Sitting amongst the shotgun houses and historic bungalows in New Orleans is a home that truly stands out in the neighborhood. Two large steel shipping containers, painted with Rust-Oleum in an orange-brown, have been transformed into a unique home that can only be described as ‘genius.’
Seth Rodewald-Bates, a landscape architect, and Elisabeth Davies, an assistant pastry chef, purchased two four-ton shipping containers for less than $5,000 each – then got to work on creating this magnificent home.
The 750-square-foot home is made up of the two shipping containers, as well as a 220-square-foot addition, with 14-foot ceilings, using materials such as wood, steel cables, and ripple polycarbonate panels.
Upon walking into the home, you first enter the addition. Polycarbonate panels look like translucent glass, letting in lots of natural light.
This portion of the home is the ‘great room,’ featuring two seating areas, the kitchen, and a wood island that separates the spaces. Beautiful wood flooring can be found throughout the home.
The gourmet kitchen boasts a loft on top that can serve as extra storage if needed.
Given the small size of their home, Seth and Elisabeth were able to splurge on other things such as granite countertops and a five-burner Fisher Paykel range for Elisabeth. There is also a ventless LG combination washer and dryer located underneath the kitchen sink.
The long narrow home is similar to a shotgun-style home found in the New Orleans area.
In the rear of the home are the young couple’s dining area and library. Simple, unstained wood serves as both the long dining table as well as the shelving for their abundant book collection.
Just past the kitchen is the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedroom.
Painting the walls a stark white isn’t just a beautiful contrast to the natural wood flooring, but it also makes the small home feel much larger than it really is.
Another room that Seth and Elisabeth splurged on was the bathroom.
The elegant bathroom boasts a marble countertop and marble tiles in the shower. Choosing a light gray color keeps the room feeling bright and airy.
A tall pocket door leads to the bedroom and is a great way to save space when working with a limited amount of square footage.
The couple’s bedroom is perfectly sized for a queen-size bed, two floating bedside tables, and a small shared closet. Hanging on the wall is a ductless HVAC unit that comes with a frame that can be personalized with artwork of their choosing.
The single biggest expense for Seth and Elisabeth was their backyard swimming pool.
The swimming pool is surrounded by a tall fence, as well as lush greenery, to help provide privacy while taking a dip on those sweltering hot summer days. The shipping container doors open up to reveal the dining area of the home.
The couple uses their front yard to grow their own fruits and veggies.
The large, heavy steel doors of the front shipping container can close, providing the couple with heavy-duty shutters for ultimate security. Stenciled on the front in white letters are what were used to identify the cargo once held inside.
When it comes to giving advice about building your own home, “construction is a roller coaster—buckle up and enjoy the ride,” they told Apartment Therapy.
View more photos and read Seth and Elisabeth’s full interview at Apartment Therapy.
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Source: Apartment Therapy
