This tiny home built from an old shipping container brings modern design to an elusive forest environment!

Ela is a shipping container turned tiny home located in a forested clearing somewhere in the small, picturesque town of Walnut Creek, Ohio.

As suspected, winter is coming and so is the wanderlust. As we consider holiday travel plans, we’ll inevitably end up scrolling through all of the log cabins and tiny homes on Airbnb to find our ideal snowbird’s nest. Today, disused shipping containers, recycled paper, and AI technology are transforming picturesque winter escapes into tiny homes located everywhere from the coast to the forest. In the small town of Walnut Creek, Ohio, a tiny home called Ela built from an old shipping container sits amongst the trees to offer one such escape.

Ela, a tiny home currently available for booking on Airbnb, is one of two shipping containers turned cabins designed by Bethany Hershberger that sits in the forested clearing of Walnut Creek, Ohio. Arriving at the tiny home, guests descend a long timber staircase that brings them to the forest floor where Ela is located. Situated on a slight incline, Ela emerges from the trees on an exposed wooden foundation that carries the shipping container and outdoor leisure area. Accessible via a folding loft step ladder, the outdoor living area features a lounging area with plenty of chairs, a natural gas fire pit, an outdoor shower, and a tub. From the shower to the deck chairs, Ela finds warmth in natural wooden accents and textured glass elements to create a private, yet intimate leisure area.

Just next door, the interior of Ela features cozy, dark interior design elements that range from unstained, smooth wooden drawers to ash gray stone tilework. Accommodating up to two adults, Ela could be considered more of a romantic getaway than a tiny home. Positioned on one end of the cabin, the bed faces the shipping container’s opposite end that opens up to the surrounding forest through a fully glazed window that spans from the cabin’s floor to its ceiling.

Designer: Dwellbox x Bethany Hershberger