Tivoli Container House

Just a stone’s throw from the village of Tivoli and the magnificent Hudson River, this artistic container home impresses with its style and execution. The home is sometimes referred to as the Cornillon Shipping Container House after it’s previous owner and builder, artist Arnaud Cornillon.

A nine acre expanse of field and forest is the setting for the home, with hundreds of acres more just down the street at the Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area. So, while you’re secluded in nature, you’re just a short trip from cultural opportunities like restaurants, art installations, and Bard College, 

The design of this home is a hybrid arrangement, with a central living area built on a concrete slab that is surrounded by a total of seven containers. On the ground floor there are two 40 foot containers and one 20 foot container, one of which fully contains the kitchen while another juts out as a covered indoor/outdoor dining area. 

There’s also an entrance, guest half-bathroom, and other smaller spaces. More interesting is the porch with livestock trough turned pool, plus a relaxing garden with seating.

The previously mentioned central living area connects the various ground floor spaces together. Here, you’ve got massive sliding glass windows on both sides plus skylights above letting light cascade throughout the space.

As you ascend the staircase with huge wooden timbers for treads, you enter the narrow double-height portion of the home between two of the four second-floor containers. This area let’s see you down into the living room from the stair landing while providing a light passage.

At this level you’ll find all of the home’s three bedrooms, each with porch features and incredible views of the property. Plus there are two full bathrooms on the second floor as well.

Taken as a whole, the home clearly has the touch of an artistic designer. Features push out from the home’s envelope in all directions like arms reaching for the trees. This container home refuses to stay in a plain rectangular form and seemingly bursts with energy, color, and light.

One of our favorite features is the indoor/outdoor patio dining area. This container has two side cutouts plus an open end, so you’ll get great breezes and views in all directions yet are completely shielded from the weather. And the beautiful back porch is just a step or two away.

The home is very livable too, with radiant heating embedded in the polished cement floors of the ground level, and ceiling fans throughout that push air from the various window openings. The livability is perhaps why this home was a fixture on Airbnb, delighting numerous guests to the Hudson Valley area.

However, the original owners eventually were ready to move onto other projects, and put the home for sale in 2019. It sold for $735,000 on October 31st, 2019, and the new owners no longer provide the home as a short term rental. 

Still, the home is an inspiration to container home fans around the world. And perhaps one day, it will once again open it’s doors to visitors who hope to see the unique construction in person.