1. WALLS MADE FROM GLASS

Spacious, luxurious and open, glass walls are a design favourite amongst the shipping container community, and it’s easy to see why. Allowing in boundless natural light, installing glass walls is one trend not expected to leave anytime soon. 

Besides creating a sense of relaxation and more space, glass walls are also a great way to reduce your electricity bill. This is a design aspect you can’t go past for those wanting to live a low-carbon lifestyle. By making the most of natural light, you’ll get to install fewer lights and lamps, which means less clutter inside a smaller space and reduced electricity. 

Those wanting a fresh and modern feel to your home but are afraid of foregoing some privacy in the journey of getting it can install tinted windows. If you live in a cooler state, we suggest you ensure these are properly insulated, as you don’t want to be losing any valuable heat come winter. If you want to maximise your light and spaciousness, we can’t recommend installing a sunroof enough. Perfect for those that love natural light, they create the ultimate airiness to a shipping container. 

2. WOODEN ACCENTS AND SPLASHES OF GREENERY 

Calling all plant lovers and outdoorsy people who feel most at home when in the great outdoors, this shipping container design is for you! With this design trend, you can bring the outdoors indoors by incorporating classic wooden accents and scattering plants for some added rustic greenery. 

While these features create quite an impact, they still avoid being over the top due to the natural elements. This shipping container home design will be the ultimate treehouse escape built on stilts and amongst the trees. Who said treehouses were just for kids, not us! 

3. GETAWAY CABIN  

If you’ve always dreamt of owning a holiday home in the woods, now you can, with a recycled shipping container. Not only is it eco-friendly and affordable, but it’s also capable of being self-sufficient with some added solar panels and a water storage system. If you’re extra adventurous, you can convert the roof of your container into a garden terrace or the go-to spot for stargazing in the wild. But, of course, you’d be missing out on an incredible home feature if you didn’t take advantage of the wilderness’s low light pollution! 

If you’re looking for something a step-up from a self-sufficient cabin, then a shipping container retreat might be more up your alley. Built off the grid, your home can be multi-store and include a pool, all entirely made from shipping containers. Think of it as the glamping equivalent of the shipping container world! 

4. MULTI-STORY HOME 

Some may assume there are limitations in building a shipping container home. After all, most shipping container homes are still thought to be small and confined. But we’re about to disprove this assumption by proving you can achieve most designs that a brick and mortar home can, and it’s all thanks to welding. 

With welding, you can combine multiple shipping containers on top of another to create your dream multi-story home, or in this case, a workplace, in which even individual offices have been made with individual shipping containers! Once welded together, you can create a multi-story home with increased space that can remain as open-plan or as separate as you wish. As seen below, with several levels now accommodated, you can even create balconies or overpasses between rooms. So say goodbye to those outdated assumptions of containers, and hello to the spacious and innovative designs that are now possible with shipping containers!

5. SPIRAL STAIRCASE 

As we’ve just covered multi-story shipping container homes, it’s only fitting for us to mention staircases. After all, you need some infrastructure to combine your new multi-level space!

However, we don’t want to mention just any staircase that you’re all well accustomed to by now. So we’re going to suggest adding a spiral staircase! Incorporated inside your multi-story shipping container home, a spiral staircase that completely blows traditional staircases out of the water. Now, as the main attraction to your home, even if it isn’t in the centre of your space, we can guarantee that all eyes will dart to this uncommon feature! 

These quirky staircases provide a unique spin on the traditional staircase while providing a greater sense of open space, style, and modernity. For those who enjoy unique elements or contemporary designs, adding a spiral staircase to your two or three-story shipping container home will add the je ne sais quoi to your space. Enjoy more of an industrial look? Adding a metal spiral staircase can bring a nice contrast between contemporary and classic elements. No matter your design goals, you can find a spiral staircase to suit your aesthetics.   

6. SHIPPING CONTAINER GUESTHOUSE 

Continuing on the theme of shipping container architecture, we have to mention guesthouses. If you already have a traditional home but are looking at adding a guest home to your plot of land, then a shipping container makes the perfect addition. 

Used singularly, one shipping container is usually enough to build a guest home, especially if you incorporate expansive windows, glass walls or open doors that will illuminate your space to create a spacious living area. With plenty of natural light and room enough for a couple, you can’t deny how ideal a shipping container makes building a guest house. It also is much cheaper than building an additional building.