What is small and tiny living in terms of size? And how do you define and qualify them? The words “small” and “tiny” can represent different measurements for people based on their experience and their physical size.
A man who is 7’2” would probably think that a twin (or single) bed is ridiculously small. A man of average height would likely see it as an adequate size although he might prefer a larger bed.
I talk about having a tiny bedroom when I was a kid and living in a micro apartment in my late teens in my article “My Tiny Life.” Those experiences shaped my perceptions of what small and tiny spaces are and what you can do with them.
The first definition in my handheld electronic dictionary for the word “tiny” is “Extremely small.” For the word “small” the first definition is “Little in size, quantity, or extent.” An online dictionary’s first definition for the word “small” is “Having comparatively little size or slight dimensions.” The definition for the word “tiny” was the same in several online dictionaries. It looks like the word “tiny” is more tightly defined, whereas the word “small” is more broadly defined. But I think these words are often used interchangeably by most people.
The best qualifiers for the tiny lifestyle are the size of a person’s house and car. As I see it, micro houses are 75-250 square feet. Tiny houses are 250 to 400 square feet. And small houses are 400 to 1,000 square feet. Anything over 1,000 square feet enters into the low-end of the conventional house size.
Tiny or micro cars would include the Toyota IQ, Smart Car, Mini, Fiat 500, and others. Small cars would include the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, and others.
Both small and tiny houses and cars fall into the tiny lifestyle. Your choices between the two depend on your personal tastes and whether you are single, married, or have children. For example, although I’m single and have no children, a tiny house is too small to meet my minimum requirements, but a small house and a micro car are ideal.
My minimum requirements for a small house are a kitchen with a micro/convection oven (don’t need a stove), standard size sink (don’t need a dishwasher), and full size but small refrigerator (I’m vegan); full bathroom with a standard size sink with vanity top, storage cabinet, and a shower; full size washer and dryer (stacked or combo); bed (any size but king and larger); central air & water purification, heating, and cooling system; renewable energy systems 
(solar/wind); small dining table; computer desk and chair; easy chair; small dog; and a tiny woman. 😀 I also need a small garage for my micro car.
What’s does your tiny dream life look like?