The Rising Sun Container Home Uses a Very Unique Layout to Offer Luxury Features

With the boom in demand for downsized, preferably mobile homes came a boom in popularity of container homes. Whether for downsizing or cutting costs by moving into a house that takes less time and much less money to build, container homes are a halfway solution between a proper home and a mobile one.

But that's not to say that they're not with their own peculiar set of challenges, spacial limitations being one of them. The other is the linear layout, which doesn't leave too much room for creativity and can lead to a cramped home if not supported by a smart design.

The Rising Sun container home is all about creative and smart design, manifest in a very surprising layout that allows the inclusion of standard features – and then their upgrade to luxury ones. It's also packed with custom-made furniture, which adds an extra touch of style and personality to what could otherwise be a plain unit.

The Rising Sun is the first build from Texas-based company Uncontained Dreams, founded by former woodshop and metal shop teacher Micah Woods. He did it for himself out of a 40-foot (12.2-meter) high-cube container – a one-trip container to ensure it never carried anything toxic. It now serves as the flagship model for the company and also doubles as a display unit.

It's perhaps the most elegant and functional container home we've covered, with a full, almost spa-like bathroom, heaps of storage space, and a residential-size kitchen. It even has a laundry station and a working station for all those who work from home. It can sleep as many as four people, but it's designed as a full-time home for just two.

It's also a full DIY project, as Woods built everything inside, from the actual home to the countertops and the furniture. The initial design is not his own, as Woods relied on working with architects for that one because he didn't want his lack of experience to cause any problems.

Access into the home is possible through a front door or the in-wall, which features large floor-to-ceiling glazing. All glass, whether on doors or windows, has integrated blinds for when privacy is an issue; Micah wanted plenty of glazing to ensure the interior was basked in natural light from all sides possible to avoid the feeling of claustrophobia.

At one end of the home is the living room, consisting of a wall-mounted TV and a custom-made entertainment table that folds out into a dining table for four. On the other wall is a custom futon with a very neat, also custom coffee table. The futon can become a bed for one when you have guests over, but it could also fit two people at a squeeze.

The kitchen is huge, all things considered. To avoid clutter, Micah hid every appliance inside the blue cabinets, allowing the spotlight to shine on the marble-like quartz countertops, which, yes, he formed by hand. Appliances include an in-drawer microwave, a full range with oven, and a double-door fridge with two freezer drawers. There's also a large stainless steel deep sink, a "garage" for smaller appliances like toaster and coffee maker, pantry, and spice rack, integrated into the opposite kitchen block.

As you reach the middle of the container, the layout takes on a surprising twist. In order to include a full bathroom, Micah chose to split it into several areas, so you have a toilet closet right behind the pocket door that divides the home in two. He added custom pieces even here, like a gorgeous and functional toilet paper holder that doubles as charging station for your phone.

Opposite the toilet closet is a wardrobe, with an adjacent space holding a stacked washer and drier. The rest of the bathroom is actually in the bedroom, in the sense that there's no dividing wall between the two.

You have a glass-encased shower cabin on one hand and a sink with vanity on the other, but the vanity is a dresser in reality – which makes sense since you're in the bedroom. More storage is integrated into the queen-size bed, which features a very nice LED-backlit headboard inspired by Japanese culture. By the way, the name of the house hints at this inspiration, which is also obvious in the pieces of exterior trim that mimic the Shou Sugi Ban charred wood technique used in Japanese constructions.

Also in the bedroom is a standing desk under another TV set disguised as a piece of wooden art. It's a fold-out unit with adjustable height, just perfect for working from home.

Micah Woods says in the video tour below that his home integrates several innovations, from the way he set in the windows without welding to putting the plumbing and electric in the cedar ceiling for easy access and a system that allows proper ventilation throughout. The Rising Sun cost him over $60,000, but only because he used specialists for the layout and structural integrity and because he made many first-timer mistakes during the build.

The idea with this home, and his company in general, is to present units that may inspire others to build their own if they don't have the cash for the ones he does. Speaking of cash, The Rising Sun is for sale. Despite the $60,000 price tag mentioned in the video, the listing notes that the base price for such a unit is between $85,000 and $120,000 "with all associated upgrades."

If you're not inspired to build or buy, let's window shop together.