The concept of getting ‘off the grid’ revolves around surrounding yourself with the tangible — things that actually matter. It’s all about saying ‘no, thank you’ to the everyday trappings of modern society in favour of finding meaning by getting away. Away, in this context, means far from the nearest Starbucks, from flat-pack furnished and heavily inflated rental shoeboxes, from full-to-the-brim ramshackle trains full of doom-scrollers cruising into the city. It means transporting yourself to a world where nature is your only neighbour.
Out there, life has a whole different meaning. It’s just you, nature, and whatever you brought with you. But this type of existence doesn’t need to be full of concessions — there’s no need to live like a hermit. It’s a life of freedom, cutting the umbilical cord of modernity, and diving headfirst into a new way to be.
However, if you’ve decided you want to get out there and brave the wilds of self-sufficiency, you’re going to need somewhere to park your behind, rest your head, or put a dent in that book collecting dust on your shelf. You’re going to need some furniture of your own — and not tired reminders of your parents’ suburban wonderland or your old grotty uni bedroom. Where you’re going, the last thing you’ll want is cheap manufactured shlock.
Together with our furniture partner, LOFT, let’s dive deep into the world of off grid furniture — one where each item should have a purpose and everything is sure to, over time, play a part in developing a story worthy of spinning a yarn in the smoky corner of any pub on the planet.
Our Top Off Grid Furniture Ideas For You
So, what should you be looking for when it comes to off grid furniture? You’ll want to get your hands on furniture with character — pieces designed to be trustworthy companions in your new life. Think materials that can handle the storms of life, multi-functional pieces that maximise space and utility, and furniture built to reflect your sustainable, eco-friendly values.
When you’re thinking about off grid furniture, try to forget absolutely everything you know about the bland and mass-produced pieces filling up showrooms and catalogues across the country. We’re not talking about sanitised sofas or desks that rolled off the production line yesterday.
Sourcing your very own off grid furniture isn’t about following the latest fads or trends; it’s about finding pieces that will stand up to the elements, last longer than a reality star’s relationship, and will not only survive a few scrapes but tell a tale with each scratch, ding, or splinter.
Whether it’s the rugged and charming facade of reclaimed wood, or the future-proof ingenuity of distinct steel-framed designs, every off grid furniture choice you make will tell the entire world that you’re somebody who’s serious when it comes to sustainability, style, and survival. Read on to find out more:
Reclaimed Wood Furniture: Timber With a History
If you’re wanting to deck out your new off grid digs, maybe consider forgetting shiny, new woods that haven’t seen any dust, let alone the ‘action’ of life. Reclaimed wood is where it’s at. This is wood that’s lived a life before you came along; been around the block, and seen things you could only imagine. It’s got stories that will permeate up through every knot, grain, and indent.
Think wood recovered from old barns, demolished buildings, or boats. Material that’s been rescued from the precipice of oblivion and saved from rot and ruin, ready to live a new life as your dining table, chair, shelves, and part of your bed frame.
Not only is reclaimed wood furniture sustainable, as it contributes to the reduction in commercial deforestation, but each item will bring with it a unique and rugged charm to your new home.
Pallet Furniture: A Working-Class Hero
Think of pallet furniture like that friend that’s always on-hand and ready to show up if you’re in a crisis. It’s dependable, if a bit rough around the edges. These adaptable life-hacks are everywhere, often free to a good home if you know who to ask.
Pallets can be great for beds, sofas, coffee tables, whatever you need in a pinch. A pallet can be sanded, stained, and even shaped into something bespoke to you and your tastes — making flat-pack stuff seem as empty and devoid of character as it often is.
However, if you want to make sure your new (old) pallets meet the eco requirements of the lifestyle, make sure they’re legit and aren’t drenched in any toxic stains from the 90s. Natural pallets are worth their weight in gold.
Light Colours: Expand Your Area With Ease
The last thing you’ll want is to uproot your life for a space that ends up feeling cramped, dark, and dingy. Lighter-coloured furniture can act as your secret weapon to keeping things more airy and open.
Off-grid living is often about prioritising natural lighting as much as possible, and brighter furniture can play into this concept by helping reflect this light, giving your area a more expansive, natural feeling.
Think of it like making your brain think of your new container home like it’s a vast, sun-drenched penthouse in London — minus the ‘so high it makes you faint’ rent, of course.
Consider Furniture Weight: Find Pieces to Suit Your Needs
When it comes to off grid furniture, there are two schools of thought; one being lightweight and therefore manoeuvrable items, and the other being heavier ones built to last. Each has specific benefits, so it’s entirely dependent on your wants and needs when determining which is best for you.
While most people will consider wood the ultimate in eco-chic, let us throw you a curveball: steel. That’s right, the exact same stuff holding up our skyscrapers, can also help to hold up your cuppa. Steel framed furniture is infinitely recyclable, unimaginably sturdy, and pretty much indestructible. Furniture with a steel frame is sure to last as long as you might have need for it — making a steel framed chair with some reclaimed wood or leather perfect for saying you live off the grid and care about the planet — but you do it in style.
On the flip-side, lightweight furniture can be a cheat-code. You might not want to be lugging heavy, cumbersome pieces around with you. This is especially true if you plan to move about a lot or own a space on the cosier side. Lightweight furnishings are easier to handle and manoeuvre, making them much more adaptable and functional.
