This 26-Foot Tiny House Is Wrapped in Glass, So It Lives Much Bigger Than Its Footprint

Tiny houses have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years after their first brush with fame in the early 2000s, when they emerged as hipster housing alternatives for those concerned about climate change and, implicitly, their need to do something to reduce their carbon footprint. The tiny houses of today are much more varied, fancier, and better suited for the modern world than those back then, and it's that last part that can set builders apart in an ever-competitive market.

When you're working with such a compact footprint as a construction built on top of a towable trailer that's meant to serve as a permanent home for as many as 8 people, every little bit counts. Design gimmicks help create the impression of a much larger space, enhance functionality, and add to the aesthetics of the future home.

Escape Traveler, a builder with almost three decades of experience, knows that only too well. The Wisconsin, U.S.-based builder, once credited with building "the most beautiful tiny in the world," knows that where space is limited, there's only so much gimmicks and creative thinking you can do to stretch it. And when that's over with, you simply have to trick the eye into seeing what's not there.

Case in point: the upgraded eOne tiny.

Escape introduced the One model several years ago, and it's become their best-selling unit since. It's in such high demand that the builder has designed certain variations on it: there's the eOne, which is described as the all-electric model because it features only electric appliances, and then there's the XL variant that brings extra length to either the standard One or the eOne.

The upgraded eOne sits on the standard 26-foot (7.9-meter) custom galvanized dual-axle trailer, just like the non-upgraded version. It's 8.6 feet (2.6 meters) wide and 13.6 feet high (4.1 meters), which means it remains towable without special permits. It features the same layout and the same list of appliances and features, but it brings an enhanced living experience with oversize windows.

This tiny home is almost wrapped in glass both on the second level, which holds the two walkway-connected lofts, and on the ground floor. This helps with basking the interior in natural light, erasing visible boundaries to the outside world, and giving a sense of a home larger than it really is. It probably won't do much in terms of enhancing the home's mobility, but that's an entirely different discussion.

The side windows open both on the ground level and in the lofts, which is yet another good idea. Another good idea is to offer privacy blinds on all windows as standard – as much as anyone likes looking out to whatever wonderful view they're parked at, no one likes noisy neighbors.

The eOne features a dual-loft layout, with the important difference that the loft spaces are connected by a walkway, which eliminates the need for a second set of stairs or a staircase. Escape Traveler imagines one loft can serve as a bedroom and the other as a home office, but that choice is ultimately up to whoever is living inside the tiny. Both can work as bedrooms or even work spaces, if need be.

The ground floor holds the living room, which comes unfinished and offers some freedom in terms of arrangements, the fully-equipped kitchen, and the bathroom. Appliances include everything from a high-efficiency Mitsubishi mini-split for heat and AC to an induction cooktop with extractor, microwave, oven, a tall fridge and freezer, and a washer/dryer unit in the dedicated laundry station. There's even a smart TV in the larger loft.

Finishes are maple for the cabinets and the countertops, biodegradable cork flooring, and sustainably grown birch wood for the walls. The home has power outlets and USB plugs throughout, including in the lofts, energy-saving LED lighting, and low-E thermopane windows. It's also fully insulated so that it's suitable for year-round use.

Optionally, owners can add decking or solar to cut down reliance on the grid. Despite the "e" in the name and the mention that it's an "all-electric model," this doesn't mean that it's off-grid, just that it runs everything on electricity and not gas. The eOne plugs into the grid by means of an RV-style hookup.

Escape Traveler doesn't take preorders on their units, which is another thing that sets them apart from other builders. Instead, they churn out models that they then offer up for sale on their website, with or without discounts. The upgraded eOne is now available with a $9,200 discount, but there's no mention of the full price. As a reference, a standard eOne starts at $69,470.