Downsizing is not for everyone, and neither is living in a tiny home. But to those for whom downsizing has become a way of life and a tiny their permanent residence, the appeal is irresistible. A look at the tiny Forbes once named the “most beautiful tiny home in the world” can offer anyone a better appreciation of it.
The tiny house movement started picking up traction in the early 2000s, but that’s not to say tinies weren’t around before then. More than three decades ago, George Dobrowolski founded Escape Tiny Homes, which is now one of the most successful companies of its kind in North America. We’ve discussed a couple of their previous builds before, like the Escape N1 or the Ikea one-off build based on the Vista Boho XL, and they both stand out in terms of what can be achieved within the restrictive footprint of a tiny to make it look more like a proper home.
The Vista is the flagship Escape tiny and perhaps one of their most popular models. It is, if you will, the very essence of a tiny home, in that it’s very small, but also incredibly accommodating and elegant. It sleeps only two people and, unlike most tinies, is single-level, so there is no loft or “upstairs” area. Still, it’s able to pack the basics for a permanent residence and, if you want, it can even be made more off-grid able.
The Escape Vista was introduced in early 2016 and has since spanned several upgrades and models, from larger to smaller, across all budget ranges. It remains incredible popular and still lives up to the moniker Forbes magazine attributed to it back then: that of the most beautiful tiny home in the world.
Photo: Escape Tiny Homes
The thing about tinies is that you can’t seem to find the perfect gray area of compromise for them. If you want more space, they become too large, which means they’re both more expensive and less mobile. If you choose a smaller one to take on the road more often and cut expenses, you’re looking at a considerably more cramped space.
The Vista is able to walk that fine line and make the compromise. It’s small but doesn’t feel that way, thanks to wraparound glazing and minimalist, clean styling, and it even manages to stand out as an elegant alternative. All Escape homes are inspired by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, but the Vista takes direct cues from the iconic Farnsworth House, designed and built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1945 and 1951 in Plano, Illinois. It took over 100 designs and iterations to get it right.
“Open up the space and you open up to the world,” Dobrowolski told Forbes in 2016 of the choice to put so many windows on a tiny – a rather strange choice at first sight. It’s not an issue, though: “We have driven our buildings over 60,000 miles [96,560 km] and still have never had a window issue. Our windows are Energy Star, Low-E, argon-filled, thermopane. As for insulation, we use closed-cell, blown foam. It is fabulous, has a super high R-value, and is incredible at sealing the building from air penetration. It's also great at stiffening and strengthening the building while being ultra lightweight.”
The exterior is clad in clear cedar siding and metal trim, while the interior is solid wood and wood laminate in natural colors. The finishes and the panoramic windows help open up the space. After all, when you’re looking outside all the time, you hardly have time to notice how small the interior is, right?
Photo: Escape Tiny Homes
Sitting on a custom Escape steel trailer rated for 6,000 lbs (2,721 kg), the Vista is 20 x 8.5 x 9.6 feet (6.1 x 2.6 x 2.9 meters), and offers a living space of 160 square feet (14.8 square meters). It’s definitely not the smallest tiny out there, but it’s still pretty small. Inside, you get a living room slash office area that also serves as dinette, so basically a square of floor with a fold-away table.
Next to it is the kitchen, which is incredibly spacious and spills into the bedroom area with extra storage. There’s a fridge with in-build freezer, a deep sink, a two-burner cooker, and lots of counter space. The walls accommodate a wardrobe and more storage, while running window shelving offers the same functionality without ruining the view.
On one end is the bedroom area, which is comprised of a bed with integrated storage and a hideaway television set, while the other is reserved for the bathroom. Here, you will find a full standing shower, a teeny-tiny handwash basin and a toilet, which can be either a composting one or a Laveo one, the kind that shrink-wraps waste for easy – and unsmelly – disposal. The Vista can be hooked up to the grid for electricity and everything else, or can be set up for an extended off-grid stay, if you’re willing to pay extra.
Photo: Escape Tiny Homes
Introduced with a base price of a little under $40,000, MRSP for the Vista has now gone up to $56,700 before options. You can put a price on the best things in life.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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