Every morning, we send you a free email packed with Austin news, business, and entertainment. Join 16,000+ readers who wake up to Austonia's newsletter.

Austin business Bob's Containers flips unassuming shipping containers into fully-functional homes. (Claire Partain/Austonia)

Once set out for long voyages at sea, Del Valle business Bob's Containers is looking to cater to the intersection of Austin homebuyers' interests—from affordability to sustainability—by transforming unassuming shipping containers into fully customizable homes.

As housing costs and the tiny home movement continue to rise in the Texas capital, the company has quickly grown in popularity in its three years of business—so much so that a deluxe version of their popular "Joshua" home model is set to be featured in the upcoming Austin season of life improvement Netflix show "Queer Eye," premiering Dec. 31.

A massive deck adds space to the Queer Eye unit built by Bob's Containers. (Bob's Containers)

While Bob's Containers originally sold shipping containers as-is, the company quickly saw demand in decking out the 20- or 40- foot units with insulation and basic housing amenities Bob's spokesperson Weston Field told Austonia. Customers looking for bare-bones hunting cabins or backyard Airbnbs began asking for custom add-ons to their 160-420 square feet, and soon the company transitioned into a fully-fledged contracting business that can flip a container into a fully-customizable home.

"We just got more and more requests like, 'Hey, can you put a door in?' Can you insulate it?' and then it just kind of snowballed from there," Field said.

Homebuyers who balked at Austin's soaring home prices may find solace at Bob's—the company's simplest units go for under $30,000, while more expensive units like the "Queer Eye"-backed model or multi-container homes run for as much as $89,000.

An even bigger draw for the company is those who want to add accessory dwelling units to their backyards to make extra change with Airbnb or even increase the value of their home.

The company customizes its homes for each customer's needs. (Claire Partain/Austonia)

Much like Austin company ICON, which quickly assembles 3D-printed homes, Bob's Containers can assemble a home quickly. Field said units can be completed in two to five weeks.

And because they're built on containers made for transport, the homes can be sent anywhere worldwide—Field said that one unit is setting sail for South America, while other containers have been shipped to California, Oregon, Idaho and Canada.

For urban nomads that don't want to stay in one place, Field said the portability of container homes has become a popular solution.

"They're movable (so) you can make some passive income through that," Field said. "And say a big subdivision gets built next door, and maybe the appeal for that piece of land isn't there anymore, or you have to sell... You always have the option to get one of those trailers come out and just pick it up and take it to your new place."

Bob's is far from the first to find a lucrative movement in the unlikely world of shipping containers, but they're gaining traction fast: the young company was given the Small Business Excellence award in 2021 by the Greater Austin Chamber, and while around 70% of their customers are looking for homes, some—including Elon Musk's The Boring Company—have gotten more creative with their requests. Musk's startup recently ordered offices from the Austin company.

Meanwhile, one innovative barber has transformed a unit into a mobile barbershop, and for those looking for a one-night getaway, The Container Retreat on the Hill Country's Canyon Lake has ordered over a dozen units for vacation homes.

There can still be some drawbacks to the container home plan, including potential zoning issues, high shipping costs and the industrial look of living in a steel container. But Bob's has found some workarounds by transforming the containers with paint, wooden add-ons and rooftop decks; and even attaching wheels so that it legally registers as a "recreational vehicle."

And with sustainability a hot topic, Bob's customers can be at peace in knowing that many of their homes were made from repurposed containers that sit idly after just one use.

Austin chefs were well-represented at the James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday night as two local restaurateurs took home the coveted award—more than any other Texas city.

Chef Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo, 2717 S. Lamar Blvd., took home the title of Best Chef Texas and chef Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, 2512 E. 12th St., took home Best Emerging Chef at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Nearby, Houston’s Julep was recognized for Outstanding Bar Program as the only other Lone Star State mention. The award has often been compared to high-caliber awards like the Oscars or the Grammys of food.

De la Vega told Austonia she wasn’t expecting to win—she hadn’t even prepared a speech—she was just happy for a weekend vacation with her husband and business partner Ernesto Torrealba. De la Vega said she considers it a joint award for the two of them.

“It was a little bit shocking, emotional, a little bit of everything. When we had to move from Mexico to here, I thought at some point, you know, it has to have a meaning,” de la Vega said. “We finally came to be recognized for the love and the sharing of the traditions from Mexico that we feel very proud of.”

De la Vega said when she originally started El Naranjo in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1997, it was the “perfect place, the perfect life and the perfect everything.” After the economy collapsed, de la Vega and her family had to move to the U.S.

They bounced from New Mexico to San Antonio, when she was asked to create and lead the Latin American Studies program for the Culinary Institute of America, which she accepted. Soon after, they moved to Austin and started a food truck for their lost restaurant in Oaxaca before they were able to build a brick-and-mortar shop in 2012. The rest is history.

De la Vega said she was proud to share the stage with Rico and represent her native cuisine, she just hopes she can live up to the hype of newcomers.

Rico echoed de la Vega’s pride in his emotional acceptance speech, mentioning it's huge for "La Raza," which directly translates to "the race."

“Honest to god I did not expect to win this award tonight, but it’s been a trial to get here,” Rico said. “This is huge for La Raza, this is huge for my people. For all the taqueros, anything is possible.”

Saharan dust is coming to Central Texas this summer. (NASA Earth Observatory/Flickr)

Dust from the Saharan Air Layer took a trip over the Atlantic Ocean and into Austin's skies Tuesday, causing a hazy sunset and air quality that was labeled "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" by the National Weather Service.

The African desert's dust takes a trip across the Atlantic every three to five days in late spring, summer and early fall and tends to hit Central Texas most from mid-June to late August.

Other than creating vivid sunsets, the dry Saharan air can make the sky appear milky white at midday. Just one dust cloud can be as large as the United States—and each cloud can help prevent tropical cyclones from occurring in the humid ocean air.

Those who are most sensitive to changes in air quality—including the elderly, young children and those with respiratory conditions—should limit their time outside as dust levels peak in the Austin skies Thursday.

And while the dust can cause a sore throat or itchy eyes, Saharan dust is an irritant that cannot be alleviated with allergy medications.