We're obsessed with these giant shipping container homes

Big, bold, and beautiful container homes

Shipping containers are a popular foundation of home construction, giving architects and homeowners a fresh way to design bold and brilliant properties with limited time, resources, and budget. 

While many choose to create a home from just one container, others are stacking, balancing, and connecting multiple containers to create dynamic and impressive properties.

Click or scroll on to step inside the biggest and most impressive container residences around the world...

Carroll House, New York, USA

The containers were stacked on top of each other to create a large, multi-storey home. The stack was then cut diagonally along both the top and bottom, “creating a striking profile that invokes Williamsburg's industrial past, while providing a sculptural nod to the rapidly changing neighbourhood”, the architects explain. 

As well as serving an architectural purpose, these cuts also allowed the architects to create enclosed and private spaces inside, protected from the surrounding streets. The diagonal cut at the bottom of the house also created room for the entrance to a cool, underground garage.

Inside, the house is just as dramatic, with plenty of quirky interior design and architectural elements throughout, such as ceiling windows, exposed plywood walls, a floating steel staircase, and imposing fireplaces.

Room-wise, there's an open-plan living room with a kitchen and dining area, as well as five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a den, and a home cinema with a suspended 90-inch (228.6cm) television.

The home’s top floor is dedicated to an incredible master suite, complete with an in-room soaking tub, twin powder rooms, and a 22-foot-wide (6.7m) walk-in closet. The pad also boasts 2,500 square feet (232.2sqm) of exterior terraces, one of which is connected to the main bedroom.

There's even a luxurious basement with a temperature-controlled cellar. Completed in 2016, this home remains one of Brooklyn's most iconic and unusual pieces of architecture.

Container House, Stockholm, Sweden

Aptly named, Container House is a dreamy example of how impressive and unique shipping container residences can be.

Nestled on a scenic plot, close to a lake on the outskirts of Stockholm, the metal and glass property was a finalist in Grand Designs' House of the Year competition in 2022, and it isn't difficult to see why.

Spacious, modern, and flooded with light, the interior has a free-flowing layout. This was achieved by removing some of the walls between the containers. The three-storey home features a ground-floor entrance with a den and a guest bedroom, as well as a laundry room.

Upstairs, you'll find the main living area and numerous bedrooms, as well as an outdoor terrace with lovely views. 

The ground-floor bathroom is seriously cool, with a huge picture window that frames views of the surrounding hillside. 

What's more, the owner works in demolition, so many of the interior materials and fittings were salvaged from demolition sites around Stockholm, including metal panels, staircases, timber, and even sections of old kitchens. 

Plus, at the back of the house, a suspended bridge connects the interior to the neighbouring forest. How's that for cool?

Prefabricated family home, Hauts-de-France, France

This striking family home was crafted from eight individual, prefabricated steel containers, which were recycled and fitted out, before being transported on the back of a truck and assembled on-site.

Spanning 2,583 square feet (240sqm), the property lies in the French city of Lille and cost the owners a mere €180,000 to construct. That's just £156,000 ($210k). 

The home’s bold exterior has a contemporary, industrial aesthetic, which continues inside. You’ll find painted, galvanised, lacquered and varnished steel, as well as aluminium, wood, polycarbonate and, of course, plenty of glass. 

The home’s interior celebrates its origins, with exposed metal on display throughout, while frosted glass panels allow light to filter inside while retaining a high level of privacy.

As for rooms, there’s an open-plan living area with a kitchen, dining zone, and sitting room. A spiral staircase leads upstairs to the bedrooms.

Thanks to the home's construction materials, it has remarkable energy and sound performance. What's more, the original steel doors of the containers were left in place, allowing the owners to open them up and welcome in sunlight.

The roof also doubles as a shade screen, which lets air flow around it, preventing it from overheating.

Graceville Container House, Queensland, Australia

Crafted from 31 shipping containers, this stunning 6,000-square-foot (557.4sqm) property lies in the Australian city of Brisbane, in the suburb of Graceville. Not only is it one of the world's largest shipping container homes, but one of the most impressive.

Plus, the story of its origins is fascinating. Todd and Diana Miller's original Graceville home was significantly damaged by the 2011 Queensland floods, and after finding out their home insurance didn't cover the total cost of the necessary repairs, they realised they would need to start from scratch.

With a minimal budget and not a lot of time to waste, Todd decided to utilise shipping containers, thanks to the speed with which they can be installed. He was also drawn to their affordable price point, as well as their strength and durability. 

