At this very moment, there are about 20 million shipping container crossing the world on the backs of huge, sea-seasoned cargo ships, whose engines are 1,000 more powerful than a family car. They hold everything from hairbrushes to medical machinery, and chances are that most of the products you used today spent some time in one of these containers.
The uniform, modular units don’t seem particularly extraordinary — that is, until you consider the possibilities offered by their solid structure and large size. Here are three ways to improve a shipping container and customize it to be a micro-home, a mobile office container, or even a storage area. You’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t buy used shipping containers before.
- Cut out windows and doors. As soon as you get some ventilation going in your new shipping container, it’s potential will be completely transformed. Since you don’t need to consider beams or other structural elements when converting your container, think outside of the box — interesting shapes and skylights are all fair game.
- Install custom shelving. This includes loft space — some containers are so tall that they could accommodation two or even three levels. Maximize your space by building stacked bedrooms and leaving half of the container empty for a living area.
- Supplement! A shipping container could be a great addition to your house, as a study, a mudroom, a guest suite, or a large den. Or, supplement the shipping container by adding a separate glass room, build a wooden roof deck on top, or dig a basement for added storage.
- Paint it. Add some unique color to your shipping container to calm, boost morale or invigorate. Your used container is a blank canvas on which you can express whatever you want.
Global seaborne container trade is believed to account for about 60% of all world seaborne trade, and was valued at 5.6 trillion dollars in 2010 — but the market for these containers is expanding as employers, prospective homeowners and other entrepreneurs see the potential for building and expanding using resources already available to them, and ripe for reuse, like the use of a used or new shipping container. Continue reading here.