The Helm Is a Gorgeous, Two-Story Tiny House Made Out of Shipping Containers

“CargoHome. Contain yourself” and “Think. Inside the box” are the two mottos the company uses to advertise for its elegant and very practical tiny homes. They’re all made from shipping containers – the so-called “one-trippers” that are sent from China with minimal cargo and then sold off. The tiny houses of CargoHome don’t have wheels like the majority of tinies we discuss, but they are easy to move around if you have the right trailer.

Portability is just one of the aspects CargoHome lists as benefits for choosing a container for a home. The others include the relatively cheap price, the durability, the minimalist styling, and the fact that they’re eco-friendly – and can be made to be off-grid, if you wish to and have the budget for it.

Container homes are becoming more popular these days, what with the housing crisis shifting the focus from brick-and-mortar homes to tinies and other types of wheeled homes. Put it differently, houses are expensive to buy, and a pain to rent. Tinies are being presented as a better alternative.

The Helm could serve as an example of how gorgeous these tinies can be, as well as spacious and practical. The Helm, arguably one of the most famous tiny rentals in the state of Texas, U.S., couldn’t move around even if the owner – Kenneth, who also happens to own CargoHome – wanted to. That’s because it’s made of two different containers stacked, with a surrounding deck and a metal winding staircase connecting the two levels.

As far as aesthetics go, The Helm is a stunner. For one, it offers more space than most average-priced tinies, being able to sleep up to six people. It has two bedrooms, two full custom bathrooms, one lounge, a kitchen with a dining area, a private deck up top, and outdoor space on the ground. It’s styled as a combination of rustic villa and modern apartment and, assuming you don’t mind the linear layout, could be the perfect family home.

The Helm is made of a 40-foot (12.2-meter) container on the bottom, and a 20-foot (6-meter) one up top. The walls of heavy gauge corrugated steel are clad in cedar siding on the outside, and paneled with pine shiplap and old barnwood trims, with a thick layer of insulation in between. There’s air-conditioning in both, as well as heating.

The ground floor has two entryways, where the steel was replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. There’s a spacious lounge slash living room on one end, with the bedroom and bathroom at the opposite one. The kitchen is located centrally, with a dining nook for all six guests right next to it.

The bedroom upstairs (the master bedroom) is accessible by means of a lateral metal winding staircase, through another glass door. It has its own generously-sized bathroom behind a barndoor, with a washing machine, standing shower, toilet and sink with vanity. There’s a reading nook by the window / door, and a private deck with patio furniture the same size as the room. Seriously now, the idea of enjoying an evening cocktail “up on the deck” seems very appealing when you look at photos in the gallery above.

CargoHome has The Helm as its flagship model, but this particular unit is not for sale. Instead, Kenneth is offering it for rent on Airbnb, which is how it came to be known as the state’s most popular – and beautiful – non-movable tiny. The company also sells these cargo homes throughout the country, either as standard models or customizable units, to whoever is eager to give downsizing a try and has the budget for it.

Just to be clear, this is a story about a possible alternative for those looking into the tiny house movement. For the more eco-conscious of our readers, The Helm can also serve as excellent illustration for upcycling old or repurposing new containers. It’s thinking outside the box, if we’re to keep up with the company’s puns.