A change to barrels

With the addition of barrels  in the 1.14 snapshots I have been thinking that we should make them a bit different. Since a barrel pretty much works like a chest (besides it can be opened if every side is covered.) I think we should make it like the shulker box. Since a barrel is basically a chest I think we should make it better, also, it would be better for the start of the game, so you don't have to fight the ender dragon and go to the end city to get one. Say you're starting a world and haven't found a place to like, you just set up a bed and crafting table, etc, and you also had a chest down, and you cant hold all the stuff, you can make a barrel and put the items in there, destroy the block, and carry it. Anyways this thought has been looming in my head for a long time and I feel it would be a nice change to Minecraft.