Whiskey Bend Ranch

Whisky Bend Ranch is the site of one of the best contemporary container cabins you’ll find anywhere. The home is set just outside of Austin, Texas on a 30-acre ranchette near Lake Travis and is intended to be a weekend retreat for the owner.

The main home is made with two 40 ft containers, parallel and slightly offset from each other. It holds an open kitchen and living room filled with light, along with a bedroom and bathroom. A few features of the structure’s features stand out.

Most noticeable is the second-floor viewing deck. Built on top of the end of one of the containers, this covered deck is accessed via an external staircase and provides a great 360 view of the lake over the tree tops.

The huge main-floor deck is another great asset. Partially covered by an roof overhang, this deck is an extension of the indoor living area. It’s also a few feet above ground level and attached to a stem-wall surrounding the perimeter of the main home’s footprint.

The footprint of the main home is expanded slightly through the use of blown-out sections of the container wall. Essentially, a section of wall is cut out then moved a few feet outward, with floor, ceiling, and sides added. This gives a bit of extra width in key areas of the floor plan and is a clever way to add a few square feet where you need it.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight the outdoor bathroom area. Set just outside the indoor bathroom and adjacent to the kitchen, this space is surrounded by a screening fence and a great place for a open-air soak.

There is also a separate container building made with an additional 40 footer and used as a dog kennel and guest quarters. A little over half the container is used for the bedroom and bathroom, while the rest is dedicated for the owner’s dog rescues.

While simple and fairly small, this home has high-end finishes and touches inside and out. And the viewing deck really accents the shape of the home, giving it some vertical shape. Given that the construction of the home was highlighted on HGTV’s Container Home show, we clearly aren’t the only ones who love this container house!