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How to Convert Five Shipping Containers Into a Cozy Modern Home

By • Mar 31, 2011

Debbie Glassberg is the owner of the Home Contained, a 2,600 square foot modern container residence located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, that was built with five 40 foot shipping containers.

The final result is quite impressive: the home has comfortable living spaces, a green roof, geothermal heating, plant foam insulation and some passive solar.

“We love it. It’s great space for living, great for entertaining,” Glassberg said.

More shipping container houses here






More shipping container houses here

Photos by: Matt Kocourek

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13 Comments to How to Convert Five Shipping Containers Into a Cozy Modern Home
  1. JTratcliff says:
    April 8, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    I’m a big fan of this.

    Reply
  2. theo birch says:
    June 8, 2011 at 1:15 am

    Those are amazing. I know that there have been shipping containers used for housing, but they don’t have anywhere the visual appeal of this.

    Reply
  3. Nathan says:
    June 16, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Very interesting and actually a beautiful design. It would of been even more interesting if you included the total cost of how much it cost to purchase containers and transform them into your completed home. That would be the #1 most obvious question that everyone who views this will ask. Why not tell your viewers this?

    Reply
  4. Kristin says:
    January 14, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    This is truly brilliantly done. The flow, the use of space, the decor – I am truly in awe of the designer. That being said, I too am curious as to costs….I cannot imagine it would be an inexpensive undertaking to purchase, truck and convert shipping containers, retaining their texture and overall structure while making it comfortable to actually live in, let alone in a colder climate.

    Reply
  5. Abigail says:
    March 29, 2012 at 1:03 pm

    This is not a “How To” article. Very interesting! But title was a bit misleading.

    Reply
  6. mike says:
    May 23, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    I agree with Nathan. I look at all these shipping container homes and no one ever includes the price of the finished product. I know how much the containers themselves cost. I wish someone would include finished prices.

    Reply
  7. Rodney G. says:
    September 23, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    I too am curious as to the cost to do something like this. I can see where the basic structure could be less expensive than traditional construction…but then everything else would have to be custom made, employ an architect to design the electrical and plumbing. Those thing would probably knock this type of place out of the price range of the average home builder or buyer.

    Reply
  8. Kelley Smith says:
    November 16, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    I want one! These are beautiful. Where can one purchase?

    Reply
  9. V miller says:
    November 18, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Very nice. Well thought out color scheme’s. Just one thing… inside the storage container house, there seems to be no storage. It would drive me insane to not have closets.

    Reply
  10. Ash says:
    March 26, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    This doesn’t actually show you how to convert the shipping containers to a home. I would advise you to change the title to “This home owner created a home from shipping containers and the results will blow up your brain stem”

    Reply
  11. eric millsap says:
    March 11, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    hi I live in Kansas City Missouri also me and my wife are thinking of moving to Smithville would like to do a container home if you can let me know how much it cost I love your design it’s beautiful and I think my wife would like it also

    Reply
  12. lola still says:
    November 23, 2016 at 1:16 am

    I love it. I want one, but can’t afford it. On fixed income.

    Reply
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