15 Shipping Container Home Ideas to Inspire You (With Pictures)

Shipping container homes are growing in popularity around the world. Shipping containers are plentiful, versatile, and sturdy. That makes them a great base to build a house from and save a ton of money while doing it. Shipping container homes don’t have to be bland, small, or industrial. In fact, there are numerous container homes that you would never be able to tell what they were unless you looked very closely at them. From salt-resistant beach homes to remote homesteads to downtown apartments, there are tons of amazing ideas out there to inspire your next project. Here are 15 shipping container home ideas that are sure to inspire you.

Top 15 Shipping Container Home Ideas

1. Modern Shipping Container Luxury

Shipping containers are a very convertible base to build a variety of different structures from. At first glance, shipping containers do not seem like they could offer a luxurious experience, but that is simply not the case. Shipping containers can be turned into modern luxurious tiny homes that are packed with the best features and accents. Modern luxury shipping container homes can have expansive decks or porches, tons of large windows, luxury fixtures, pergolas, swimming pools, and more. If you have a taste for modern luxury and are interested in shipping container homes, these two things do not have to be mutually exclusive.

2. Outdoor Focused Container Home

One of the best ways to get the most out of a shipping container home is to build one in the great outdoors. Shipping container homes have a small footprint and can be built in wide open areas and on remote properties. You can design a shipping container home to accent outdoor areas. You can put in large doors and windows to let in natural light, you can position it near a great view, and you can build expansive outdoor seating areas. All of these things can help people disconnect and interface with nature. Shipping container homes are a great way to move out into the wilderness and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

3. Eco-Friendly Green Container Home

Shipping container homes are a great option for people who are concerned about going green or protecting the environment. Shipping containers use less materials than a traditional home. They can also be outfitted with naturally insulating windows, solar panels, and composting plumbing to reduce your environmental footprint to near zero. Shipping container homes can be configured to be almost net-zero when it comes to emissions and environmental impact. That makes them a great option for people looking to downsize and use less power and water in pursuit of a greener lifestyle.

4. Large Spacious Container Home

Shipping container homes do not need to be small or have a small footprint. If you want, you can commission a very large shipping container home that is spacious and expansive. Shipping containers have the benefit of being able to be easily stacked and offset to create larger spaces than before. You can stack multiple shipping containers in offset configurations to create large spaces. You can even bridge two shipping containers with a third and have large, cantilevered areas. If you are interested in saving money on a large abode, you can look into building a spacious container home out of multiple containers.

5. Container Casita

Casitas or mother-in-law suites are a great way to generate income on your property or have a place for family and friends to stay when they come to visit. It turns out shipping container homes make for a great option for a casita. Shipping containers are small and compact, relatively affordable, and can be easily customized. This makes them ideal for putting at the back of your property for guests or renters. Casitas can be put on online websites for tourist season, or they can be kept for a beloved family member to live nearby. Shipping container casitas can be cozy, comfortable, and homey.

6. Container Beach Home

Property by the beach or on the water can be prohibitively expensive. So how about trying to build a shipping container home near the water instead? Shipping containers have many benefits for beachside living. First, they have a small footprint, so you can put one on a very small lot. Second, they can be designed to be wind, water, and salt resistant. Lastly, they can be built relatively cheap. This makes shipping containers one of the most intriguing beach home ideas. There are some truly spectacular examples of creative and beautiful beach homes built out of shipping containers that give you stunning views and easy access to the water.

7. Container Tiny Home

The tiny home movement is what helped launch the container home subculture. That is because shipping containers make for the perfect tiny home. A single shipping container can be turned into the perfect tiny home. They have all of the hallmarks of a tiny home. They are small. They are affordable. They can be built from readily available materials. In some cases, they can even be mobile (if they are built in a certain way). Shipping container homes were not the original tiny homes, but many tiny home builders and enthusiasts have used shipping containers as the perfect base to build tiny homes.

