Author
Ellen Eberhardt
Photographer
Courtesy My Cabin
The idea of a life in a tiny home, remote cabin, or built-out Sprinter van is loaded with fantasy appeal (thanks, Instagram!), but if there's one (more) lesson quarantining has taught us, it's that downsizing isn't always all it's cracked up to be. The pandemic had so many of us squishing a desk into the kitchen for a makeshift at-home office, or completely rearranging an apartment to accommodate a new life at home. It ain't always easy to stay focused on work when your bed is just five steps away.
But the concept behind designer Girts Draugs' My Cabin reignites the idealized vision of minimalist living. Based in Latvia, home of impeccably designed prefab cabins, My Cabin takes the common prefab cabin concept and breaks it into three individual structures-a living cabin, working cabin, and, most importantly, a sauna cabin.
Available à la carte, or as one complete mini-campus (similar to Maine's Little House on the Ferry, a favorite passive house project around these parts), the cabins form your own retreat, complete with a mini walkway linking home to the office and spa.
On their exterior, with gabled roofs and floor-to-ceiling picture windows, the cabins are carbon copies of each other, save for their varying sizes. At 265 square feet, the My Milla "living" cabin is the largest, and features a kitchen, bathroom, and modest loft for extra room. A basic package, which includes a poured foundation and electrical installation but excludes shipping, costs about $36,000 USD.
My Kalmus is a 187-square-foot open space, and a blank canvas for an at-home office or art studio. Although the basic cost is roughly $21,400, a cast-iron stove, electric heater, or terrace can be added for an additional amount.
Lastly, at a humble 110 square feet with a cost of $18,950, the My Galia sauna is lined top to bottom with spruce finishes and powered by a Latvian-made sauna stove. Sleek strips of LED lights hidden by a large bench elevate the traditional sauna experience.
Altogether, the full My Cabin Set will cost you around $72,000 USD (delivery not included) and takes an estimated two months to build and deliver to site—depending on far you live from the Latvian manufacturing facility. Customizations on exterior finishes are available, and there's a choice between heated flooring, electric heaters, or a woodstove.
All My Cabins are designed to be on-grid, although the company states other arrangements can be made (just inquire). Best of all, My Cabins are available to ship to the US.
Published 01-12-2022
