The Tiny Home Builder Who Opened a Village in Florida Now Offers More Than 10 Models
Welcome to Tiny Home Profiles, an interview series with people pushing the limits of living small. From space-saving hacks to flexible floor plans, here’s what they say makes for the best tiny homes on the planet. Know of a builder we should talk to? Reach out.
Escape was founded in 2014, but its roots reach back to Canoe Bay in northwest Wisconsin. Company founder Dan Dobrowolski’s family had lived in the area for three generations, and, wanting to share it with others, decided to turn it into a destination. When a 1960s summer lodge was put up for sale in 1991, he bought it and spent the next few years converting it into a resort with cottages.
Twenty years on, Dobrowolski was ready for a new—but not altogether unfamiliar—challenge. He enlisted the help of architects John Rattenbury (a student of Frank Lloyd Wright) and Kelly Davis to design a smaller, portable version of the Canoe Bay cottages. In the decade since it was founded, Escape has developed 11 different tiny home models, and has used a few of them to create a tiny home village in Tampy Bay, Florida. Here, Dobrowolski tells us about Escape’s various designs and collaborations.
Escape’s collaboration with Ikea, called the Vista Boho XL, is clad in yakisugi.
The kitchen features a Tillreda portable induction cooktop that can be easily stored away when not in use. The solid wood and veneer SKOGSÅ countertop is made with the whole tree—including the branches and twigs—to minimize waste.
With its overhanging eaves and beveled cedar siding, Escape’s Classic is most reminiscent of the company’s roots in Canoe Bay, Wisconsin. The model is no longer included in the fabricator’s standard lineup, but prospective buyers can reach out to them and request a custom build.
What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?
We were commissioned by Ikea to design and build a sustainable 187-square-foot tiny home on wheels, the Escape Vista Boho XL, as part of a larger tiny home project the retailer was working on. It was meant to reflect both companies’ commitments to sustainability, affordability and innovation.
The homes feature Ikea furniture and energy-efficient products, and white-washed interiors made from sustainably grown pine. The kitchens have cupboards made with recycled bottle tops, and there’s built-in storage and furniture, including a collapsable desk and table.
Ikea’s design team selected a metal roof with solar panels, and an on-demand RV water heater to provide the home with off-grid capabilities.
The standard Classic model spans 288 square feet in size, but could be upgraded to a 396-square-foot home with two bedrooms.
The Classic has a screened porch at the entry. The space can also be used as an extra room.
What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include?
Escape Vista Boho is our base model. It measures 187 square feet and weights 8,500 pounds with a starting price of $49,877. It’s outfitted on a custom trailer and has: Low-E Thermopane windows; a metal roof; sustainably-grown birch interiors; light-filtering honeycomb shades; energy-saving LED lighting; a 16 gallon high-capacity liquid propane water heater; liquid propane furnace; maple kitchen cabinetry with butcher block counters; an under counter refrigerator; a stainless steel sink and faucet; butcher block fold down multiuse table; 36-inch bathroom shower; Toto toilet; LED lighting throughout; fold flat living room couch with TV hook-ups; large work area; queen bed with a bookshelf; and under-bed storage.
Clad in yakisugi, the 276-square-foot One model is available for a little less than $70,000. It can be upgraded to larger, 400-square-foot versions for between $20,000 and $30,000.
The One has two lofts that bookend the birch-paneled interior, which can be upgraded to include a full set of appliances, stone countertops, oak finishes, and panoramic windows, to mention a few options.
What qualities make your prefab stand apart from the rest?
Design and craftsmanship. Escape was designed by an award-winning architectural firm, SALA Architects. The units are handcrafted in America in our own inspection factory in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. More than anything, Escape is built to human scale, is comfortable, and has features not found in any other RV.
Where is the prefab currently available?
We deliver to customers nationwide. There here are currently thousands of privately and company-owned units all over America, including multiple islands in Hawaii. We normally have several in stock or in production for immediate purchase.
Like the One, the $87,000 Traveler can be enlarged from 269 to 344 square feet for around $10,000 to $20,000.
The Traveler is slightly longer than the One, allowing for a larger bathroom and second loft. The kitchen is made larger by replacing the built-in staircase with a ladder, and a line of clerestory windows pulls light more evenly across the interior.
How long can a client expect the process to take after they put down a deposit?
Normal build times are 60 to 130 days, depending on the model and options you select.
What aspects of the design can a client customize?
Customers can make several custom choices, including countertops, washer/dryer combos, electric fireplaces, and Smart TVs. They can also add an extra upper bedroom or attic (on larger models) and solar options. We can accommodate many adjustments, as long as everything complies with all RV Industry Association codes and mandates.
Starting at a little more than $50,000, Escape’s Vista line is the most affordable of their offerings. Its exterior is clad in tongue-and-groove siding that can be upgraded to yakisugi for $4,000 or dark bronze for $5,300.
The Vista has a shed-style roof and is wrapped in windows.
What aspects of an install do you manage?
There are no permits needed for RV parks and many locations. But this does vary from place to place. We encourage our customers to call their local zoning office for more information. Our customers are responsible for site preparation and having utility hook-ups available. The home site needs to be level and firm, using materials such as concrete, black top or even compacted gravel. The approach to the site needs to be wide enough (a minimum of 10 to 12 feet) and firm enough for our truck. Escape’s tiny homes have single drops for power, water, and sewer, like any RV.
Apart from the Classic and Traveler models, Escape’s homes can be made to run entirely on electricity. They can also be modified for off-grid use with solar panels, all-electric appliances, and specialized water and waste systems.
Published
Stay up to Date on the Latest in Tiny Homes
Discover small spaces filled with big ideas—from clever storage solutions to shape-shifting rooms.