8. Stacked Container Home

One way to easily get more space out of a shipping container home is to stack them. Shipping containers are designed to be stacked, and during long distance transport, some containers are stacked three, four, or five high. That means that you can stack multiple shipping containers to create a multilevel shipping container home. Ladders can be used to save space, allowing you to maximize verticality without having to use burdensome stairs. Double or triple shipping container homes can be quite large and allow you to easily segment your life into multiple zones that are cozy and contained.

9. Industrial Modern Container Home

Modern industrial or industrial modern is one of the hottest design trends in the business right now. Shipping containers are a great way to lean into this trend because they are both industrial and modern. Shipping container homes can easily be dressed up to fit an industrial modern aesthetic. The outside of the shipping container can easily be painted a modern color, such as black with wood accents. Inside, the natural metal interior and industrial lines can be highlighted and displayed to give you a great industrial look. With these design choices, you can make a great looking shipping container home that delivers both inside and out.

10. Eclectic Architectural Design

Shipping containers do not have to be boring boxes. Using a designer and builder, you can configure shipping containers to create truly unique and eclectic architectural designs. Between multiple levels, layers, colors, and configurations, you can design and construct a shipping container house that fits your style, personality, and vision. Your house does not have to remain a basic box. It can be pieced together, similar to building blocks, to create something special. Building something truly special out of shipping containers will raise the cost of the project, reducing one of the benefits of using shipping containers which is cost savings.

11. Plenty of Windows With Lots of Light

Natural light can make a small space feel much larger and warmer than it otherwise would. Luckily, it is easy to install multiple windows into a shipping container home. Some shipping container homes have an entire side of the container that is swapped out with glass to make one continuous window. Or you can install multiple window banks to let in as much light as possible. Windows can give you fantastic views or flood your home with beneficial natural light. It can also help keep the home warm in the winter months, especially in cold areas.

12. Shipping Container Family Home

One way to get the most out of your shipping container home is to build one for the whole family. As multi-generational living becomes more and more common, shipping container homes could have a bright future. It is easy to lay out multiple shipping containers in a square that incorporates a large outdoor gathering area while retaining multiple private areas for different family members. With the right builder, you can also stack multiple shipping containers into a larger structure that can become quite expansive. Shipping container homes don’t have to be small, one-person dwellings. They can be arranged in a way in which the whole family can fit, including multiple generations!

13. Live and Work

Despite their compact size, shipping container homes can double as a place to both live and work. Whether you have a small business that you are running or work from home, you can configure a shipping container to work for you. One way to get the most out of your space is to build your home on the second floor while your business exists on the first floor in a modern take on an old-fashioned living situation. You can also partition the home so that you have a bright office on one end and a sleeping area on the other. You don’t have to work in an office just because you want to consider a shipping container home. Shipping containers are versatile enough to make room for your home and work life in one spot.

14. Shipping Container Apartments

Do you love the idea of a shipping container home? Do you have a bit of money to invest? One way that people are taking shipping container homes and making money off of them is by building shipping container apartments. Shipping container apartments are becoming more and more popular around the world. You can line up multiple shipping container homes and rent them out, or you can construct a shipping container tower. These apartments can be rented out as vacation rentals or as long-term rentals.

15. Shipping Container Homestead

One place where shipping container homes excel is homesteads. Homesteading is becoming more popular, and people are looking to both save money and live off the land. A shipping container home can easily be built on a homestead while keeping the environmental impacts to a minimum. Shipping container homes can be quite small, which can actually be beneficial on a homestead because it will encourage you to spend more time outside. Homestead container homes can be built in some truly wild and spectacular places.

Conclusion

One of the reasons that shipping containers are becoming popular is because of their versatility. These simple boxes can be configured and reconfigured in dozens of different ways. Whether you want a beachside oasis, an enduring family homestead, or a simple urban apartment, shipping containers have the potential to meet your needs. These ideas show the width and breadth of the potential for shipping containers and should inspire your next project or interest in shipping container homes.

Featured Image Credit: ChompooSuppa,Shutterstock