Living in a shipping container home might not sound like the best idea, but after seeing this woman’s residence in Lake Taupo, New Zealand, you might just change your mind. Brenda Kelly isn’t new to shipping container living. In fact, she’s lived in an ultra-compact home built out of a single 20 ft shipping container. She lived there while designing a bigger home built using a 40 ft container with an innovative grid-tiered solar system.
And for the love of shipping containers, Brenda is back again on Living Big In a Tiny House with her third one. She has moved into another town and constructed a new container home for herself. Brenda has lived in the home for about a year now, and she’s immensely enjoying it. What drew her to this location is the relaxing views and the quiet, noting that she has never been a fan of city life.
The home was built on some slightly higher piles so she can make the most of the gorgeous view of the lake. Unlike most small homes, this one is grid-tied because it’s situated in a shaded area, so installing solar panels won’t be able to do much. Brenda’s new home is made from three separate 20-foot containers connected in parallel. They’ve also managed to remove the internal walls from two containers to create a spacious one-and-a-half width master bedroom and living room. The entire house measures about 45 square meters.
The container home’s exterior is all black except for the attractive pattern applied on the front of the house using stickers. The dash of color definitely adds a bit of fun and character to the design of the house. Since they built the home on higher piles, Brenda was able to use the space underneath as a carport. Once you enter the house, a short hallway will lead you straight to the living room that opens up to a covered deck area.
Brenda also placed large windows that are slightly lower than typical, allowing her to completely appreciate the breathtaking view outside. She did the same thing in her master bedroom, which has a view of the lake from her bed. Once you’re inside, you won’t even notice that the entire structure is built of shipping containers because it appears so much like a regular house.
A full-size refrigerator with a microwave, overhead storage, a two-burner stove, a dish drawer, a compact oven, and a range hood are all included in the kitchen. Brenda keeps her linens and performs her laundry in a storage closet near the living room. A large bathroom with a standard 9001200 shower, a gel flush toilet, and a vanity mirror is included in the property.
Brenda’s bedroom is nice and spacious, allowing her enough space to walk around her bed with ease. Beneath it is additional storage where she keeps her camping gear and suitcases. The room also has a wardrobe with full-length mirrored doors. Brenda works from home, so she created a dedicated office/spare bedroom where she can concentrate. It has a big desk that can support a printer, a laptop, and two external monitors.
Incredibly, the whole contraption converts into a double bed where Brenda’s guests could comfortably rest. The house has a fantastic entertaining area out in the balcony, where two sofa chairs, a side table, and a coffee table can be found. Brenda said it’s a nice place to lounge in the warmer weather while looking out onto the lake. It’s truly a spectacular home that most of us can only dream about living in! Check out the actual tour of Brenda’s stunning shipping container home in the video below.