Multi-Functional Furniture: The Swiss Army Knife of Home Decor
When you’re off-grid, space can be at a premium; hell, it can feel like a battlefield at times. Fortunately, there’s something for you that can turn your tiny home into the penthouse suite of your wildest dreams — multifunctional furniture.
Think of a sofa that can store all sorts of bits and bobs, knicknacks, and bric-a-brac, or a table that folds up and down like a drawbridge of your very own minimalist castle — making it perfect, no matter what you have in mind. Multi-use, multi-functional furniture is not only a money-saver, it’s also a space-saver, perfect for a cosy nook where every square inch has to count. Why waste your time on a flimsy, one-trick pony of a chair when you can have one that you can put your worldly treasures inside?
Vintage and Repurposed Furniture: Stories Upon Stories
The best kind of furniture isn’t always the fresh out of the box stuff, and not every item in your home needs to be clean-cut or factory fresh;. Items with a bit of a past can bring their own unique character. These pieces have been loved and lived in equal measure. Charity shops, vintage sales, auctions, your auntie’s garage; these are your hunting grounds.
In the world of vintage and repurposed furnishings, you never know what you might find. If a cabinet looks like it’s been through a war, it very well might have — and all it would need is a small bit of TLC to transform it. Breathing new life into old items can save you money, and also improve your relationship with the planet.
Disassemble and Repair: Think For The Future
Here’s a tip straight from the LOFT playbook: when looking to live off grid, you might want to consider investing in some furniture that can be disassembled and repaired, rather than discarded to the scrap heap. Go for pieces that allow you to replace a part, instead of the whole shebang. This is an ethos LOFT lives for — thinking of the entire lifecycle of a piece of furniture, from cradle to grave. It’s like playing chess with furniture; you always want to be prepared, three steps ahead, ready for any eventuality.
How to Avoid Greenwashing When Buying off Grid Furniture
Let’s get something straight: there are an awful lot of people out there who want to sell you the dream of being green, without ever actually being green in the first place. It’s called greenwashing, and it’s vital that you don’t fall for it.
Greenwashing is an epidemic in modern marketing, taking advantage of the rising demand for environmentally-friendly goods and services. The term refers to the act of making false or potentially misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a firm’s products or operation practices. It can be an excellent way for businesses to game the system and profit from well-intentioned sustainable-conscious consumers, without ever making a concerted effort to change their ways.
Knowing how to avoid greenwashing will require you to do your own research, ask questions, and check more than just the label. That eco-friendly chair you saw advertised might not be made out of sustainable wood after all, or maybe it wasn’t built where it claims — this is the legacy of dishonest marketing teams looking to pull the wool over your eyes.
LOFT talks a big game when it comes to the environment, and they back this up with actual initiatives, such as LOFT Renewal, where they recycle or donate old furniture on the client’s behalf — unlike the many ‘sustainable’ brands out there that will just slap a green leaf and a planet with a face on their website and call it a day.
Off Grid Furniture Inspiration From LOFT Furnishings
Now, if you’re looking for some inspiration straight from the experts, LOFT has some ideal examples of furniture that’s perfectly suited for the off grid, sustainable ethos. Take the Shari Premium Divan Bed for instance. Not only is it of supreme quality, it’s also highly durable, and possesses built-in storage — making it perfect for tucking away any of those items you know you’ll need someday. It’s smart, functional, and ideal for off grid living, where every centimetre matters.
Next up, there’s the Sancho Sofa Bed. This dual-purpose dream acts as a comfy sofa by day and…well, comfy bed by night — perfect for anybody looking to maximise their space without needing to sacrifice style or comfort. Additionally, its minimalist design promises not to overwhelm your space, making it an ideal choice to make your off grid structure a home.
Finally, there’s the highly stylish Vasto Desk. Not only does this multi-functional piece look great in a room, it’s also lightweight and useful for a variety of potential purposes. Whether you’re wanting to work remotely, launch your at-home business empire, or just need a spot to soak in the atmosphere with a morning coffee, this desk offers versatility without the bulk. It also comes with built in storage solutions and can be folded away to further ensure you’re getting the very most out of your space.
Start Your New Life Today
Living off the grid isn’t a trend — it’s a commitment to a lifestyle of independence, sustainability, and freedom. It’s about reclaiming control over how you live, where you live, and the impact you have on the world around you. And the foundation of that lifestyle is having a home that will reflect these values. A converted shipping container offers not only the durability and adaptability necessary to live and thrive off-grid, but it also embodies the real spirit of repurposing, functionality, minimalism, and efficiency.
When you choose a Live Off Grid container home, you’re not just buying a structure — you’re investing in a future for yourself where you’re in charge of how you live from dawn-to-dusk. It’s your gateway to a simpler, more intentional way of life, one where comfort and functionality go hand-in-hand with sustainability and environmental-consciousness.
Whether you’re looking to build your dream retreat in the mountains, by the ocean, or on a quiet patch of land away from the noise and the hustle and bustle, one of our purpose-built shipping container homes is the foundation of your journey. So if you’re ready to break free from the grind and embrace a new life connected to nature and purpose, your adventure starts here.
Your home doesn’t have to just be a structure, it can be a statement — contact us today and find out how we can help you.
