18 stunning homes made out of shipping containers
Incredibly cool container homes

Custom-designed house, South Australia, Australia

Over in the town of Nairne in that state of South Australia, you'll find this characterful metal home that's bursting with style. The quirky property is located in a truly picturesque location and was built using four separate shipping containers, resulting in a spacious and architecturally unique layout.
Custom-designed house, South Australia, Australia

Laid out over two floors, the unique converted home benefits from three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open-plan living area with a lounge, dining space and kitchen. Most of the rooms come equipped with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, which open up to connect the interior with the stunning garden beyond.
Custom-designed house, South Australia, Australia

The original owners wanted to create a unique home made from recyclable materials, so they opted to keep the structure of the shipping containers exposed throughout the home. Complemented by plastered walls and monochrome furnishings, the property has a cool, streamlined finish.
Custom-designed house, South Australia, Australia

The master suite is one of the finest spaces in the property, mainly because of its incredible view. It also comes with a large ensuite, a walk-in closet, a study nook and a private patio. What's more, the eco home benefits from reverse-cycle air conditioning and slow combustion heating, for year-round comfort.
Stylish city home, New York, USA

When you think about homes in New York City, you'll likely picture micro apartments and historic brownstones, but this custom-built home proves that real estate in The Big Apple can be a whole lot more exciting. Constructed in 2017 from 21 shipping containers, this incredible property is not only unique but a real feat of engineering.
Stylish city home, New York, USA

Described by Compass as “a paragon of architectural design and contemporary style”, the eye-catching residence can be found in the heart of trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and was designed by the esteemed architectural practice, LOT-EK. Spanning 6,000 square feet, it offers seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces, thanks to its three magnificent outdoor terraces.
Stylish city home, New York, USA

The home boasts quirky interior design and architectural elements throughout, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows, wood-burning fireplaces, exposed plywood walls and a floating steel staircase. The floor plan includes a large open-plan living room, a kitchen, a dining space, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a den and a home cinema with stadium-style seating, a suspended 90-inch television and surround sound.
Stylish city home, New York, USA

The home’s top floor is dedicated to a stunning master suite complete with its own private terrace, soaking tub and projection TV, plus twin powder rooms and a 22-foot-wide walk-in closet. Head down to the luxurious basement and you’ll find another private suite, alongside a music room and a temperature-controlled 2,000-bottle wine cellar. Unsurprisingly, this stunning home sold in November 2021 for a cool $4.9 million (£3.6m) – and we're sure it was worth every single penny.
Metal micro home, Victoria, Australia

What could be more Australian than a boomerang-shaped house? This unique metal home was constructed from three shipping containers and boasts a chic and simple interior that has been masterfully designed.
Metal micro home, Victoria, Australia

Located on a steep sloping plot in the town of Wye River, Victoria, the pad was designed to have minimal impact on the environment. The converted property offers two bedrooms, one bathroom and an open-plan living area, complete with a kitchen.
Metal micro home, Victoria, Australia

The house was built after the devastating Black Christmas bushfires in 2015, which destroyed 116 dwellings in Wye River and Separation Creek. Designed by Melbourne architect Ben Edwards, the wilderness home meets strict bushfire building codes and was built to seamlessly slot into its surrounding environment. While the exterior is clad in galvanized steel, which is a non-combustible material, the interior features a pared-down, natural material palette.
Metal micro home, Victoria, Australia

The main living space opens up to a large external deck, which sits on steel stilts, anchoring it to the hillside. Exposed marine ply walls and ceilings are complemented by large swathes of glass. Layers of cement sheet and insulation add to the home's sustainable credentials. Amazingly, the fortress-like home is also said to be bulletproof, making it ideal for anyone looking to prepare for a nuclear disaster or a global apocalypse.
Desert dwelling, Arizona, USA

Constructed from four recycled shipping containers, this eye-catching property has personality, space and wow-factor in abundance. Located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, it was built over a 12-month period and completed in 2018. Despite appearances, the home's interior bears little resemblance to the stark metal of its unique façade...
Desert dwelling, Arizona, USA

The impressive and unusual property spans 2,969 square feet and features three bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as light-filled living areas with an easy open-plan flow. Every room benefits from soaring ceilings, expanses of glass and a clean metallic colour palette that offers a subtle nod to the home's origins.
Desert dwelling, Arizona, USA

Positioned close to South Mountain, every single window captures the view. The master suite also leads out to a private terrace, which benefits from unobstructed landscape scenery. The ultra-modern home also boasts an independent home office with its own entrance, pre-plumbed kitchen space and bathroom.
Desert dwelling, Arizona, USA

Outside, you'll find a 7,741-square-foot garden, decorated with cacti. The house landed on the market in 2021 and despite its size and eye-catching design, sold for a surprisingly low $485,000 (£354k), proving that buying a one-of-a-kind home doesn't have to cost the earth.
Handmade masterpiece, Missouri, USA

