From simple single-container models to stylish four-bedroom residences, the portable shipping container homes by Nova Deko Modular Home Solutions sometimes show off the crates as a main architectural element and sometimes disguise them. But either way, these homes are affordable, fast to manufacture, and sometimes arranged in interesting configurations to maximize space.
The tiniest 1-bedroom models, consisting of a single container, are dubbed ‘granny flats’ since they’d be so easy to plop into your backyard as a guest house or mother-in-law apartment. You might imagine that a home made of just one (recognizable) shipping crate would feel cramped and dark, but check out the ‘Monaco,’ above. Its living space doubles as a bedroom, and large glass doors bring the outdoors in.
Another design inserts a 40-foot shipping container into a wooden terrace structure that adds extra living space and gives it a more dynamic look on the exterior, while a third stacks one container on top of the other in a perpendicular arrangement to make use of the roof space and create a sheltered overhang below. The homes start at as low as $23,500. While the company is located in Australia (and only shipping there at this time) their designs reflect an interesting take on shipping container reuse.


