If most people saw that the roof of a 20-foot shipping container on their property was rusting, they’d probably cover it with a tarp and carry on with their day. But not Paul Jones.
When Paul, who lives in Brisbane, Australia, noticed that his shipping container’s roof was rusting, he decided to cut it off and raise it. With over 20 years of experience in the building industry, he knew it was the perfect time to create a tiny house out of the container and incorporate some of the many creative ideas he’d seen in tiny home videos on YouTube.
But what he never expected was that the once-rusty shipping container would eventually become his own home. Paul had started to realize that the rising cost of housing was creating problems for many people. Not wanting to have excessive bills himself, he said it made complete sense to move into the container and make it home. So, that’s what he and his partner, Cathy, did, and they love having the freedom and flexibility to relocate whenever they decide to.
Their container home that Paul lovingly created is off-grid with solar panels and a 12-volt battery, which was more than enough to power all electronics in their home. They also have a 240-volt battery for emergencies and to run their fridge.
Paul acquired the rusty shipping container for a mere $50, while the transformation into a remarkable tiny house only required $13,000, thanks to the utilization of predominantly recycled and reclaimed materials. Now that their project is complete, Paul has started helping other people achieve their tiny house dreams through his business, Elements of Creation.
At first glance, Paul Jones’ tiny house looks like a standard tiny house, but it’s anything but. The 8.5ft (3.5m) by 20ft (6m) tiny house is actually an old shipping container. Paul started converting it into a tiny house when he noticed that the shipping container’s roof was beginning to rust.
He removed the roof and constructed a glass turret from a welded steel frame with safety glass. The tiny home also has aluminum louvers across the rear and aluminum awning windows at the front to ensure maximum airflow and a desirable cross-breeze during those hot Australian summers.
Paul also wanted to ensure the tiny home was energy-efficient and well-equipped for the winter months, so he installed full insulation in the walls and ceiling. Knowing how hot steel can get and knowing his new tiny home had to be fire-rated, Paul chose to clad the outside, removing the last signs that this house ever started life as a shipping container.
As anyone with a shipping container will know, those container doors are made of tough stuff. More specifically, the hinges are. Paul cut off the old steel door but left the hinges in place. He then gathered many wood offcuts from different building jobs and created a mosaic-like door attached to the old shipping door hinges.
When you see the extreme amount of detail that has gone into creating this beautiful tiny home, it’s hard to believe that it started life as a shipping container. It benefits from a beautifully hand-crafted solid timber deck and cedar French doors that open out to the deck. This area functions as an extended living area, which can be important when living in such a confined space year-round.
Beautifully-Designed Interior
Everything about this tiny home screams ‘architectural.’ The entire home has been designed for adequate ventilation and views from all directions. Paul and Cathy also benefit from a height advantage since their tiny home is 3.5m tall, courtesy of the turret.
The small details all contribute to an overall beautifully-designed space, including the lights over the couch in the living area. These are cedar masts from a century-old boat that have been routed with LED lighting.
Paul could have done what many tiny home builders do to save money and use plywood or floating floorboards in their home, but they wanted to be different. Their living area has hardwood floors, which was well-seasoned reclaimed timber. They mixed and matched the 300mm and 200mm boards to create the perfect look.
Custom Hampton-Style Kitchen
Paul and Cathy’s kitchen flooring is polished travertine, which pairs beautifully with the solid hardwood floors in the living area. Completing the look is the gorgeous live-edge wood benchtop that flows out to the slab deck. When you open the gas-lift server window, the indoor-outdoor flow is exceptional.
A great deal of attention was paid to the kitchen in Paul and Cathy’s home. The custom Hampton-style kitchen boasts soft-close doors and drawers and a black composite basin within the ironbark live-edge countertop. Paul also routed grooves into the benchtop for drainage, with excess water from the kitchen flowing to the outside of the home.
The kitchen might not have all the high-end gadgets you’d find in the average house, but Paul and Cathy are happy with what they have. They installed a four-burner cooker in the corner of the kitchen and opted not to have an oven. Paul said he doesn’t like ‘oven smells’ inside tiny homes, so he cooks on a closed-in barbecue outside, which is capable of cooking roasts.
The staircase in Paul and Cathy’s tiny home is something Paul is quite proud of. He had looked for the perfect banister with the right curvature for a long time and finally found it not far from where the container home was now located. It was a branch that had fallen from a tree. It was dead, well-seasoned, and of the perfect shape and size for the stairs that lead to a double bed. Paul also built clothes storage into the stairs for convenience.
Loft Bedroom With 360-Degree Views
Paul thought practically when it came to the sleeping quarters in his tiny home. He created a bedroom nook with a double bed boasting 360-degree views. The shelving adjacent to the bed doubles as a nightstand and is made out of heavy-duty New Guinea rosewood.
The bathroom is deceivingly spacious in the 20-foot shipping container. Paul wanted to incorporate a ‘Steampunk’ look into the space and started experimenting with an oxygen torch burner on copper and brass materials. He was able to create a beautiful showerhead, which complemented the tiles, counter, and basin beautifully.
No stone was left unturned in creating a rustic and unique bathroom. The flooring materials consist of polished travertine, just like the kitchen, and there’s a stone basin with brass tapware set on top of the wood counter. A composting toilet also proves convenient for the couple’s off-the-grid lifestyle.
The vanity top is truly something special. It features solid New Guinea rosewood with a driftwood inlay and has been highlighted by recessed LEDs for the perfect amount of illumination. Paul found the driftwood at a beach and, if you look closely, you can still see all the worm holes.