Idrove right past the home of John McCarthy and Amy Garner when I set out to meet the young couple for a tour and talk in their intimate abode on the banks of the Housatonic River in New Haven.

After all, it was a tiny house.

But not so insignificant once you get up close and personal.Yes, the home totals a mere 344 square feet, but with warm wood paneling, light streaming in,

and a dining setting looking out at a stunning river view – cue the swans to paddle by – it feels cozy, not so claustrophobic. As you listen about the art of compact co-habitation, you begin to understand that this minimalist design for living is not just Zen but downright ingenious, and a perfect fit forthose with a certain temperament, attitude, and lifestyle.

Their Traveler XL is a high-end, tiny home made by the Wisconsin-based Escape Traveler. They have lived at their current New Haven location with their black lab Winston for more than two- and-a half years. Both agree it’s one of the best decisions they’ve made and they have no regrets.

“Would you like a quick tour?” asks Garner, smiling as their guest enters their home.

The first things you notice are the light filling the space from the multitude of windows and the home’s surprising height, which tops out at 13 and a half feet. (The width is 8 and a half feet and the length is 30 feet.)

From there, it’s a home that would have left Henry David Thoreau speechless. The kitchen area includes a four-burner-plus-griddle propane stove, a dishwasher, a full-size refrigerator, cabinets, and a modest bar fashioned from a section of an old desk.

To the left upon entering is a cobalt blue, full-sized couch which abuts the main bedroom located on the first floor –a rarity in tiny homes, which usually perch the principal sleeping quarters on high. A queen-sized bed occupies most of the space in this downstairs hideaway, with a full-length mirror discreetly hidden on the opposite side of a sliding door. Garner’s clothes are in a modest closet. McCarthy’s are in drawers at the base of the bed.

“We could have had more storage space in the bedroom,” says Garner, “but we decided we’d rather get rid of more things and have high ceilings.”

On the opposite side of the house is a small cruise-ship size bathroom with a shower and a dry-flush toilet – butit also includes a combination washer-dryer, something the couple never had when they lived earlier in a studio apartment in the Winchester building in New Haven, or in New York.

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