Can a shipping container be turned into a functional modern home? It might seem a bit crazy but the answer is a big yes! More and more people are living in shipping containers transformed into beautiful small modern homes!
Shipping container homes have become popular nowadays because they enable people to build on difficult sites. Due to their structural strength, shipping container homes present one of the best alternative housing solutions available today. They’re also a perfect solution for people who want to move out of the city and live in harmony with nature.
New Zealand woman has decided to build a new shipping container home in the middle of a beautiful landscape
Brenda certainly has experience when it comes to living in container homes. She loves her container homes and has been living in her beautiful 40-foot container home in Auckland until she decided it was time to move out of the city and build a brand new container home in a different town!
“I’ve never really been a huge fan of city life… the traffic was getting to me just getting me down I think… I thought what’s keeping me in Auckland… I could probably live anywhere”, Brenda said.
She wanted to be in nature and found the perfect section in Taupo, quickly falling in love with the landscape
When you see the view you’ll understand why Brenda fell in love with Taupo – the nature there is simply breathtaking! Her home stands on an elevated section with a perfect view of the lake and the mountains beyond. It’s the kind of scenery you can see in the Lord of the Rings movies, which were filmed in New Zealand!
Despite being located far from the urban environment, Brenda’s home has everything a modern dwelling needs, it’s one the grid, has superb insulation and energy-efficient appliances, and there’s also plenty of natural shade as well!
The 45 square meter home just looks gorgeous on the outside but the interior is equally impressive
The exterior of Brenda’s home and the natural scenery that surrounds it looks so beautiful and harmonious we could spend hours enjoying nature and Brenda’s exterior design solutions, but it’s time to get inside!
As soon as we step inside we’re captivated by the living room view, Brenda wanted to take full advantage of it so the whole home layout has been designed accordingly.
“I put some nice big windows, they’re slightly lower than standard to make the most of that view and same with the master bedroom actually I still get the water view from lying in the bed.”
Looking at the interior, there’s nothing indicating that the place isn’t a normal house: everything looks clean, sleek, and modern, there’s plenty of space for working and relaxation.
A small but comfy kitchen opens out to the covered deck space
While small, the kitchen provides enough space for appliances and there’s plenty of overhead storage. It opens out to the covered deck space, allowing Brenda to pass food out in summer. The space is compact but it satisfies all of Brenda’s needs.
Not far from the kitchen we find three doors, one to storage cupboard, linen cupboard, and laundry respectively. We can’t help but admire how brilliant a solution this is to save space and satisfy all the storage need at the same time.
Seeing the bathroom, you’d never guess that you’re inside a container home
The bathroom looks really great. It owes its ultra-modern look to fibre cement flat sheet, a perfect waterproof material for a bathroom, as well as a great alternative to tiles. Right across the hallway, we have a spacious bedroom with a wonderful view. The build-in wardrobe comes with the full length mirrored doors that just look great and fit into the home’s modern appearance.
Brenda admits to staying in bed just to admire the view but we can hardly blame her, the view of the lake and the mountains is what makes her home irresistible!
There was even enough space for Brenda to squeeze in an office space
Brenda works from home so she needed dedicated space in her home but finding one wasn’t going to be easy, considering the limitations that come with living in a container home. However, we’re quite impressed by the decent-sized office we found right next to Brenda’s bedroom.
Now hold on, because you haven’t seen the best of it: Brenda’s work desk converts to a double bed and transforms the office into a spare room for guests!
We finish our tour by coming out onto the balcony to enjoy the view
“It’s pretty magical,” Brenda says proudly as we step out onto the balcony. “Absolutely nice and comfy place to lounge in the warmer weather.”
It’s one of those places you find in novels or fairytales – pleasantly away from civilization but cozy enough to enjoy living there. You’d never even think twice about it being a shipping container home with the view of the lake and the mountains and the peace of mind that comes as a result of connecting with nature.
Watch the video below and see how Brenda build her perfect shipping container home in a picturesque New Zealand town and don’t forget to like and share.
