Our Before/ After Airstream Reveal

You have all been so patient waiting for me to share our Before & After photos of the Airstream.  Moving in certainly didn’t go according to our plans.  We had grand ideas when we first purchased our tiny little home about how the reveal would go.  Then life happened and we hit survival mode.  I feel like the dust is finally starting to settle in our lives and I’m in a better mental and emotional place.  I’m so excited to share this with you all today.  Hope you enjoy!

Before and After Photos of our Airstream Remodel

What We Did During our 1974 Argosy Renovation

Here’s what’s happening in the photos above.  From the top left:

• We tore out all the original flooring.  The sub-floor was in AMAZING condition- we were so grateful.  We did mold remediation on it twice to be safe. We replaced it with Marmoleum flooring in the Shiitake print and got a nice, cushy blue GelPro mat.  I LOVE this floor pattern.  It’s beautiful and hides scratches from all the things J drives across it 🙂 Plus it’s super easy to clean and smelled amazing when we first installed it.
• There was a funky side table next to the bed we tore out.  It was in a weird place and didn’t actually serve much or a purpose.  Plus we wanted to be able to move the bed.
• We tore out the original kitchen counter, oven, and sink.  The oven worked but propane is a big mold risk because it puts off so much moisture.  After living over a year with only an Instant Pot and Toaster oven, we weren’t too intimidated! We have the Instant Pot, toaster oven, and an electric skillet.  We used the extra flooring for a new counter and put in a sink from IKEA.
• The gaucho bed had to go.  It got torn out before our mold remediation.  It was replaced with a futon frame from The Futon Shop and an organic cotton and organic wool mattress from Haiki designs.  We’re actually about to do another change here which I’ll share later!
• We painted all the 70’s brown with a cream Milk Paint. The we topped it with General Finishes Water Based Top Coat- non toxic, no smell and it looks beautiful.  Plus, it wipes off easily.
• I’m wishing we’d have torn-out and redone the cabinet/ fridge/ counter area in the kitchen in the 5th row.  The fridge doesn’t work great and feels moldy to me so we’re not even using it- we’re using a fridge in our friend’ garage where we’re staying.  We sealed it shut so it’s wasted space right now.  Plus I kind of can’t stand the drawers that are next to it.  We may make a change eventually but for now we’re leaving it.
• My son’s bed has been a PROCESS.  Never could have imaged a twin bed would be so much work.  It’s all because of where the wheel well falls.  The original foundation is a piece of plywood.  Plywood is notoriously moldy and chemical filled.  We couldn’t find a safe platform that would get enough airflow to protect the mattress from mold and was safe from chemicals.  We started out with him in a cool hammock-type set up. Unfortunately it broke beyond repair while we were moving.  He slept in our bed for a few weeks (3 people in a full bed is an adventure) while we figured out what to do next.  We finally ordered a futon frame for him and my husband built some cedar risers for it to raise it up above the wheel well.  We had to attach the base of the futon frame to the risers.  My son LOVES the set up- I’m not crazy about it because it’s high and awkward to rub his back and tuck him in at night.  But, happy kid is great with me!

Everything was remediated twice for mold and we’ve taken caution to ensure we stay mold-free.  I’ll share more soon about what our process was like for deciding what materials we would use.

Overall it was a fun process.  All that being said, if we could go back in time we’d make changes. Hindsight is 20/20. If we could turn back time and give ourselves, or you, advice we would.  We’d say “buy a gutted model- make sure to remediate it for mold and build out your dream space from scratch. This was the ultimate lesson in “people will tell you anything to get you to buy their stuff.” The people we purchased this from ensured us everything worked fine.  Pretty much nothing worked… there were holes in the pipes and duct work large enough for us to put our fingers in.  The things that did work were clunky and didn’t work well.  Plus we don’t love having our bed right in front of the door but there’s no where else to put it.

We are overall happy living here. Yes, a few changes would be nice but after two summers in a row mostly living in a tent- this feels luxurious!   We’re really enjoying how much easier it is for us to connect as a family.  The portability has also been awesome.  I can’t imagine we’d have been able to move cross-country in 11-days otherwise! She’s a beauty and we’re blessed to have her.  Still trying to come up with a good name…