Skip to main content

The Monocabin is the Pre-Built Tiny Cabin You Can Actually Afford

monocabin drop structures

Canadian design and construction company Drop Structures, which focuses on “small, lifestyle-specific luxury spaces,” wants you to be able to afford a tiny cabin. And by the looks of the team’s latest creation, the Monocabin, they’ve achieved their goal.

Starting at a base price of just $22,000, this modular tiny cabin boasts 106 square feet of space, a four-foot attached deck, six LED pot lights and five outlets, a no-foundation-required steel base with solid core construction, Baltic birch interior wood finish, black leather (yes, leather) flooring, Douglas fir decking, and an electrical heater. Basically, for less than mid-level SUV, you can have a small house that functions. But again, that’s just the base price.

monocabin interior
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Stepping up your budget a bit will get you even more. For $27,000 buyers can modify the Monocabin to have a glass front wall; for $33,000, you can get both a full-glass front and back. Other areas of customization a kitchen, a loft, additional windows, a built-in murphy bed, air conditioning, extended length, even a bathroom.

Drop Structures says of its creation, “With the ability to seamlessly incorporate lofts, desks, beds, various wall and floor textures, and a plethora of other features with ease, the Mono’s ability to transcend a single use function is limited only by your imagination. It’s truly a simplistic ease of use asset, a quick ‘Plug and Play’ addition to your lifestyle.” And we have to agree.

Great for a backyard studio, guest suite, listening room, man cave, and more, Monocabin makes having a separate space of your own easy and affordable — not to mention stylish and cool as hell. Plop one of these babies in your backyard add a firepit, and you’ve got yourself some additional income via Airbnb. Just don’t tell your HOA.

The Monocabins that do not require water and sewage hook-ups typically don’t need a permit to place and, as mentioned above, do not require a foundation of any sort. The cabin is designed to sit on level, stable land; pilings; or even a concrete pad.

For a deeper look at the world of modular structures, take a look at these mountain shelters.

Editors' Recommendations

Chase McPeak
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…
Tumble Creek Cabin is a Net-Zero Vacation Home Nestled in the Cascade Mountains
tumble creek cabin coates design architects 3

As summer slowly creeps closer, we are seeking out amazing weekend escapes that are immersed in nature. While a simple cabin in the woods is enough to make us happy, nothing beats a space that is rustic on the outside but with all of the creature comforts we love about modern living. Throw in the bonus of being completely off-grid and Tumble Creek Cabin in Cle Elum, Washington, checks all of the vacation retreat boxes.

The brainchild of the folks at Coates Design Architects, Tumble Creek Cabin was designed with a big goal in mind: to make this weekend home net-zero. Extreme weather fluctuations dictated the material choices while also creating a big challenge in making sure the home was a zero-energy structure. Luckily for the owners, Coates Design Architects built their entire firm around creating earth-friendly buildings.

Read more
LumiPod is the Pre-Fab Circular Bedroom Suite You Can Put Almost Anywhere
lumipod prefabricated bedroom suite 6

We're pretty big fans of all things tiny, modular, or pre-fab at The Manual. Tiny cabins, rustic retreats, tiny homes on wheels, modular architecture, ADUs — we're lovers of new, exciting, and innovative architecture.

Previously, we brought you the groundbreaking prefabricated one-bedroom tiny-home LumiShell from French design company Lumicene. The design firm is back, only this time they've gone full-on minimalist with the one-bed, one-bathroom LumiPod. Built within a circular steel structure with a diameter of almost 18 feet and a ceiling height of over seven feet, the LumiPod is a spacious, but compact bedroom suite perfect for dispersed hotels, estate follies, or modern backyard guests accommodations, but really, the uses are as varied as your imaginings.

Read more
The 12 best Connecticut cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024
Best Connecticut cigars up close and personal

Connecticut cigars are the clear winner for smoking on a hot summer day, in the morning with some coffee, or when you just don't want a swift kick in the teeth (of pepper). There's no shortage of options, either. Connecticut shade wrappers are one of the most prevalent in the world of cigars, and it's certainly the most common natural shade. Maduro is also popular, but the two wrapper types couldn't be any more different. Connecticut wrappers, and by proxy Connecticut cigars, are typically mild to medium in strength and brimming with creamy, smooth flavors. They're composed of tobacco leaves grown in the Connecticut River Valley in the United States -- which is where the name Connecticut comes from. Consistent and flavorful, some of the best beginner-friendly cigars are Connecticut-wrapped, but you should never sell them short. A Connecticut shade cigar can be just as refined, elegant, and premium as any other. If you know where to look, you may even find some of your favorite blends in the category across a wide range of brands and cigar makers.

I'm about to take you on a magical, doughy, and delicious trek through the broad range of Connecticut cigars. In short, here are the best Connecticut cigars tried and tested by a genuine enthusiast of the craft: yours truly.
The best Connecticut cigars I've tried and tested
While the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is considered a Connecticut shade, I did my best to steer clear of recommending them for this list. They're better classified as a Maduro shade or darker cigar. That doesn't mean you should avoid them, quite the contrary. But for this list, I wanted to stick to smooth, relaxing smokes that are strong on flavor but not quite so strong on pepper and spice. I also tried not to choose a lot of repeats. If you see your favorite cigar missing, that might be because it was recommended on another list or it just didn't make the cut. If you have any recommendations of your own, I'm always available through social media or email. Without further ado, let's get this thing started.
Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut

Read more