This week on our Home Life Series, we step inside a repurposed shipping container that’s rewriting the rules of sustainable design. Tamsin O’Neill, editor of Green Magazine and Walkers Journal alongside her husband Tom Bodycomb, has created a striking off-grid haven nestled in the woodlands of Aireys Inlet, Victoria.
Their home is a masterclass in small-scale, eco-conscious living where thoughtful design meets natural beauty, and every detail has purpose. From rotating fireplaces to cork-clad walls and sun-powered living, it’s a space that reflects decades of dedication to environmental design and slow, intentional living.
If you’ve ever dreamed of ditching the city and building something simple, sustainable and seriously stylish, this one’s for you.
Hi Tamsin, thank you so much for welcoming us into your Sustainable Shipping Container Home by the coast. For those who may not be familiar, can you please share with us a little about you and who lives here with you?
I am the editor of green magazine an architecture magazine devoted to sustainability. I am also the editor of Walkers Journal. I live here with my husband Tom Bodycomb who is the publisher of both magazines. Our adult children Roma and Sammy also spend a lot of time here.
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Your home in Aireys Inlet is not just beautiful—it’s a blueprint for sustainable living. Can you tell us how you discovered the block of land and what made you fall in love with it?
We found this beautiful hectare of open woodland in late 2021 and immediately fell in love with it. The undulating and open nature of the land was perfect as a site for a small home that could face north-west and take in the large ironbarks and stringybarks. The understory of grasses and wildflowers was also very special.
Your shipping container home is a masterclass in design, thoughtful living and an eclectic mix of textures and finishes. What were the non-negotiables for you when designing the house, and what design changes did you make along the way to bring your vision to life?
We were pretty determined to build as small as possible but also include spaces that could adapt to accommodate family and friends. Everything has a place and at 115sq metres it is the perfect size.
We were originally looking at cladding the walls in ply but towards the end of the design process decided a softer and more natural option of using cork for the walls and ceiling could work. We love it. The acoustics, thermal qualities and durability of cork make it a great choice. Plus it’s beautiful and dark which means that your eye is drawn outside it to the views.
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From Fine Art to architectural photography to founding Green Magazine, your career has always intertwined creativity and sustainability. How has your design thinking evolved alongside your professional journey?
I’m interested in Australian architecture that’s small in scale and that has a uniquely local aesthetic. I’m increasingly of the opinion that we need to adapt what we have rather than build new when possible.
You and Tom have lived and breathed sustainable design for decades. What does 'home' mean to you now, and how has this project changed the way you live day to day?
We live really simply here. We grow a lot of food and eat fresh seafood we catch and are lucky enough to have an electric car that is charged via the sun.
Our work/life balance is better because the ocean is down the road and we are very much drawn to it for surfing, walking and swimming right through the year. But also Melbourne is not far away to visit for events and meetings.
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You’ve spent years sharing others’ stories through Green Magazine. What has it been like to flip the script and create your own dream home, and what words of wisdom or advice would you give someone starting their own sustainable living journey?
It is fulfilling but it does require a lot of research of products and material choices. The key message is keeping the size modest. For us the offsite prebuilt container home option really worked as it minimised the impact on the sensitive site with a rural conservation overlay, plus mitigated time to build overruns.
Orientation is very important. We spent 12 months during the planning process ensuring we had the orientation correct for all seasons. There is very good solar gain during the winter months. And cross flow ventilation is the key for summer to allow natural cooling sea breeze to flow through.
In the current climate we’re living in, why does Green Magazine remain such an important and relevant publication?
Green Magazine has a growing audience who are either planning a new project or renovation or are simply passionate about good design with considered choices of materials.
The environmentally friendly designs featured in the magazine inherently are comfortable to live in and have minimised energy requirements for heating and cooling.
Additionally, at greenmagazine.com.au the publication creates engaging and informative digital content including videos and articles on the latest product news and events.
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We love the rotating fireplace and bookshelf around it - what was the inspiration behind this?
We deliberately have not installed a reverse cycle heating and cooling system and wanted to enjoy heat from a wood stove. The key for us in the choice of the Stûv 30 Compact fireplace is its low particle emissions in operation.
Plus being able to rotate it to face the dining room or living room is a real benefit. We wanted to divide the open plan between the dining/kitchen area and the living room and thus we designed a powder coated folded steel bookshelf which was fabricated by Sonic Steel who built the container home.
The inspiration for the shelving was from alterations at Drift House designed by architecture practice Multiplicity.
Seaside Stripe Organic Cotton Pillowcases
Kalaya Ngura Organic Cotton Quilt Cover
