Vista – A Tiny House That Mixes Contemporary Design and Comfort

Called Vista, this tiny house is the latest offering from the Wisconsin-based ESCAPE homes. Unlike their other models, which seek to accommodate up to 6 people, the Vista is a much smaller, more “personal home”.

 

Vista Tiny House - Dan Dobrowolski - Escape Homes - Exterior - Humble Homes

Founder of ESCAPE Homes, Dan Dobrowolski, describes their tiny houses as “personal homes” because, “like the personal computer and personal desk assistant, these are truly personal spaces designed to be adaptable to each person’s individual needs.” This is something I can also attest to, as most people who purchase our tiny house plans, tend to customize the them to their own specific needs and wants.

 

Vista Tiny House - Dan Dobrowolski - Escape Homes - Interior - Humble Homes

The Vista contains a total of 160 square feet (15 square meters), has a length of 20 feet, and weighs just 6,500 pounds. The outside of the house is clad in a mix of vertical cedar siding and CORTENs steel panels. The overall aesthetic is that of a contemporary rustic cabin.

 

Vista Tiny House - Dan Dobrowolski - Escape Homes - Sitting Area - Humble Homes

The entrance leads into an open plan living space, featuring the sleeping area/living room, dining space, and kitchen. To the back of the house there’s a separate room that contains the bathroom. The house is lined with windows along its entire length, providing fantastic views of the outside environment, while also keeping the living spaces bright and airy.

Vista Tiny House - Dan Dobrowolski - Escape Homes - Storage - Humble Homes

The interior finish features a lot of light woods, creating a cozy atmosphere that doesn’t sap all the light out of the space. With the limited head room, they’ve gone for flush ceiling spot lights. To maximize storage in the kitchen, wall shelves have been placed in front of a window (this seems to be a bit of a trend at the minute).

Vista Tiny House - Dan Dobrowolski - Escape Homes - Dining Area - Humble Homes

The bedroom/living room to the front of the home features a pop-up TV that can be hidden away when not in use. Under the mattress there’s a pull-out storage drawer for clothes and other items. All in all, I think it’s an idyllic little home, one in which I could see myself living in quite happily.

For more tiny houses check out this eco-friendly tiny house by Jeff Hobbs that cost $77,000. Or, the Birdhouse, a 10-foot-wide tiny house from Asheville. See all tiny houses.

Via Contemporist
Photos: Escape Homes

Niall Burke

Structural engineer by day, tiny house designer by night. Niall has a keen interest in small spaces, green design, and sustainability. He started developing Humble Homes while studying for his masters degree in engineering. He is the founder and managing editor of Humble Homes.

13 Comments
  1. I really like the idea and the look and styles of the tiny homes, would like to have a better idea of the cost for everything.

  2. Insanity! All that glass with nary a curtain? They’ll freeze in the contraption. No sign of any heating… this has been commented on other sites as well. And… NO PRIVACY either. You may think you’re all alone… but you never know when someone else may be in the vicinity.

  3. Interesting, almost “monastic” design. As other’s have said, with all the glass, there is no privacy. (Remember the joke on the old saying that “people who live in glass houses Shouldn’t! Shouldn’t engage in U-know-what.) Also, is it just me, but all that glass and openness in winter when the little house was surrounded by snow would psychologically feel (to me) like living in an ice-box. I could see this little place in a summer garden surrounded by privacy fencing and thick landscaping used as a guesthouse. But not otherwise.. These comments are respectfully submitted.
    S. of Arkansas

  4. If you look up high on the windows, it appears that there are roll up shades in all of them? I would think with them down, there would be privacy. They make windows that are very efficient (Low-E) double or triple panes that are quite good at keeping the cold and/or heat out. I would love to sit in the sun with windows all around me. Natural light can’t be beat. You would also have a great view of the Moon and Stars. Also there is a vent in the front of the bed (dark brown) so I would think there’s some type of heat. I absolutely love the design. It’s so sleek and clean looking. This isn’t a poorly made hut. I’m sure plenty of $$ was spent and am quite sure they thought of everything and included it in their design. It would have been fun to see the other direction. Nice job…

  5. This company does commendable livable design in a number of sizes. This tiny size is beautiful. I am hoping for a bath past the kitchen and a closet would be good. I am OK with a loft for storage that does not require daily usage. The bed/sitting area is especially attractive for living in a tiny space.

  6. I totally agree with you, Liz. I’ve lived in MN and northern NH, so I know ‘cold’! And, I also I know that I would be both cozy and quite comfortable in this wonderfully simple and uncompicated house. In fact, at my time of life (now 67) it would be an ideal home for me!

  7. Well constructed doesn’t necessarily equate to well designed. I’ve seen numerous constructions where people oohed and ahhed over the design and “so called’ layout because it was trendy. Trendy is one of those funny words. Often it’s a euphemism for impractical.

    I’m dubious about the blinds having very good insulation properties, and yes I didn’t notice them, thought that was part of the multiple layers of glass. Blinds look like that so called space age shiny material stuff. My experience of that kind of stuff (remember those thermal blankets for emergencies? waste of time and money!! personal experience folks, personal experience) ain’t exactly complimentary.

    My understanding of Low E glass is that yes better than non Low E but nowhere near as efficient as thick curtains, especially those that also have a thermal backing.

    That vent in the bed, well picture wasn’t/isn’t that clear and I thought it was a safe or similar. LOL

  8. I see the same shortcoming that most tiny homes have. When you enter during winter, you drop a lot of snow all over your living space. Then there is no out-of-the-way place to hang your coat, hat, socks, mittens, etc.

  9. @Wild Bill… while I see your point of view, remember that not everywhere has snow in Winter.

    But, I’d hazard a guess that 90+% of the world which does have winter has a considerable amount of rain with it. So, still a wetness issue to some degree, just not as bad as I presume it would be with snow. I don’t live in a snow area so no way to make an unbiased judgement on that.

    What I find odd is that these Tiny Homes tend not to have a small porch area where you could wipe your feet etc prior to entering. Very few of them have one, and most of those that do are pretty much token porches so not really solving the problem well.

  10. I was attempting to agree with the woman who imagined how wonderful it would be to be sitting in the bed during a snow storm. I love all the designs and construction by the company that builds the ESCAPE homes. very high function and quality. BTW a really fine heating system is not necessarily a big wood stove consuming half the floor space.

  11. Katrina… I take you point on size of a big wood stove. But, reality is, in a small place you don’t NEED a big stove because you are heating up a small area. Think small electric heater in a standard house bedroom works fine but sure isn’t going to work well heating an entire 2,500 sq ft house. Same principle.

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