Greetings from New Zealand! 🙂
Sometimes, scrolling through Instagram can actually be a good thing. That’s how we discovered Otto Engineering’s Show Home, a stunning shipping container home that caught our attention. The Heeringa family, a family of five, called this two-bedroom, off-grid haven home for over two years.
Said to have been featured in three magazines so far, this container home is both stunning and inviting.
Let’s jump in and see what is so special about this container home!
Exploring the Exterior
The exterior blends industrial design with natural charm, featuring two 40ft high-cube containers and a sleek, dark facade. A wooden deck wraps around the home, offering ample space for outdoor relaxation and entertainment.
Glass-panel doors open from the living area to the deck, flooding the interior with natural light and creating a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. Strategically placed furniture and plants enhance the welcoming atmosphere, ideal for family gatherings or quiet reflection.
Inside, the Show Home blends modern elegance with cozy charm. The open-plan living area features a navy blue sectional sofa and sleek white coffee table. The kitchen, with clean lines and white cabinetry, offers a bright, functional space. Warm wooden accents and ambient lighting add rustic comfort, making the interior as inviting as the exterior.
The outdoor dining area offers a nice blend of functionality and style with the sturdy metal frame of the picnic-style table and benches, while the wooden tops adds a rustic charm. This setup is ideal for family meals, entertaining guests, or simply enjoying the outdoors.
Dining Nook and Loft
The interior of Otto Engineering’s Show Home cleverly maximizes space with a cozy dining nook and a loft area. The dining booth, tucked beneath the loft, features built-in seating with a table, perfect for family meals or work-from-home days. The staircase leading to the loft serves double duty with additional storage spaces. The loft itself provides a snug area for a TV or extra storage, making efficient use of every inch. The warm wood tones and simple design elements create a welcoming and practical living space.
Living Room and Kitchen
The living room and kitchen area of Otto Engineering’s Show Home exudes both comfort and functionality. The kitchen, with its sleek white cabinetry and modern appliances, blends seamlessly into the living space, maintaining an open and airy feel. Warm wooden accents and thoughtful design details, like the compact wood stove and pendant lighting, create a harmonious balance between modern and rustic elements, enhancing the home’s overall charm.
Earlier, we glimpsed the cozy dining nook tucked beneath the loft. Here, we see it up close, revealing its clever design. The built-in seating offers hidden storage beneath the benches, perfect for keeping the area tidy. Large windows on either side let in ample natural light, creating a bright and inviting space.
From this angle we get a better view of the side cabinet used for storage.
We really love the living area of Otto Engineering’s Show Home, with a charming wood stove that serves as both a heating source and a stylish focal point. Positioned between two wooden doors, the stove’s teal accents and copper piping add a touch of rustic charm to the modern interior. This cozy addition not only provides warmth and enhances the home’s cozy atmosphere.
The open-plan layout of Otto Engineering’s Show Home is thoughtfully designed for efficiency and comfort. The living area flows seamlessly into the kitchen and dining nook, creating a cohesive and functional space. The white cabinetry and modern appliances in the kitchen contrast with the warm wooden tones throughout, maintaining a bright and airy feel. The staircase with built-in storage, leads up to the loft area, maximizing space utilization. Pendant lighting and a mix of modern and rustic elements enhance the home’s inviting atmosphere, making it a perfect blend of style and practicality.
Luxurious Japanese Soak Tub
One of the standout features in Otto Engineering’s Show Home is the luxurious Japanese soak tub. Crafted from rich, warm wood, this deep tub invites relaxation and offers a touch of rustic elegance. Copper fixtures and baskets add a cohesive and stylish element to the bathing area. This unique tub exemplifies the blend of traditional and modern design found throughout the home, providing a serene space for unwinding after a long day.
The Show Home’s bunk room is a delightful space designed with kids in mind. Featuring two twin beds on the lower level and a cozy loft bed above, this room maximizes space while maintaining a warmth. Soft lighting and cheerful bunting add a playful touch, while ample built-in storage keeps the room tidy and functional. Large windows ensure plenty of natural light, making this bunk room a perfect blend of practicality and charm for the little ones.
Kitchen Details
The kitchen in Otto Engineering’s Show Home is both functional and stylish. A large window above the sink provides a picturesque view and floods the space with natural light. The highlight is the copper sink and matching backsplash, adding a touch of elegance and warmth to the modern white cabinetry. These copper accents enhances the aesthetic appeal and tie in with the general feel of the home, creating a cohesive and inviting kitchen space.
The bathroom in Otto Engineering’s Show Home continues the theme of blending modern and rustic elements. A tall, narrow window allows natural light to illuminate the space while maintaining privacy. The towel bar and small potted plant are simple yet stylish.
The loft bedroom offers a cozy and intimate retreat. Nestled under the sloped ceiling, the space features a comfortable bed dressed in soft linens and accent pillows. Wall-mounted reading lights provide illumination, while the warm wood paneling adds to the snug atmosphere. Despite its compact size, the loft feels serene and perfect for a restful night’s sleep.
Other Features
Solar Panels and Off-Grid Living:
The home is fully off-grid, powered by a 6kW solar system with panels covering the pitched roof. This system includes an inverter and batteries, ensuring no power bills. The low power use fridge, LPG Bosch hobs, and LPG Pancoe oven complement the eco-friendly design.
Insulation and Windows:
Fully insulated with spray foam and equipped with double-glazed windows and doors, the home maintains a comfortable temperature year-round. The large mudroom, cleverly hiding the laundry area, adds to the home’s practicality.
Interior Features:
The handmade Japanese soak tub with copper tapware adds a touch of luxury, while various copper fittings throughout the home create a cohesive aesthetic. Custom joinery and the spacious dining booth, seating six or more, demonstrate the attention to detail and functionality in the home’s design.
Wrapping Up the Tour
Otto Engineering’s Show Home is a great example of how shipping containers can be transformed into a functional and stylish living space. The exterior’s industrial look, softened by a welcoming wooden deck, seamlessly transitions into a thoughtfully designed interior. From the cozy living area and clever dining nook to the luxurious Japanese soak tub and inviting loft bedroom, every detail is crafted for comfort and practicality. What is your take?
Information Source: Otto Engineering
Photo Source: Otto Engineering
» Follow Container Home Hub on Facebook for regular shipping container home updates here «