.

Alyson Skinner notes,

The irony is, the bigger the house, the more junk you buy. Then you have nowhere to put it, so you want more storage.

Wow.
The environmental footprint for the owner of a megamansion such as the one under construction above is undoubtedly giant. The question we must ask ourselves when we consider our living space is, how much is too much? There are alternatives.