| Builder | Creative Cabins |
| Interior Design | Creative Cabinets |
| Containers | 1 x 40 ft |
| Area | 280 sf |
| Location | Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, Ohio, United States |
| Photography | Levi Kelly |
Near Hocking Hills, Ohio, a design-savvy couple nestle a glossy black shipping container within a heavily wooded—and sentimental—piece of land.
When Troy and Dianna Shurtz—the owners of Creative Cabinets, Ltd who live near Lancaster, Ohio—thought to design and build their own shipping container home as a getaway, they knew it should be located near Hocking Hills State Park, an area south of Lancaster marked by sculptural cliffs, gorges, and waterfalls. "I spent a lot of time in Hocking Hills as a child," Dianna says. "My father passed away at the age of fifty-nine and I’ve always felt closer to him when I’m there, hiking or just visiting."
For years, Dianna dreamed of building a cabin near Hocking Hills as a way to reconnect with the memory of her father. "We found the right piece of land two years ago while driving on it during the dead of winter," she says. Located only two miles from Old Man’s Cave—a recess in a rock wall named in honor of a renowned local hermit—the undulating topography of the wooded site was idyllic. The Shurtzes were drawn to the land, but also to the idea of a shipping container. "We’ve always been intrigued by shipping container homes and knew we wanted to create something unique and special for this property," Dianna says.
The glossy, black-painted home, named The Lily Pad, features 280-square-feet of living space and a shed-style metal roof that cantilevers beyond the walls of the shipping container. It shields a large porch area where the Shurtzes arranged a hot tub, a living area, a gas grill, and a swing bed. Pale oak timbers frame the windows, providing warmth and contrast to the sleek black exterior. "Our goal for the outdoor living space was to keep it as open as possible, but still sheltered from the wind, rain and snow," Dianna says. "This allowed us to include many amenities."
On the interior, rooms are flooded with sunlight that bounces off of bright white walls, making the home feel larger than its 280 square feet. A motorized, industrial-style garage door in the living room rolls up, effectively removing a 10-foot-wide portion of the wall and connecting the space to the large porch and the landscape beyond. "We wanted a lot of natural light and to bring the outdoors in," says Dianna, who selected furnishings that feature leather and wood, materials that reference textures found in nature.
A large, custom-designed window floods the open-plan kitchen with more sunlight. "It’s a picture window that allows you to admire the outdoor scenery," Dianna says. a clerestory window above the fridge lets in additional light.
The kitchen’s white cabinetry is topped with light grey quartz and displays gold hardware and pulls. "Since cabinetry is our forte, we custom built the entire kitchen," Dianna explains. "We knew we needed small appliances, so we purchased a 24-inch-wide microwave and an induction cooktop and retrofitted the refrigerator. Once we figured out how much space we needed for these items, it came down to the cabinetry, which is constructed of MDF and painted with a white lacquered finish. All of the doors, drawers and pull-out storage trays are soft-close and there’s a fireclay undermount porcelain sink."
When the aluminum-framed glass garage door in the living room is rolled up, The Lily Pad’s 280 square feet of overall living space increases to 480 square feet. And from a distance, the sheen of the shipping container’s black corrugated exterior is like a siren call in the woods. "This property is beautiful, rural, and filled with pine trees and rolling hills," Dianna says. "When we first saw it, I felt my father’s presence and knew this is where I wanted [our house] to be."
Description from Airbnb
This small shipping container home nestled on 13 acres of woods just 2 miles from the entrance of Old Man’s Cave right on 664 S in Logan Ohio.
Inside we have a cozy bedroom with full view window, private bathroom /shower, full kitchen with cooktop, living room area with small dining table for 2, gas fireplace, YouTube TV, and WiFi.
One of the coolest additions is our motorized glass garage door. Outside under a covered porch is a comfy outdoor swing bed, outdoor lights, a hot tub for two and a glass grill.
The space
The Lily Pad small shipping container home is fully heated and air conditioned inside with a Nest thermostat.
Guests will have a keyless entry pad to gain access to the property.
We have a security camera pointed directly at the driveway for your safety and ours.
Outside
The outside living space area is fully covered with a large vaulted ceiling. We have a large ceiling fan for hot days and string lights for a cozy ambience outside . The Lily Pad small shipping container home will also include a large motorized glass garage door, which opens to a full patio for enjoying nature or relaxing in the hot tub. Also includes an outdoor Fire Pit with seating for 4 guests. We also have a gas grill and a outdoor seating area for 4. As well as a twin size swing bed comfortable for afternoon naps, or just to enjoy the scenery.
We have included 4 chairs for entertaining another couple during the day but the container only sleeps 2.
Inside
The bedroom will have a full view glass window from the ceiling to floor, so you can wake up to nature and its beauty. There are window treatments for privacy as well. Connecting to the bedroom is a private full bathroom. The living space area in this small shipping container home also has a gas fireplace, TV, couch, chair, and full view remote garage door that opens to the great outdoor. The kitchen has all modern amenities including; a small refrigerator with freezer (no ice maker), cooktop, toaster oven, and microwave.
