Shipping Container – House tour

I’ve always wanted to feel the space and experience the excitement of living in a shipping container home. After a quick search on Google, I wanted to find out more about the shipping container home that was being built in Atlanta. I called a number I found online and spoke to a very friendly voice at the other end. George Runkle from Runkle Consulting was the structural engineer of the container home and I was thrilled when I learned I could tour the home when it was completed and safe to visit. A couple of months later, I called George later and asked ” Are we there yet?”.

I skillfully entered the address in my GPS and drove one Sunday morning to meet the team, George and owner Glen just outside the 2 shipping container homes that stood majestically beside each other on 442 Gartell Rd.  Glen was busy mowing the lawn, and getting the home ready for “Modern Atlanta home tour”. This was a big week for Glen and there was lots to be done around the home.

 I was lucky to be there, getting a tour from the owner and the structural engineer himself!!! I carefully tread inside the foyer of the container home and felt the space around me. I didn’t feel one bit, I was in a shipping container, the air was cool and natural light flowed into each space from the carefully designed storefront windows. The entire home consisted of a set of 6 containers , 2 stacked beside each other with a total of 3 levels on a raised basement that could easily accommodate 2 cars. The home was insulated with spray foam insulation and the air inside felt perfect. Glen explained the home had a ”reversed plan” with living quarters on the first floor and the kitchen on the  upper floor. Glen decided to have the Kitchen and the hangout space on the uppermost level to take advantage of the view Atlanta could best offer.

Meet Glen Owner/ General Contractor of both the container homes preparing for the Modern Atlanta home tour

A paper lantern in the stairway/ foyer

A view from the master bedroom - see additional structural bracing on the right hand side

The master bathroom with sleek fixtures and double vanity

The million dollar view from the uppermost floor - kitchen and social living

The kitchen, I just love the backsplash and the sleek modern look of the space

Some details of the home:

Roofing material –  EPDM (Rubber Membrane)

Insulation – Exterior walls furred with steel studs, with blown in insulation  in between the studs

HVAC – Units are installed on the second floor and the duct work  was exposed.

Windows and doors – Store front windows and doors.

Stairs – Metal scissor type units.

Source: Runkle Consulting

Now that is something!!!

Strategically designed bathroom, I love every bit of the space.

The other container home, a view from the uppermost balcony.

See this home on Move Modern after it was ready for the Atlanta Modern Home tour. The home is currently listed for 425,000. Interested?

Walking out, I thanked Glen for  giving me a tour oh his home and had a lengthy chat with George and Kushka of KK Construction regarding another container project. This time it is a restaurant being built from containers on an old gas station site. I will be visiting with the team again very shortly and learning more about the project from the Architect – Dietrich and associates, Kushka – Owner/General contractor and George - Structural Engineer.

Lighting from the Past, for the Present…RejuviNation

Isn’t this amazing?, with so much news about green buildings, sustainability, infill’s and adaptive re-use, Rejuvination has struck the Iron while its hot, Actually struck it a while back!!

Yes, the OLD is today’s NEW

What do they do? Rejuvination is a company based out of Portland that has been collecting antiques in general for many years, 1977 to be precise. The man behind the magic is Jim Kelly who opened an Architectural Salvage with $1000 in his pocket. He worked and rebuild vintage light fixtures among the cast off’s when business was slow.

The First Store - Restored by Jim and his girlfriend

Today, Rejuvenation is America’s largest manufacturer and leading direct marketer of authentic reproduction lighting and house parts. Rejuvenation products are made-to-order and sold through the company’s catalogue, website, and retail stores in Portland, Ore. and Seattle, Wash. (Source: Rejuvination)

FROM THE INDUSTRIAL COLLECTION – My favorite

The Menlo lighting as shown in the picture below is a look-alike of the fixtures that were common in the Industrial and Utilitarian setting. The Menlo is popularly known as the  ‘cluster’ fixture known to have a mirrored shade to reflect as much lighting needed for a space with less energy spent.

Menlo, The Big Picture - Rejuvination

Totally love this fixture, reminds me of an old tea house, with slow-moving noisy ceiling fans above, the smell of tobacco and an opera from a rickety radio…How about a chic coffee shop, mocha walls, smell of lemon cake and the blues playing in the back ground?…See it fits in both settings, I Love it!!

These industrial gas-style wall brackets bring unadorned, well-designed form and a sense of purpose to any room they're in. Damp-rated and durable, the Ironside is bold enough to light stable stalls and commercial spaces, yet subtle enough to add grace to a living or dining room. Gas fixtures originally, now fully electrified, the lights these are based on were manufactured by a New York company called Colt - Rejuvination

The Wiley, (shown first in the post) is another amazing fixture, which I would love to use in a Country Kitchen above a Breakfast bar, three in a row, I like my Eggs scrambled please..Ahem!

Hood - 'Fixture of the Year',This period basic fixture is a great way to make a bold, yet simple statement - Rejuvination

Since this week started out with products from Companies I was tempted to write about Rejuvination and their conscience design.They restore other types of House parts too like door knobs, window treatments, hinges etc. Check them out!

Colors of 2011

 

The color for 2011 is Honey Suckle, a hot pink hue - The Energizing  color lift spirits and imparts confidence with life ongoing challenges – Pantone,  Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of color across a variety of industries.

What does this mean to you? You will see these colors dominating the  fashion, furnishings and the interior industry.

What do you think of the color? I think it is a vibrant color, spirit lifting hue that has that spicy tint of orange to it. I also added a hot orange swatch to the collage, bottom left of the swatch. The color is found in the flower called honeysuckle, top left of the swatch. Will have to wait and see how the designers get creative using  this color. Most people may claim it as a very  feminine hue, it sure does look like it but wait till you see some guys sporting it. I can imagine hot pink stilettos, accessories, accent chairs maybe, a tie, scarfs,wallpaper (This is interesting) etc…This color is now going to be stuck in my head, like a catchy song and I will keep looking out and post  pictures as I discover them while shopping, blog browsing and designing for 2011. Watch out!.

While it is easy to imagine this color in Fashion, I put together images that will make it easy for you to visualize it in environments other than the fashion industry, 

Courtesy- Suzan kasler

Urbanmotifs LLC

I am returning after a year to write a post.  Life has changed in many ways for me. “..for the better..” I always tell myself. Apart from being stuck in the whirlpool of no jobs, bad economy. I managed to travel the road of re-discovering the “ME” again. 

The idea to start something on my own has been a dream since a long time.  I just never took that first step. Finally, Urbanmotifs LLC was registered a week back and I am eagerly awaiting confirmation. I am excited as well as nervous to embark on this new journey of ownership and the challenges that come along with it. Here is a LOGO I designed for the company.

LOGO for Urbanmotifs LLC

I am working on a  couple of  ‘favor’ projects, and I will add pictures of my work as I travel down this major project/challenge in my life.  I am currently working on the design boards for this project and can hardly wait to have all the details  and pictures to make an independent blog entry.