4 James Street, Castlemaine, Vic 3450

Beyond just a shipping container house, this transformed space showcases a unique and stylish living environment, blending creative design with practicality and sustainability. Louise Moysey, the designer and builder behind this project, has created a home that offers an innovative blend of modern living with sustainable features and reclaimed materials, making it a standout property. 

This one-of-a-kind home is a masterful blend of inventive design and sustainable living. Meticulously crafted using three 12-metre shipping containers, it features a striking 19-metre skillion roof that complements the industrial aesthetic of the containers while enhancing natural light and airflow. The open-plan layout emphasises the home's generous space. The central infill has a ceiling height of 3.9m, creating a light-filled and airy living environment.

The central floor plan features a spacious north-facing living with a Nectre Bakers Oven Wood Heater and a sliding door onto a mod wood deck overlooking a private courtyard. The kitchen provides a freestanding gas cooktop with an oven (bottled gas), a dishwasher, a brushed aluminium splashback, generous storage and a 3.6m x 1m Kauri timber benchtop that was once a tailors workbench, complete with cutting marks, one of many distinct reclaimed items throughout this build.

The main bedroom features a ceiling fan, private access to the main bathroom, and views of the surrounding landscape, and a second bedroom offers plywood cladding, a ceiling fan and views. A north-facing third bedroom has the benefit of a private ensuite, which includes a shower, a wall-hung basin, a toilet, and external access. 

A pull-down stair leads to a versatile loft area, perfect for storage or a cozy fourth bedroom with additional access via a wall-mounted ladder, and the main bathroom has a shower, a deep clawfoot bath, a toilet, a vanity and underfloor heating. 

Design details include sliding walls to create flexible spaces for privacy and a multi-purpose floor plan, 40mm thick polished timber floors from a reclaimed squash court, bespoke pendant lamps made from old Indian metal water pots, a skylight over the dining area for natural light, high louvres and ceiling fans to enhance the airflow in living areas and a split system. 

The home has an integrated 28-panel solar system, a large water tank that switches to mains supply when required, a heat pump and high-performance insulation, and commercial double glazing, ensuring energy efficiency and sustainability.

The generous yet manageable 1001 sqm (approx) property features a 3m south-facing covered verandah connected to the carport and a freestanding 12-metre container lap pool, complemented by an outside hot shower, perfect for those warm summer days. 

A 6-metre high cube container provides additional storage or can serve as a garden shed, and the established garden features an orchard of assorted fruit trees, a citrus grove of lemons, grapefruit, mandarin, and orange, olive trees and a fully fenced dog yard.

A scenic view from the top of the driveway towards Barker Street and the historic Post Office, the property is a short walk into Castlemaine for retail, restaurants, additional amenities and the train station. 4 James Street is a property perfect for those seeking a unique, modern living experience with sustainable and innovative design, making this a home beyond anything else.