life in a box.

July 16, 2009
i have to admit, shipping containers have always had a kind of appeal for me. maybe it’s because they remind me of my childhood: pressing my nose against the grimy window of our minivan as we cruised down the jersey turnpike, staring at the stacks of colorful boxes, giant metal legos looming skyward. but while i can somehow appreciate their aesthetic, i’m not sure i would be prepared to make one of them my home, the way roger black has done on his 3,000 acre west texas ranch.
16rogerslide600.1
i adore the look of life on the outside. but entering within?28685245.JPG
i am fairly certain that i would lose it, somewhere between the table and couch. it’s not that i don’t like small spaces, but somehow this space just feels like it would have me spinning. and not in a dancing sort of way.28685211.JPG
oh, but the view? yes. i’ll take the view.
 
what do you think? would you go for life in a shipping container?
 
check out the full article here.

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15 Comments

  • Reply Simply Mel July 16, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    I need a bit of a high ceiling! Maybe if the roof could open as a sun-roof? That would work!

    1
  • Reply Julia (Color Me Green) July 16, 2009 at 8:02 pm

    maybe the claustrophobic feeling also has to do with teh very rigid decor – if there some more curvey natural lines in the furniture it might feel cozier?

    2
  • Reply Ali July 16, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    Wow. That's crazy and kind of awesome.

    Couldn't do it though. I don't think…?

    2
  • Reply Amanda Nicole July 16, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    I don't think I could, for the same reasons I couldn't live on a puny sailboat or a yurt in the woods. It just makes me imagine a lot of stale air. Although, if the weather was always decent I imagine you could spend most of your time outdoors, which wouldn't be so bad.

    1
  • Reply Amy July 16, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    Not in just one shipping container – I have seen houses made from multiple shipping containers – now that I could do…

    1
  • Reply orange sugar home July 16, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    yes, too narrow. I do like the idea of reusing the containters but maybe they could be combined to make a larger space.

    2
  • Reply Kerri Lynne July 16, 2009 at 9:39 pm

    i feel claustrophobic just looking at it!

    2
  • Reply cindy : quaint July 16, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    this one is a little too small, two together might be ok. and, where's the bathroom? the view is heavenly, though.

    2
  • Reply jasmine July 16, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    i definitely couldn't do it. i already survived life in a studio…i don't think i'll be going back. 🙂

    2
  • Reply joanita July 17, 2009 at 2:49 am

    that is crazy, but fun!

    2
  • Reply katiecrackernuts July 17, 2009 at 3:44 am

    Oh yes, it is small. I think I'd go a bit nuts too.
    Thanks for the comments on my creations. You'll see jersey everywhere once you start.

    2
  • Reply Julia July 17, 2009 at 9:03 am

    i saw these on ny times too and loved the view!

    3
  • Reply Life Abroad July 17, 2009 at 10:22 am

    i could never live in a shipping container. so many of my friends here in amsterdam live in them, since the dutch government decided to re-use them as housing (in a very cramped country, some are built over the water too!)

    2
  • Reply Julia July 17, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Your thoughts on the tight space made me laugh! I'm with you there. There's nothing more relaxing that knowing that you can stretch out without bumping into something. The view, though… hmm, makes me wonder what I would put up with just to have it!

    3
  • Reply Schaufensterbabe July 17, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    Great post. I can relate to how you think. I think my two greatest highlights of my week were re-arranging my apartment in a fit of inspiration and going to the Turkish market. Wrote a post about both things on my blog: http://www.schaufensterbabe.blogspot.com
    🙂

    3
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