Tiny Living gifted Sally Lushin with a bigger perspective on life.
Lushin boldly describes herself as a rape survivor and recalls how she lived like a prisoner in her own home after a violent home invasion 33 years ago. The outspoken public speaker, writer, and attorney who struggled to rebuild her life moved from Indiana to Nevada last year to start over.
“I finally feel in a place where I don’t have to talk about it anymore,” said Lushin. “My tiny home brought me to this place. It’s priceless to me because I don’t live in the fear I was. “
She is now campaigning for a smaller livelihood so that she thinks the world can get bigger.
“I’m looking forward to a tiny life,” said Lushin, who called her little home SS Freedom. “I plan to explain the benefits of a tiny life to everyone, especially if you are a trauma survivor.”
Lushin bought a 20-foot small home last November from Alternative Living Spaces, a Las Vegas-based company that specializes in converting shipping containers into usable spaces.
When she found the company via an online search, she was able to purchase a unit that was already in production.
Tiny container houses have become increasingly popular since the mid-2000s, when designers began using the units for other purposes. The container living trend has brought benefits for home owners, including lower monthly bills and clutter, while living environmentally friendly.
The smaller footprint means no compromise on style.
Container tiny homes offer smart design, eye-catching amenities, and luxurious finishes like hardwood floors, custom woodwork, beamed ceilings, granite countertops, and custom furniture.
“We saw a lot of interest in it,” said Tony Lopez, CEO and founder of Alternative Living Spaces. “It was cool to see people open up to smaller lives.”
Lushin’s 160-square-foot small container house has 9-foot ceilings, wood laminate floors, butcher’s block counters, custom-made cabinets, and a couch that pulls down into a large Murphy bed with drawers underneath. As part of customizing the space, she had a large wardrobe built to her specifications to provide additional storage space.
“I actually designed the wardrobe,” said Lushin. “I put the washer / dryer combo in the closet so that it takes up half the space.”
The kitchen has a large refrigerator, deep sink, convection microwave, and a two-burner hob. Your full bath has a walk-in shower, sink, toilet and storage room. The spacious sliding glass door entrance and several windows provide plenty of natural light in your room.
As part of the exterior of the home, she chose a full size rooftop deck and raised porch.
“You get on the upper deck and see the most beautiful sunrise and sunset you have ever seen,” said Lushin. “I can’t wait to sleep up there under the stars.”
Lushin’s house is certified for recreational vehicles, which means it is on a flatbed trailer. The trailer is rimmed to make the curbside more attractive.
Another option for container houses is an unapproved model that is placed directly on the floor.
The versatility of containers gives the freedom to create other unique spaces such as container offices, gyms, casitas and swimming pools. It also offers different layout options by combining, stacking and configuring the containers in different ways.
Last year, the shutdown inspired Las Vegas residents Laura and Chris Claire to find an alternative to their gym membership. Laura Claire discovered shipping container gyms on Pinterest.
“I searched for ‘workout casitas’ online and saw many made from shipping containers,” said Laura Claire. “It got me thinking because I liked the look. I also liked all of the options that could be added. “
The couple decided to combine two 20-foot units from Alternative Living to create the 320 square feet of space required for their equipment needs. The couple installed the container gym in the backyard of their home in northwest Vegas, which is more than two-thirds of an acre.
“We wanted something that was more boxy than long and narrow,” said Laura Claire. “And this design is just the ticket.”
When training for triathlons, the couple installed a NordicTrack treadmill, a Kinetic bike trainer, a NordicTrack rowing machine and a Body Solid strength machine.
“We use the gym at least six days a week,” said Laura Claire. “Since it’s in our back yard, there’s really no excuse not to do it.”
Extensive sliding glass doors on three sides of the container ensure a sufficient flow of air. A waterproof plank vinyl floor and painted drywall give the room a polished look. Multiple power outlets, recessed lighting, and a mini split HVAC unit provide convenience and convenience. The container unit has an outer deck on one side.
In addition to residential options, commercial applications include coffee shops, sales centers, pop-up retail centers, boutique hotels, information booths and additional storage.
According to Lopez, the cost of his tiny homes ranges from $ 39,995 to $ 54,995. Those made into gyms cost about $ 17,995.
The recent shortage of shipping containers has impacted his business, he said.
“We saw that our container prices in the California port of Long Beach rose by 50 to 60 percent. Not only have prices increased, but getting containers can be a big challenge. Especially if you are looking for new containers that we only use. “
“The majority of people buy containers to use as Airbnb rentals,” Lopez said. “Investors are interested in highlighting the entity and being different. We had a lot of fun customizing these tiny houses. “
Lopez shared how he designed a tiny container house for an investor who was originally based in an inner-city community called Private Residential developed by the late Tony Hsieh. Private Residential is a collection of tiny houses, airflows, and micro-apartments.
“It was later relocated to Joshua Tree National Park as an Airbnb rental,” Lopez said. “We used high-gloss bronze car paint and really fun interiors.”
The modern design of the 20-foot container is characterized by an eye-catching black tile ceiling, white shiplap interior walls, a tile back wall in the living room and exposed copper pipes for the shower, vanity and kitchen sink. The bathroom has a hidden entrance with shelves and octagonal tile shower surround.
Lopez started Alternative Living Spaces in 2017 after spending nine months renovating a 20-foot shipping container that was purchased in a Craigslist ad.
Its first unit had a modern, industrial feel and had double 8½-foot wide glass front doors that opened 180 degrees. On just 165 square meters, the house offered plenty of light outdoors through its 11 windows. Lopez completed the unit with nifty rustic finishes like a wood beam ceiling, a barn door, a raised wooden bar with seating, and a converted 1930s dresser.
Lopez created a YouTube video to sell the renovated tiny container house that went viral and got over 2 million views. The attention gave Lopez the traction he needed to start his business.
“We started getting leads,” said Lopez. “I started the business from there.”
Lopez believes tiny container houses will continue to grow in popularity, especially after they closed last year. He hopes to develop a tiny container housing community as an affordable alternative to living.
“One of the reasons I got into business was to make a difference with affordable housing,” said Lopez. “We’re interested in giving people an option that is comfortable and affordable in Vegas. I think that would be great. “
