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15 Coolest Shipping Container Homes [Ideas & Inspiration]

With the popularity and convenience of prefab houses, more and more people are now shifting into modular homes. These innovative houses are advantageous because they are time-saving and readily available despite weather constraints. They are also pretty decent and highly customizable to fit your lot or space. So, from tiny homes to stacked apartments, modular shipping containers are becoming such a fad. That is why we also gathered some of the best shipping container home ideas that caught our sight.

Marketing-Suite-for-Goodman-Westlink-created-using-just-shipping-containers
Marketing Suite for Goodman Westlink created using just shipping containers

Shipping container homes are not just for the compact urban setting. They are also fancy even for rural areas. But one aesthetic problem with the modular home is that they look uniform and repetitive. Yet with a spark of creativity, you can transform your space with the best shipping container home ideas. So here are the inspiring looks that turn the drab prefab into fab.

15 Creative Shipping Container Home Ideas

Compounding a Luxurious Home

Photo Credit: livinginacontainer.com

The best thing about shipping container homes is that they cater to a various range of budgets. So whether your pocket can afford a tiny one or this looming container home, you will have a better choice. And to improve its overall appearance, it will take no more than a few coats of marine paint. A careful choice of color combination can create a wonderful shipping container home. Here is a rustic take of a modular home in natural wood and a dark blue paint exterior.

A Container Home in Art Deco

Reused-Shipping-Container-wood-and-concrete-cabin-in-Brazil
Reused Shipping Container, wood and concrete cabin in Brazil
Photo Credit: goodshomedesign.com

There is a wide array of the best shipping container home ideas for your reference. There are no hard rules in decorating it and container homes are versatile for your design vision. Thus, whatever style you have in mind, you will have no trouble putting it up. We love the stark simplicity of this Art Deco mansion basking in a charcoal black coat. It looks like a mirage amidst the lovely green of its surrounding yard.

Camouflage with the Wood

Two-story container house with spiral staircase
Photo Credit: treehugger.com/Amos Wheeler
Two large trees provide natural shade to the shipping container sales office
Two large trees provide natural shade

Shipping container homes are noteworthy because they are eco-friendly and sustainable. The building and construction constitute lower waste production. Sustainability aside, it is also modest to put up. Its simple architectural feature makes it an easy starting point for a home project. Take a look at this wood-inspired container home that has a rooftop and spiral staircase. It is a fresh and exciting take for a nature-grounded life.

Stack Up in Style

Marketing-Suite-for-Goodman-Westlink-created-using-just-shipping-containers
Marketing Suite for Goodman Westlink created using just shipping containers

 

Photo Credit: prefabcontainerhomes.org

The repurposed shipping container complemented by a modern blend makes up this industrial-inspired home. It has an elegant modern design that also exudes a rustic and rugged charm. The louvered privacy shutter is also an eye-catching aesthetic apart from its functionality. The mix of colors turns this stack of metal containers into a high-end-looking home competitive enough for the market.

A Hanging Home by the Trees

Photo Credit: prefabcontainerhomes.org

Treehouses are a stylish and dreamy escape not just for kids. But who needs a treehouse if you can put up your home on stilts and still commune with the trees? This hanging home in Brazil is one of the best container home ideas we can vouch for. It has metal pillars for foundation and support. The best thing about it is its balcony that extends towards the branches of the trees that is definitely perfect for nature lovers.

Clad in Timber

Photo Credit: livinginacontainer.com

You will never quite imagine the before-and-after photos of shipping container homes. But those heavy-looking ridge steel can still shine with the best shipping container home ideas. The workmanship of the timber exterior of this home is hard to miss. Its cozy interior will also surprise you with its fully maximized space.

Living Off-Grid

Photo Credit: tomecekstudio.com

If you can pack up your things and glamp-up by the countryside, we bet you would. And with the best shipping container home ideas, it will be nice to take your whole household with you. This tiny home by the mountain ridge is complete with a green roof of solar panels. It looks like the perfect place for retirement, isn’t it?

Modular House with the Benefit of Space

Photo Credit: homeworlddesign.com

One of the benefits of stackable and modular houses is their ability to be filled with natural lights. So how you place your container vans dictate the amount of ambient light you will get. Glass windows are one of the best shipping container home ideas to consider. Oversized windows will not only offer you a view of the outdoors, but they will also show off your home’s interior and all its boastful glory.

Give it an Architectural Edge

Photo Credit: archipreneur.com

There is no need to live literally in a box if you can dub a luxurious architectural flair to your home. This World Flex Home introduces the geometry of container homes from a new perspective. The module includes the provision for a second-floor landing as an additional space for relaxation. It doesn’t feel like living in a box, after all.

Home with a View

Photo Credit: Redshift by Autodesk/Benjamin Garcia Saxe

If you have a sweeping horizon to enjoy, then embrace the advantage of the natural visuals. Install huge windows and let your small living space benefit from the cozy view. Elevating the home on a concrete post is also a functional idea to consider. It not only adds to its aesthetic persona but also solves drainage problems during the rainy season.

Unique Boat House

Floating container house
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Nick Karvounis

Shipping containers are built to withstand elements – even the rusty condition by the seashore. Thus, they are the perfect material if you are looking for a durable home by the waterfront. Moor it by the shore or jetty and enjoy your eco-friendly home by the beach.

Keep it Simple and Homey

Small container house with white door
Photo Credit: Pexels/James Frid

Enjoy the laid-back life away from the toxic urban setting in a simple living space. With the best shipping container home ideas, you can. Here is a simple one that is made a home with the conventional door and windows. It may look simple, but it exudes the comfort and relaxation you would look for in a home.

Consider a Roof Deck

Container house with roof deck
Photo Credit: bobscontainers.com

Roof decks add elegance and style to the simple exterior of a container home. Hardly do they get left out in the best shipping container home ideas. They give a bit of personality into the home and offer more open space to enjoy the panorama.

View from the Inside

Container room with sliding door
Photo Credit: decororo.com

There are multitudes of ways you can decorate your container home’s interior. If you want to keep it simple and rugged, there is no need to challenge yourself with the decision. The container’s ridge surface can pass as decorative inlays. Get the right furniture, lighting, and other extras and incorporate them into an industrial-style furnishing like this room.

Enigmatic Appeal

Photo Credit: tallerescape.com

Shipping container homes are bulky and thus, appear claustrophobic. To avoid its cocooning feel, homeowners feel the need to introduce lots of windows. However, you can also keep an air of mystery if you need to by outlining its strong appeal. This prefab home emphasizes the structural strength of the housing material with a clad outline. The dark choice of color makes it look more private, luxurious, and slightly intimidating.

Takeaway

The bulky container home boxes are becoming dominant among homeowners for practical reasons. They are eco-friendly, budget-friendly, and timebound. They are also reasonable for setting up regardless of the weather condition. Unfortunately, they are also prone to challenges like decorating decisions. But with the best shipping container home ideas, you can accentuate the functionality and aesthetics of a modular home. They may look the same, but shipping container homes are highly customizable – and that is where your creativity and idea can spin to turn the challenge around!

Ann Marie Bantigue

I write for decoist.

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