Homes can be made from a variety of materials. They can be small or large, and can even be placed on water! So why do we still build traditional housing? The simple answer is, there is still a demand for this market. Though, I wonder if some home owners are not aware of other housing options. Unique spaces that could provide healthy, sustainable living without a high cost. Luckily for you, this blog will help keep you informed. Today’s housing market is not just for the suburban “cookie cutter” houses, or modern city lofts. We can find housing in all forms. Here, we will highlight the shipping container home.
That’s right, shipping container! You may have seen this on HGTV , or maybe this is new. Either way, do not be scared off by this out of the box concept. Tim Steele Structures took three old shipping containers and turned them into a large home. Although this is a site specific build, meaning they utilized the land provided to situate the home, we can still look at the interior from a stylistic stand point. Initially, when hearing “shipping container home”, you may picture a dark, cold, industrial space; however, this manifests very differently. Two containers are placed parallel to each other to create the first floor of the home. During the build they are connected through the construction of a roof and floor. The third container is used to create the level below. The removal of large sections from the exterior walls allows for windows. This means that the shipping containers that were once dark are now filled with natural light. Inside the containers interior walls were removed and adjusted to create generous passage ways through the home. An open floor plan is used to provide a large space that can be manipulated by design. This floor plan gives the resident freedom to place their furniture and other items where they see fit.
The exterior walls, with the exception of the newly built windows, are left in the original container structure. This particular home was left with an orange color. If this were a problem to a different home owner, new paint would make it an easy fix! The best part of using a basic structure, such as a shipping container, for a home is that it allows for a variety of designs. There is no specific style that works best with this interior which means there is a lot you could do. You could create a contemporary space using glass table tops, ghost chairs, clean lines, modern furniture, and accenting with a geometric pattern or a bright color. For a more rustic space, paint the walls, distress the furniture, and accent with textured pieces (knit blankets, wooden decor ect.). An industrial space would compliment the original usage and be easily achieved with dramatic drapes, tufted furniture, and steal accents. Of course, it would also be fun to combine complimentary styles too!
The point is that a shipping container home is not only a environmentally friendly build (recycling materials), but it is also a great opportunity for you to get exactly what you want in your home! With the market being as expensive as it is, why should anyone settle for anything less?
For more of Tim Steele’s work, find them in our shipping container homes direcWFH shipping container house by Esbentory.
By Alison LaPaglia