The Millers were keen to create a spacious home with enough room for their children to play and grow, so Todd designed and constructed the property himself, using 31 shipping containers at a cost of around AUD$4,000 each. That's just £1,936 ($2.6k).

To protect from future flooding, 10 shipping containers were installed on the ground floor. On this level, you'll find the garage, a home office, art studio, workshop, gym, bathroom, and playroom, spaces that can survive flood water, should the worst happen.

Upstairs, away from the risk of water, you'll find the main living areas, including an open-plan lounge and kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom, a laundry room, and a study.

There's also an outdoor pool, which can be accessed via sliding glass doors.

Container House, Colorado, USA

This house was also crafted by local firefighter Regan Foster, who worked with an architect to design the home.

The main residence features nine 40-foot (12.2m) shipping containers, while the guest house (pictured) is constructed from two, stacked on top of the garage.

The house has two sets of four shipping containers, arranged on two levels. In between the two sets, you'll find a large open space that forms the main living room.

It has a soaring 25-foot ceiling (7.6m) and tons of light. There are five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The guest house comes equipped with an open-plan living area, with a kitchen, dining zone, and lounge. There are also two spacious bedrooms and a bathroom.

Design-wise, the shipping containers used in the build can be seen throughout in exposed steel ceilings. These structural elements are complemented by light colours, natural timber, and modern, handmade furnishings.

There’s also an outdoor deck with beautiful city views. Downstairs, in the garage, you’ll find a home gym. The high-end house also comes with an EV charging station.

Luxury villa, Tangalle, Sri Lanka

Nestled among a grove of towering Satinwood trees, this property is made up of five shipping containers, resulting in a dramatic and luxurious villa with plenty of wow factor.

Located on the coast of Sri Lanka, in the Southern Province of Tangalle, the home was designed to comfortably accommodate 10 guests.

The pad was architecturally designed and the original form of the containers has been left exposed outside and in certain parts of the interior, giving the home a cool, industrial edge.

The villa is centred around an internal courtyard, for a seamless indoor-outdoor flow, while a 40-foot (12.2m) swimming pool is moments from the home's numerous sliding glass doors.

Inside, the drama continues. There's a huge open-plan living area, dining room, and kitchen, as well as five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Lucky guests can even make the most of a private chef, who will come to the property to whip up amazing meals.

PV14 House, Texas, USA

The house was crafted from 14 shipping containers, as well as concrete, structural steel, masonry, and glass – elements that have been left on display both inside and out.

Spanning 3,700 square feet (343.7sqm), the home is arranged over two floors, with the main living spaces on the first floor. As well as ensuring privacy, placing the living rooms upstairs also provided the owners with lovely, far-reaching views. 

There are three bedrooms, a den, and three bathrooms.

The architects also incorporated plenty of porches and overhangs to shield windows from direct sunlight and reduce energy costs, while also allowing natural light to seep inside, without blocking the beautiful views.

There's also a roof deck that serves as a solar screen to the insulated single-ply membrane roof below, further reducing energy costs and extending the life of the roof itself.

Highly green, the house is double-insulated and features high-performance glazing systems, low-energy heating, air-conditioning units, and low water consumption plumbing fixtures.

Outside, there's a gorgeous in-ground pool that only adds to this home's plus points.

Industrial family home, Waipa, New Zealand

Positioned on a 1.5-acre  (0.6ha) elevated lot, this stunning container home is truly mind-blowing.

Overlooking Lake Rotomanuka in Waipa, New Zealand, it is a dazzling example of what can be achieved with a whole lot of reclaimed materials and a bit of imagination.

The home's original owner, David Wade, built his own home in a bid to cut costs. He salvaged 12 shipping containers, which he bought for between NZ$3,000 and NZ$10,000 (£1.3k/$1.8k – £4.4k/$5.9k) each.

In 2016, Wade got to work, documenting his progress on Facebook and revealing each stage of the design and construction progress along the way. Wade was reportedly inspired by The Adriance House in Maine, which was designed by American architect Adam Kalkin and completed in 2010.

The 6,221-square-foot (578sqm) property is set over two floors and is defined by its dramatic steel and glass exterior, as well as its incredible open-plan interior.

The highlight of the home has to be its huge atrium living area, which boasts a soaring ceiling and a dual-sided, symmetrical steel staircase. A retractable glass door, akin to those found at fire stations, can be raised to open the entire space up to the garden.