This $225-a-Night Tiny Cabin in Upstate NY Was Built Entirely for Remote Working

The work-from-home era looks as if it’s coming to an end, with some dramatic plot twists: There was Elon Musk’s converting Twitter office space into bedroom suites to implement a hardcore work ethic; apparently, SVB is blaming its collapse on remote work; and Apple CEO Tim Cook is said to be mandating a return to the workplace with consequences for dissidents. Whatever their methods—or the outcomes of a lack thereof—companies are starting to look a lot like they did before the pandemic, says a report from the Labor Department, and the bottom line is productivity.

But some believe there’s a better way to get things done, and it’s not from your breakfast nook-turned-cubicle or open-plan tech office with ping-pong tables and infinite snacks. Last year, one company built a rentable tiny cabin in Big Bear, California, exclusively for remote work, and Brian Vallario, a Brooklyn designer and entrepreneur, had a similar idea. To maximize focus, he heads to his own tiny cabin in upstate New York. "I go alone for a few nights," he says. "It’s a tool, a way to break from distractions and stoke my focus and creativity."