Piling blood, sweat and tears into creating their first home, Zack and Brie Smithey built this metal masterpiece from scratch, allowing them to live mortgage-free. The Missouri-based couple had previously renovated three properties, so felt it was time to design their own. With a 'recycle, repurpose and reuse' mentality, the pair purchased an empty plot in St Charles in 2011, spending just $7,500 (£5.5k).
Handmade masterpiece, Missouri, USA

Zack and Brie took on almost all of the work themselves, from design to construction, creating a unique self-build home that is truly one-of-a-kind. For the shell of the house they used eight shipping containers, each with nine-foot ceilings. Built in Shanghai, the units had travelled around the world before ending up in a container yard in St Louis. The couple paid just $1,600 (£1.2k) for each of the containers, lifting them into place using a crane.
Handmade masterpiece, Missouri, USA

The couple salvaged bricks from a 120-year-old house and 100-year-old church windows to create a real focal point. Amazingly, the construction costs added up to just $135,000 (£99k), making this home affordable and remarkable in equal measure. Inside, you'll find 3,100 square feet of space, spread across three floors. The main level offers a dramatic living and dining area, a kitchen and a lounge, decorated with exposed corrugated steel and upcycled furnishings.
Handmade masterpiece, Missouri, USA

There's a large basement with a garage, utility room and living room, while upstairs you'll find a bathroom, laundry room and three bedrooms. The master suite spans the entire length of the back of the house and comes complete with a handmade headboard, set at a 45-degree angle for easy reclining. Outside, there's an alfresco entertaining space with a stylish Tiki bar, built from leftover wood and steel. If you're feeling inspired, you can read the couple's full story for all the details.
Container mansion, Colorado, USA

The idea of a shipping container home inevitably conjures up images of small, compact residences with little room to stretch out, but this incredible mansion in Colorado has nothing but space. Built by a local firefighter, the stand-out property sprawls over 3,000 square feet, offering five bedrooms, four bathrooms and no end of characterful living areas.
Container mansion, Colorado, USA

Container mansion, Colorado, USA

Inside, 25-foot-high ceilings tower over the impressive open-plan living space. Swathes of industrial metalwork frame the separate zones, while vast sliding glass doors open up the interior to the garden. Two bedrooms are located on this level, while the mezzanine walkway upstairs leads to three further bedrooms, including the plush master.
Container mansion, Colorado, USA

The property's vast floor plan is packed with luxury touches. The master bedroom features elegant dark wood floors, a raised platform bed and a generous private balcony. If that wasn't enough, there's also a projector screen downstairs that's ideal for family movie nights. Not bad for a shipping container eh?
The BoHo Box Hop, Ohio, USA

Nestled in the dense woodlands of Ohio's Hocking Hills State Park, BoHo Box Hop is a remarkable rural retreat crafted from two shipping containers. The striking façade is a fusion of corrugated metal and rustic wooden shingles that help soften the structure into its forest surroundings.
The BoHo Box Hop, Ohio, USA

With the lower storey comprising one container, a second unit forms the top storey, cantilevering out at a gravity-defying angle. The jaunty addition offers residents a fresh perspective of the rural vistas and the property's 18.5 acres of surrounding land. This architectural marvel is the last thing we'd expect to see below the tree canopy!
The BoHo Box Hop, Ohio, USA

Available to rent out, the home's interior layout puts every inch of the container's elongated structure to use. In the ground-floor living area, a quaint galley kitchen in forest green packs plenty into a compact space, while the floating staircase allows light to flow freely throughout the property.
The BoHo Box Hop, Ohio, USA

Upstairs, there's a snug double bedroom with large picture windows that capture the best of the woodlands. Imagine waking up to that view! On the opposite side of the room, sliding glass doors lead out onto a spacious roof deck – the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast in the midst of nature.
Two-storey container home, Queensland, Australia

Two-storey container home, Queensland, Australia

Previously up for auction via Domain, two vast shipping containers have been beautifully integrated into the structure of the home, creating airy open accommodation with plenty of character. The original openings of the steel units have been put to use, allowing the interior zones to spill out onto the garden.
Two-storey container home, Queensland, Australia

Inside, the upcycled home's past life is never far from view. White corrugated metal walls add raw, architectural interest to the contemporary living area, while hairpin bar stools and exposed metal beams complement the industrial fabric of this unusual residence.
Two-storey container home, Queensland, Australia

Stylish container retreat, Colorado, USA

Having sold in 2020 for the hefty sum of $3.3 million (£2.4m), this captivating container home in Boulder, Colorado looks a little different from your standard corrugated metal box. Clad in weathered, reclaimed wood, it's a modern mountain cabin unlike any we've seen before.
Stylish container retreat, Colorado, USA

