Transforming a Vintage Airstream Into a Tiny Home Retreat
As you know, Airstreams are our weakness. We love it when we see a success story of someone transforming a vintage Airstream into something cool. That’s why when we saw this renovation story we knew we had to share.
Related: This Vintage Airstream Remodel is so Cool.
We first saw this renovation on Pinterest, which led us to an article on Dwell, about Natasha and Brett who found an Airstream shell and saw a vision beyond the leaky mess it was at that moment. They purchased the vintage Airstream for only $5000 and set out to bring their vision to life.
Start From Scratch
According to the interview, the couple decided to completely gut the entire 1971 Airstream Sovereign, so that they could get exactly the look they were going for. They did all the remodeling themselves, except for some work on the brake lines, part of the replacement of subfloor, and waterproofing the Airstream. Just like with any remodeling project, there are times a professional is needed, especially since this was a big project, and they wanted to be sure everything was just right.
A look at the airstream before. (source: dwell)
They stripped the airstream all the way to the shell. (source: dwell)
A Vision Come to Life
Transforming a vintage airstream isn’t an easy task. Airstreams have particular challenges that other types of trailers don’t, such as the curved walls that give the Airstream their distinct look. The goal of this tiny home was to create a beautiful minimalistic feel that feels much bigger than 200 square feet. After much planning and research, including drawing out the layout several times, they finally decided on what they could and couldn’t live without.
A design drawing helps to bring a project to life. (source: dwell)
First, they decided that since they were parking the Airstream at a campground, a shower wasn’t a necessity since they could use the facilities there. Also, they also decided to forgo a table and instead added a daybed with storage below since storage was essential. The Airstream also includes a king size bed on the opposite end for the couple. By researching and planning the couple was able to add all the amenities that were essential to them without the space being overwhelmed.
Natural look flooring and walls are throughout the airstream. (source: dwell)
The couple did a great job tackling the airstream’s curves. (source: dwell)
As you can see, the color palette for this retreat included neutral colors with pops of black and white to pull the look together. The daybed area leads into the kitchen and bathroom space which features a gorgeous hexagon pattern kitchen backsplash. This helped make the entire space seem light and roomy. This is very important when you are contemplating life in a tiny home; you want to make sure you have room to move around!
We love original backsplash ideas. (source: dwell)
Chalkboard paint dresses up the door. (source: dwell)
A Breathe of Fresh Air
From the images, we also see that the couple gave the exterior of the Airstream a little TLC as well. A nice wax job, some patio light and a deck with an abundance of plants created a beautiful retreat perfect for entertaining.
A gorgeous entertaining space. (source: dwell)
The entire project cost around $22000 including the cost of the Airstream and all the work that was done to the flooring, brakes, and waterproofing. If you want to see more be sure to check out the entire article on Dwell.
We hope you enjoyed this look at transforming a vintage Airstream into something beautiful. We really think Airstreams have so much potential. They just take time, determination, a vision and of course money.
Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.
