When Lulu and her daughter needed somewhere to live, the answer for Lulu wasn’t to rent an apartment or buy a new house, like anyone else might. No, Lulu decided she would build a home for her and her daughter that was cost effective and secluded, somewhere where they could live safe, happy lives connected with nature. Those qualifications led Lulu to build her small family a home from a shipping container – and that’s not a play on words, the two actually live in a shipping container.

The container was free for Lulu to take; it had been transporting goods to and from China, and it had been at sea for some time. But now, the container needed a home. And as it just so happens, so did Lulu and her daughter.

We know what you might be thinking about the whole situation. Is it safe for a child to live in a shipping container? What kind of a life could they possibly lead with a home like that? Well, it may not be a conventional one, but Lulu and her daughter love their unique home and non-traditional lifestyle.

Truly, the container has become a bohemian oasis for the two of them.

Although Lulu has little to no building experience, she still created the entire home herself, and on a budget, too. Lulu spent one month and $4,000 installing windows, insulation, and a functioning kitchen, which includes a water heater and camping stove. There’s also minimal plumbing for the kitchen sink.

“When you don’t have money, you just get creative,” Lulu told Fair Companies.

Lulu found practically everything she needed to build the home out of recycled materials, most of which she found at a local junkyard. Everything from the floorboards to the cabinets is pre-used, but still in great working condition. The small family has a bathtub, toilet, sinks, and a makeshift playroom, which is mainly composed of the daughter’s trapeze.

The shipping container only offered 160 square feet, and Lulu eventually decided she and her daughter needed a sleeping area separate from the living room, playroom, and kitchen area in the container. The solution was building a small shed on a flatbed trailer. Inside are two lovely bunk beds, surrounded by windows that let the mother-daughter duo gaze at the stars and really connect with the world.

They certainly have a beautiful view; the grassy California plains around them are absolutely spectacular. There doesn’t seem to be another house or sign of civilization for miles, which can be scary for some and liberating for others.

Lulu’s daughter is hot and cold about her small, lofted bedroom and the entire unconventional living situation; sometimes she’ll be proud of her unique house, and other times she’ll complain and wonder why they’re living that way. This is a question which Lulu perfectly knows the answer to.

“This was really a choice about how many hours do we have to our life, and how do I want to spend those hours? Really, do I want to go work 10, 20, 30 hours a week to have a big house, pay rent, and be a healthy normal mom? We have spent way more hours [together] than we would if I had to pay rent.”

Having growing up in the countryside of Argentina, Lulu loves her non-traditional lifestyle. And she’s not done expanding their private sanctuary! Lulu is building a third room and a lovely greenhouse to connect the bathroom to the other rooms.

This one-of-a-kind woman is defying conventional living and parenting with this brilliant tiny house – or multiple tiny houses, we should say!

What do you think of Lulu’s living situation? Share your thoughts on her alternative lifestyle and unique container home in the comments section below.