Stylish container retreat, Colorado, USA

Stylish container retreat, Colorado, USA

Elsewhere, there's a laundry room, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, however, our favourite feature has to be the incredible outdoor kitchen. Connected to the living room via a glass-and-steel garage door, which creates a seamless indoor-outdoor space when raised, it features everything you could need to whip up an alfresco feast.
Copia Cabin, Western Cape, South Africa

Situated between expanses of greenery in the picturesque Bot River valley in South Africa's Western Cape, the Copia Cabin is made from two shipping container units. Perched on a hillside, the industrial-style retreat benefits from breathtaking 360-degree views of the site's rural landscapes.
Copia Cabin, Western Cape, South Africa

Available to rent out, the container's corrugated metal has been left exposed across the exterior for a rustic feel, while stacked bamboo detailing offers an organic contrast, helping the home to blend into the surrounding terrain.
Copia Cabin, Western Cape, South Africa

Expansive glass doors that span the living spaces retract back, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. The covered raised deck features a built-in fireplace and log store – the ideal spot to dine alfresco on a chilly evening.
Copia Cabin, Western Cape, South Africa

Inside, the floor plan is split into three spaces; the open-plan kitchen and living room, the bedroom and the bathroom, which all overlook the rolling hills. Running completely off-grid, the residence is fuelled by solar power but that doesn't mean it scrimps on indulgent amenities – there's even a luxurious wood-fired hot tub on the deck.
Manifesto House, Curacaví, Chile

One of the most sustainable homes in our round-up, Manifesto House by Spanish architecture firm James & Mau is almost entirely made from recycled materials. Its unique design utilises a system of palette shutters across the façade that open or close to filter light flow and shade the interior spaces when needed.
Manifesto House, Curacaví, Chile

Located in Chile, the two-storey dwelling is made of three repurposed maritime shipping containers, which offer 1,722 square feet of living space. Architecturally daring, the top level cantilevers out over the lower storey, creating an unusual enclosed balcony that offers far-reaching views of the undulating countryside.
Manifesto House, Curacaví, Chile

Bright and airy, the main living space features a spectacular floating staircase and sliding glass doors that run the entire length of the room. When retracted, the exterior terraces and rugged landscapes seemingly bleed into the interior, creating a flexible indoor-outdoor layout.
Manifesto House, Curacaví, Chile

Container House, Colorado, USA

Perched on the edge of a rocky outcrop in the rugged wilds of Colorado, this modern masterpiece was designed by Tomecek Studio. Employing recycled materials and eco-friendly technology in its design, the innovative residence's space-efficient floor plan puts every inch of square footage to use.
Container House, Colorado, USA

The incredible cliffhanging home comprises two shipping containers that flank a wedge-shaped structure at the centre of the property. The containers either side are designated as sleeping or working zones, while the tall volume in the middle houses the main living zones, with a handy loft located above.
Container House, Colorado, USA

Accommodation is spread across 1,500 square feet, with the heart of the home featuring a vast open-plan living area, complete with a cosy wood-burning fireplace. Industrial metalwork has been left exposed throughout, while bursts of colour punctuate the interior walls, zoning the different functional spaces.
Container House, Colorado, USA

Solar photovoltaic panels help to power the off-grid retreat, keeping it warm and welcoming even in the bitter winter months. What's more, the majestic mountain landscapes outside are never far from sight thanks to carefully situated windows and glazing.
Beach Box, New York, USA

Located on the sand dunes of the Hamptons, the summer playground of New York's elite, this spectacular beach house consists of six shipping containers kitted out with the latest eco-technology, from energy-efficient appliances to state-of-the-art insulation.
Beach Box, New York, USA

Beach Box, New York, USA

Beach Box, New York, USA

The custom chef's kitchen is the home's pièce de résistance, featuring a long breakfast bar, sleek cabinetry and state-of-the-art appliances. With the house just 600 feet from the ocean, it's a wonderful place to kick back and relax after a long day on the beach.
Containers of Hope, San Jose, Costa Rica

Situated just outside of San Jose in Costa Rica, this shipping container home, devised by architecture firm Studio Saxe, was designed for a family in search of a rural bolthole. Remarkably, the stylish structure was created on a tiny budget...
Containers of Hope, San Jose, Costa Rica

Built at a cost of just $40,000 (£29k), staggered orange containers form a contemporary home with industrial undertones. The price of the construction is lower than that of social housing in Costa Rica, making it a cost-effective way to address the demand for affordable housing.
Containers of Hope, San Jose, Costa Rica

Designed with energy efficiency in mind, the home's clever slanted roof and floor-to-ceiling windows allow cool air to circulate. Ideal for such a humid climate, this natural cross-ventilation system means there's no need for air-conditioning.
Containers of Hope, San Jose, Costa Rica

