This Family’s Rest House is Made Out of Container Vans

How would you describe your dream vacation house? Is it by the sea or in a serene, secluded location? How many rooms are there? For Maria Victoria Evangelista, her family’s charming rest house in Davao City showcases the wonders of recycling as it started out as two unused container vans left empty inside the factory of her skincare business.

“I bought them from the container yard in Davao. It was intended to be used as a bodega for our packaging materials imported from China, but since the pandemic, we haven’t been importing anything abroad so it’s been empty since,” she shares in an interview with SmartParenting.com.ph.

How to transform container vans into a beautiful home

Working with container vans and turning it into livable spaces isn’t new — with many homeowners falling in love with the idea of transforming a steel “box” into an inviting space.

Armed with a passion for making anything beautiful, Victoria thought of building a rest house where she and her family can enjoy quick vacations. As a businesswoman and CEO of plant-based skincare and restaurant businesses, she’s a major advocate of recycling and reducing energy consumption.

“In completing this project, I tried to use less resources as much as possible to show people that anything can be made beautiful again with love, care, and a little DIY. I learned that nothing is ever too rotten nor too old to be given new life,” she explains.

From the outside, you can’t instantly tell that the house is made out of container vans because of how polished it is. To come up with a design, Victoria turned to their family friend and contractor, Gamaliel Berdin.

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Since Victoria also tapped local carpenters and workers to execute the design, the entire construction process took three months to finish as she had to touch them how to execute the design properly. “I like supporting local by hiring local workers. I just have to supervise them closely,” she shares.

See more of the family’s creative rest house below:

Victoria decided to work with two container vans to achieve a more spacious rest house.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

One of the challenges of working with container vans is making sure it’s well-insulated and properly ventilated. According to Victoria, they haven’t experienced problems with the heating or cooling as they made sure it’s well-ventilated.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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The rest house is found inside the family’s skincare factory premises. Surrounded by trees, the house serves as Victoria’s family’s weekend getaway.

“We go here every Sunday, make lunch, water the plants, and just enjoy the company of family,” Victoria says.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

When the family isn’t using the rest house, she allows officers from her company to use the space. “I promised one of our research and development heads a comfortable space he can stay in,” she says.

Victoria decided on the direction of the home’s interiors with most of her inspiration coming from Pinterest.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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“I didn’t spend a lot because most of the furniture and lighting pieces came from either the junk shop or the Japanese Surplus store,” Victoria admits. The couch in this photo came from the family’s home which they had for years.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

The painted wall accents in bold colors add a cheerful vibe to the home.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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The wall-mounted shelves came from their old house. To complete this corner, she got frame for Php200 and a mirror for Php100 from a surplus shop.

Victoria is really big on recycling and reusing things.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

Notice the towel rack? It’s made from excess metal from construction and wood from a fallen tree.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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The patio is Victoria’s favorite area in the house. Aside from installing swings, they also lay mats here so her grandchild can play when they visit.

If she and her family prefer al fresco dining, they can make it happen by setting up a table and some chairs on the patio.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

The house has a working outdoor kitchen where meals are prepared. It also has a bench seating placed near the countertop for quick meals outdoors.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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The simple yet welcoming balcony is furnished with 10-year-old comfy seating pieces and an interesting lighting piece made from wood. It’s the best space to admire the view of the outdoors.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

This cactus mural was done by one of the oldest painters in Davao, Nong Loloy. Victoria made sure the home showcases the creativity of local artists as well.

Victoria shared that she got this jacuzzi from a junk shop! “It’s an old an architect friend had but couldn’t use so we just decided to ‘adopt’ it,” she muses.
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

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At night, the house glows!
PHOTO BY Courtesy of Maria Victoria Evangelista

Between a compact container home and a normal house, the mom of two said that at her age, she would choose the tiny house. “Everything I need that is essential is there. I don’t need too much stuff — just a breathable space and good company,” she shares.

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