Creativity and innovation are not – or should not be – limited by the size of the project you’re working on. The Elise tiny home from Vagabond Haven may be on the smaller side of things, especially compared to many of today’s mansion-style tiny houses, but it’s the perfect example of ingenuity of design and excellent craftsmanship.
Tiny living is, by definition, downsizing from a proper, full-size, brick-and-mortar home to a (mobile) space that provides only the basics. Tiny living goes hand in hand with intentional living and, more often than not, concern for the environment while offering more freedom of movement and easing some of the burdens of home ownership.
On paper, tiny living is perfect for anyone whose lifestyle goals check all of the above boxes. In reality, this often means tiny builders will offer the same layout or the same style design for their products. Here’s Vagabond Haven, a Sweden-based manufacturer of tiny homes, and its “hold my beer” moment: the Elise.
Elise is the second largest model in the company’s lineup, and it’s by no means a new one. Vagabond Haven offers the Elise either as a basic package that you can further customize from a range of pre-set options, including for siding, color choices for materials, and appliances or as a turnkey model. Pricing starts at €39,200 ($40,700 at the current exchange rate) once you factor in taxes, and you can opt for home delivery and weather-proofing according to where you live – at an extra cost, of course.
Photo: Vagabond Haven
The idea with the Elise, which we covered briefly on a previous occasion, is that it could be your perfect home and, just as importantly, that it could be so while staying tiny and comparatively low-cost. The way in which Vagabond Haven is able to do that is by implementing a layout that has not been done in tiny houses before, by switching the location of the main living spaces.
Elise is designed for a family of three, two adults and one child, and starts from the standard two-loft design. However, instead of putting both sleeping areas upstairs, it places the kid’s bedroom on the ground floor, drops its ceiling height, and suspends the living room. Inside a 270-square-foot (25-square-meter) home, the result is striking, as you get the feeling that the two areas are stacked yet connected.
Entrance is done through a tempered-glass door directly into the kitchen. It’s a small space, and it feels even more so since it integrates the dining area with a fold-out table that can seat four people, but it’s fully-equipped. There’s an oven, either gas or electric, a cooktop, either induction or gas, a refrigerator, a sink, storage cabinets, a small work surface with a laminated oak countertop, and a kitchen fan for ventilation.
The kitchen is positioned centrally, so there’s the bathroom on one end and the kid’s bedroom on the other. The bathroom can be equipped with a washing machine and comes with a standard glass shower room, toilet (flushing or a choice of composting models), and vanity with sink. The child’s bedroom features a small bed and storage and a gorgeous porthole window that adds charm to what would have otherwise been an odd place to sleep in.
Storage-integrating stairs lead up to the living room, which includes a small sofa and a very cozy fireplace. Above the bathroom is the parents’ sleeping loft, which is the typical loft bedroom in any other tiny house: a lowered ceiling with just sitting height, a mattress, and limited storage options accessible by a removable ladder.
Photo: Vagabond Haven
Vagabond Haven offers several options for the siding of Elise, from spruce, cedar, ThermoWood, or Shou sugi ban, insulated with eco-friendly recycled textile insulation and with a lightweight and durable aluminum roof. The house sits on a double-axle, lightweight Vlemmix trailer and can be hooked up to the grid with an RV-style hookup or, if you’re looking to really go all out with your dream eco home, made to be completely off-grid, with options like solar panels, water tanks, and rainwater collection system.
Vagabond Haven’s motto is “Build small, live big,” and Elise is a good example of just how small you can go and still have all the creature comforts of home.
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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