Suburban container home, Queensland, Australia

This breathtaking 6,000-square-foot mansion on the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia is made from 31 boxes, making it one of the largest shipping container homes in the country. Designed by Ziegler Build, it features four massive bedrooms, four bathrooms, a gym and a saltwater pool.
Suburban container home, Queensland, Australia

The flood-proof structure was commissioned by Todd and Diana Miller, whose previous home was severely damaged in the Queensland floods in 2011. The entire project took six months to build – not bad for a home this size – with their journey featured on Grand Designs Australia.
Suburban container home, Queensland, Australia

Encompassing three floors, the stunning Australian home's design includes an array of other recycled materials alongside the shipping containers, from railway sleepers and salvaged wood to old industrial equipment. One of the main reasons for utilising the containers was cost, as they offered much better value for money than conventional home-building methods.
Suburban container home, Queensland, Australia

Sold back in June 2014 for $1 million (£731k), the container mansion still contains playful references to its industrial roots. In this corridor, exposed corrugated sheeting and metal fixtures line the walls, while wood across the floor, ceiling and staircase adds warmth to this unusual family home.
Joshua Tree Residence, California, USA

Conceived by London designer James Whitaker of Whitaker Studio, work on this futuristic shipping container home is set to begin later this year. Nestled in the arid desert of California's Joshua Tree National Park, the realistic renderings of the residence are almost otherworldly, depicting a sprawling white structure comprised of a number of carefully angled container units.
Joshua Tree Residence, California, USA

Encompassing 2,000 square feet, the interior will feature unusual geometries and jutting angles that will carve out unconventional living areas. Thoughtfully positioned picture windows will allow light to pour inside the property, drawing the desert landscape inside the minimalistic spaces.
Joshua Tree Residence, California, USA

Joshua Tree Residence, California, USA

Adjacent to the main structure will be a garage with a canopy of solar panels that will generate the home's electricity. Commissioned by film producer Chris Hanley, the unique residence has been on the market for a breathtaking $3.5 million (£2.6m), although the listing has since been removed. Once it's built, we can't imagine a more inspiring setting!
Environmentally-friendly container home, Vancouver, Canada

Part home, part work of art, this environmentally-friendly building can be found in the city of Vancouver, Canada, and is almost too good to be true. Custom made with every luxury in mind, the distinctive property offers space, style and drama in bucket loads.
Environmentally-friendly container home, Vancouver, Canada

Spanning an impressive 4,074 square feet, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home was constructed in 2015 from 11 individual shipping containers. Blending industrial design with modern flair, the spacious property boasts a theatrical living room, with a towering ceiling, a sunken conversation pit and dining zone. The unique abode even featured on HGTV's Extreme Homes and is one that Chip and Joanna Gaines would be proud of.
Environmentally-friendly container home, Vancouver, Canada

Entirely unique, the eco home offers plenty of extraordinary features, too. There's a strong Japanese theme running through the property. The home's exterior corrugated walls are decorated with hand-painted Koi carps, while inside you'll find a stunning Japanese tea room, which doubles as a space for yoga and meditation. The front yard has also been designed to resemble the grounds of a Buddhist temple and would be the perfect space from which to watch the world go by.
Environmentally-friendly container home, Vancouver, Canada

Elsewhere, you'll find a commercial-grade kitchen, two offices and a bar complete with a hand-carved Balinese wood counter. Outside there's a half-acre garden, kitted out with a Koi pond, orchard, outdoor kitchen and firepit.
Metal masterpiece, New South Wales, Australia

This metal masterpiece was designed by renowned architect Alexander Michael and can be found in the city of Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, Australia. With an extraordinary aesthetic, a mind-blowing interior and plenty of eco-credentials, this modern home is seriously impressive.
Metal masterpiece, New South Wales, Australia

Nestled on almost five acres of land, the contemporary crib was constructed in 2016 from four shipping containers, as well as additional steel, glass and polished concrete. Inside, the home offers an open-plan ground floor with a stunning lounge and a black and chrome kitchen, separated by a steel staircase and two slow-combustion fireplaces.
Metal masterpiece, New South Wales, Australia

Of course, every space benefits from a cool industrial look thanks to the use of structural steel and monochrome furnishings, complemented by bright bursts of colour. Double-height ceilings, walls of glass and dramatic interior design elements add to the home's impressive finish.
Metal masterpiece, New South Wales, Australia

Upstairs, you’ll find four unique 'pod' bedrooms with their own ensuite bathroom, sliding glass windows and views across the surrounding landscape. As well as being built from reclaimed materials, the eco home also runs entirely off-grid and boasts solar panels, a battery bank and a rainwater harvesting system. Stylish, stunning and sustainable, this container residence is one of the most mesmerizing we've seen!
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