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Enhance the modern look and brighten your container home by installing large windows. Be careful, though: Too large or too many windows can decrease your container’s stability and strength. Work with a professional to size and place your windows safely.

Keep the straight rectangular lines and boxy shape of the containers. You can build off of them by creating a sleek metal covering that creates an outdoor living space.

For more modern designs, click here.

3. Two Story Shipping Container Home

There are two common ways people create a two-story home out of two shipping containers. They either stack one on top of the other facing the same way, or they turn the top one 90 degrees. Either way, you can create more living space or higher ceilings.

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Before you plan anything, decide if you’ll have the ceiling and floor cut out of the portion of the containers to create a super high ceiling. This can create a large living room downstairs. Then you can create a kitchen and bathroom in the rest of the ground floor container. Your bedroom will be upstairs in the second-floor box.

If you choose not to create a high ceiling, you have more space to create a master bedroom suite or a small office upstairs.

4. Tiny Shipping Container Home

Many shipping container homes on the market today embrace the tiny home movement. These homes will use one or two containers to create a small living space. You can create this tiny home style by placing two containers next to each other at ground level or placing one on top of the other for a two-story house.

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While your tiny home may seem exciting and innovative now, you’ll quickly realize there isn’t much space inside. This can feel confining and cramped. You’ll want to plan for this, so include features that will help the home feel larger.