This Kitchen Maker Is Upcycling Offcuts to Create $59K Tiny Cabins
Lithuanian kitchen manufacturer Konga has always emphasized a connection to nature, with each of its architect-designed kitchens crafted from a single oak log. Now, the company has set out to enhance its ties with the outdoors by creating an off-grid tiny cabin, a natural progression, explains Konga cofounder Goda Zemaite.
Konga’s founders named the company after their young son’s mispronunciation of the Lithuanian word for "socks" when he was learning to speak. "For us, it formed a symbolic association with the feeling of the earth under bare feet," says Goda Zemaite. "It encouraged us to leave our footprint, but with minimal impact on nature and meaningful value to humans."
"With Konga, we stand for a lifestyle that celebrates natural materials and craftsmanship. With the cabin, we wanted to invite people to escape the ordinary and be conscious about their daily decisions," he says, referencing how the prefab is designed to promote greener living.
"The signature of the Konga Cabin is simplicity and elegance," says architect Mette Fredskild. "It is focused on meeting basic needs."
Each modular cabin is built in Konga’s factory in Lithuania, and can be set up on-site in a single day, says the company. Waste materials from the brand’s kitchen production are incorporated into the builds.
Konga sees the cabins being used as short-term rentals, luxury hotel rooms in remote locations, or as "hideaway houses" for landowners.
To create Konga Cabin, the company worked with Danish architect Mette Fredskild, who helped design Konga’s kitchens, and specializes in sustainable design. To keep the cabin’s carbon footprint to a minimum, the rectangular yakisugi-clad prefab is built using offcuts from the company’s kitchen manufacturing. Triple-glazed windows are designed to provide views while regulating interior temperatures, helping keep heating costs down. There’s also rooftop solar for energy, a woodburning stove for heat and ambiance, a water heating system, rainwater collection, and a toilet that is built to withstand subzero temperatures.
The interior spills out onto the deck, extending the living space outside. "In the same way that the Konga Cabin is connected to nature, the interior and exterior materials are closely related," explains Fredskild.
The interior walls and ceiling are made from oiled oak veneer combined with rough Rotband plaster walls. The floors are oversized oak planks—"to feel the natural timber on your bare feet," says Zemaite—and the furniture is also crafted primarily from oak, with graphic black metal details.
Storage is cleverly concealed beneath the sleeping areas, making the most of the compact floor plan. A row of windows alongside the bed connects inhabitants to the natural surroundings.
At roughly 300 square feet, the cabin is designed to sleep a total of four people in two separate sleeping areas, one of which can be transformed into a workspace. There’s also a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, a small utility room, and a living area that opens out onto a porch.
The kitchen features open upper cabinets crafted from timber leftover from Konga’s kitchen manufacturing, a zero-waste strategy implemented by Fredskild. The space includes a refrigerator, gas stove for cooking, sink, and ample storage. The push-to-open cabinets can also be used for long-term storage.
The open floor plan is designed to be flexible, with a kitchen, living area, and two sleeping areas. The cabin is sold fully furnished, with pieces that complement the Scandi-style, timber-clad interiors.
The bathroom and shower doors are crafted from oak timber and the shower tiles, like much of the timber, are leftovers from the production of Konga’s kitchens.
Inside, Konga’s background in kitchen design is showcased to spectacular effect, with handcrafted cabinets and built-ins produced using upcycled timber. "Our goal is to create a product that is not only beautiful by design but also sends the message that we use materials wisely," says Zemaite.
The first cabin has been constructed in Lithuania, where Zemaite and his partner, company’s other cofounder, Paulius Zemaitis, have taken it for a test drive. "Our favorite place during the day is the lounge area," Zemaite says. "We simply sit, enjoy nature, drink coffee, and talk—it’s really about enjoying the moment."
Konga’s prefab cabin starts at $110,000 and is currently available in Scandinavia.
The cabin costs roughly $59,000, while the off-grid upgrade is priced at around $73,000.
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Project Credits:
Architect: Mette Fredskild / @fredskildmette
Builder: Konga
Photographer: Dovalde Butenaite
Published
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