It started with tiny homes made out of shipping containers.

Then, someone went and built an entire hotel out of containers in London.

The convenient and eco-friendly building material starts its life onboard a cargo ship travelling the seven seas. When it reaches old age, the potential then exists to starts the second part of its life as part of an incredibly creative building.

House Beautiful reckons that looking at some of these gorgeous shipping container buildings will inspire you to build your own:

Quadrum Ski & Yoga Resort

The Quadrum Ski & Yoga Resort in Gudauri, Georgia, was constructed using shipping containers clad in wood.

The ski lodge is surrounded by mountains providing guests with a panoramic view of the incredible landscape.

Devil’s Corner

This winery in Tasmania, Australia, was created by architecture firm Culumus.

It contains a tasting room, a lookout tower and a deck where guests can take in the scenery.

Joshua Tree Residence

You’ll find the Joshua Tree Residence by Whitaker Studio in the Californian desert.

Shipping containers were reconfigured in a starburst-like pattern and painted white.

Escape Den

This indoor/outdoor oasis was created by architecture firm River and Rain in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

It was created using parts of four recycled shipping containers.

Seven Havens

This repurposed shipping container haven is located on a hillside in Lombok, Indonesia.

There are four individual rooms and a three-room villa up for rent, all of which boast some of the best views on the island.

One of the things missing from a new building or house is the character and charm that comes with time and history.

Shipping container homes and hotels come pre-loaded with charm, because, as I mentioned earlier, the recycled containers have often already travelled across the globe.

Those shipping containers have seen things – just ask the experts at Berry & Donaldson.

The South African-owned logistics company has been helping importers and exporters navigate the labyrinth that is international freighting for over half a century, mapping out and ensuring the safe departure and arrival of shipping containers at their destinations around the world.

Once the containers are put out to pasture, you can get cracking on your new container home.

[source:housebeautiful]