I need to declare that I do not live in a tiny house. That may seem strange but I have reasons. Many people reach me by googling for that, but it’s not tiny. It’s little. Otherwise I would have called the site that. And here’s the difference: tiny houses are chosen by people who want to downsize and live a minimalist life. Little houses are lived in by people who can’t afford big houses. Perhaps that’s too much a generalization, but it seems to be mostly true. I live in a small house because I don’t need a big house, but if I won the lottery, let’s face it, I’d probably live in a huge house. And I feel the need to make this distinction textually because I have now been contacted by two people in media looking to profile folks who live in tiny houses. Then I have to tell them that a. my house is larger than the criteria they have set or been assigned and b. I am really the opposite of those seeking tiny houses. In fact, my house is over twice the size of my apartment and I bought it desperately seeking more room. Room to spread out. Room for privacy. Rooms. Stairs. Laundry facilities that were my own. I keep my house pretty spare of possessions, but it’s because they all live in my New York cluttered existence, not because I set them all free. I wish I could live without them permanently, but I can’t. As I told one reporter, I don’t understand people who live in tiny houses. I live in a tiny apartment and would trade for their 3,000 sf palaces any day. That is to say, I don’t really get this trend and probably need to read these articles and watch these shows when they do come out.

So why do I call it a little house? Because it feels little. It is very compact and while not exactly open plan, all the rooms blend and it feels like a square with a few panels in the middle. Any room can get light from all sides of the house. So it’s little in feel. I don’t mean to say it’s large, either. But it’s not a tiny house.

Please enjoy your tiny houses, downsizers! And start some blogs, because the media is looking for you.