Shipping containers are not just for product transport anymore. These days the classic metal box seen on countless barges and flatbed trucks has found a new use in modern society. Daring and forward-thinking engineers, architects and designers have transformed the drab empty shipping containers into actual shelters than can be used for comfortable living. And if you can find shipping containers for sale the possibilities of your own new living solution are practically endless.

The appeal of shipping containers as living solutions lies in their simplicity. They are essentially empty metal boxes. The metal is not terrible thick or unruly and with the proper tools and knowledge all the walls and roof of the containers can be removed or modified. Designers have begun using this to their advantage. A popular way to use the shipping containers is to remove the doors and turn the resulting empty wall into a window. Doing so will allow floor-to-ceiling light to enter the container, creating a vibrant living or entertaining area. By stacking the shipping containers together an entire makeshift building can be created for apartments or hotel rooms.

The simple but sturdy design of shipping containers also create plenty of possibilities for interior design. Modern living inside one would not be possible without this modification, as bare steel would simply be too boring and uncomfortable. Instead one could make use of the corrugated nature of the container's metal walls and ceiling to hide things like wiring or simple plumbing. In this way simple fixtures or appliances can be installed, giving a real feeling of a modern home. Some heavy wall coverings and a room-sized rug would round out the illusion.

The biggest drawback of the standard design of shipping containers with regards to modern living lies in the fact that they don't have insulation. In their standard use the containers have no need for it. They're simply used to transport goods and were never meant for modern living. But as that implication becomes more common it's becoming easier to find a solution. Many shipping containers for sale these days actually come pre-insulated courtesy of professional installers. If not you can still insulate a container fairly easily. All it would take is some steel nails and lightweight wallboard and you could manufacture a way to hold thick insulation in the corrugated openings of the steel. From there it's just a matter of moving in before you have a comfortable, modern shipping container home.