Tiny homes are sprouting up all across America. Popularized by shows like HGTV's Tiny House Hunters, the tiny house trend appeals to families who want to live a simpler lifestyle. You might not see the appeal of homes smaller than 1,000 square feet, but perks like financial freedom and being able to travel freely have many people downsizing their living situations. Wait until you see the renovations on a 350-square foot home in Virginia!
How Does A Family Of Six Live In This Bus?
Robin Schannep, her husband, and their four kids live in a skoolie, which is a converted school bus that has been renovated for recreational use. The family previously lived in California's Orange County — one of the most crowded and expensive counties in the U.S.
Eventually, they decided to start simplifying their lifestyle which meant paring down on their belongings and working remotely, until finally, they decided to go full-force with the concept. Since then, they've packed up their family on the skoolie and traveled all across the country. But how exactly have they pulled it off? Read on to find out!
The Inside Looks Like A Small Apartment
The Schanneps have a converted skoolie that has been renovated to look almost like a tiny apartment. The front quarter of the bus is obviously where the driver's seat is, as well as seats for the rest of the passengers when the house is in motion. A majority of the bus is dedicated to their home.
There is a small kitchen, akin to what you might find in a studio apartment. The very back of the space is used as the family's living quarters. As you can see, they've truly made this house on wheels as homey as can be!
Life On The Road Can Work With Small Children
Now you may be thinking, what about their kids' education if they live full time on the road? Robin actually homeschools her children as well as "unschooling," which is a form of self-directed learning. This method is ideal since the kids are constantly exposed to new ideas and environments from being on the road.
Robin and her husband are always in conversation with their kids that utilize topics they should be learning in regular school — even math. Though there are some points where they break out workbooks for their kids to work on. She also says that she models reading so that her kids can take on the habit themselves.
Full-Time Family Life Keeps Them Close
You may also be wondering where the kids sleep. Robin and her husband have built bunks into the middle part of the bus. Each bunk is its own compartment with a door so that each kid can have a little privacy — which is definitely a concern for families who live in tiny homes.
Slowly but surely, the Schannep's tiny home is coming along as they are constantly renovating different areas of the home. The small space has encouraged them to truly live as a full-time family and has allowed Robin and her husband to bond more with their children.
This Family Of Four Lives In An RV
Caiti Jackson and her family used to live in a 1,800-square foot home in Albuquerque, New Mexico before they decided to downsize and live in a renovated RV. Caiti and her husband are able to work flexibly — she's a photographer and content creator, while he works in insurance — and the transition has allowed them to spend more time with their kids while being able to travel and reduce their carbon footprint.
They now live in a 250-square foot home on wheels and have made some serious renovations to make their new living space as cozy as their old home.
Caiti And Her Husband Are Showing Their Kids The World
Since their transition to tiny home living, the Jacksons have been camping in the warm climate states. So far, they've been through New Mexico, Arizona, and even Puerto Peñasco, Mexico on the Gulf of California.
On her Instagram account, Jackson has shared that tiny living has been a positive change in her family's life. Though they weren't so sure about it at first, living "elbow to elbow" has been so great that they are even thinking about building a small house less than 1,000-square feet to settle down in the future.
From Your Average RV To A Livable Home
When Dylan and Renee were to be stationed in Virginia, their new digs were definitely different from their 1,100-square foot home in Maine. The happy couple and their young son set out on a new, minimalist lifestyle in a fifth-wheel home, which is just another term for an RV. Theirs is less than 350-square feet.
While their RV had already been renovated to accommodate a full-time living situation, Renee and Dylan honed their DIY-savvy and took up the prospect of remodeling their new tiny home. Oddly enough, their RV already had a fireplace installed in it, which makes for a cozy welcome.
It Doesn't Take Much To Make It Homey
Thankfully, the space already had hardwood floors installed but Renee and Dylan have taken measures to give their new tiny home their own personal touch. This included painting the doors, installing new curtains, and other cosmetic details. They've even replaced the headboard in their bedroom, which gives it a chic, modern feel.
In order to properly move into a tiny home, Renee and Dylan had to downsize, which meant getting rid of a lot of their belongings. Renee told her followers that they really only kept kitchen supplies and their son's toys, while most of their other stuff has been donated.
The Arrow Anglers Attach Their Home To Their Car
The Jones family was so content living in a one-bedroom, 800-square foot apartment, that they decided to one-up themselves and go even smaller. Calling themselves The Arrow Anglers, Van and Lauren invite followers on their journey into fifth wheel living.
The Jones's main concern was finding a camper within their budget and soon realized that it'd be more affordable to get a fifth wheel that they could renovate since Van's truck was already equipped to pull heavy cargo. They finally settled on a 2004 Keystone Everest 343 that had enough room for rear living and a kitchen island, which was important to them.
They've Made Detailed Renovation Plans
After they purchased their 400-square foot fifth wheel, they began work on renovations. After working at his full-time construction job, Van would come to the RV in the evenings to do the renovations himself.
In this picture, for example, they planned on turning the cabinets next to their kitchen into an entertainment center, complete with an electric fireplace. This included getting rid of the middle section to make one big section with a butcher block counter that will also match their kitchen island. For the Jones's, downsizing includes forgoing a television, which should be fine since they can watch stuff on the computer they intend to put here.
Can You Believe This Is In A Camper?
While most renovations can take quite a bit of time, the Jones' renovated their fifth wheel in as little as two months! With a baby that is less than a year old, Van and Lauren certainly had a lot on their hands since they wanted to move in such a short amount of time.
Still, they managed to get it done and transform their average camper into a homey and Pinterest-worthy home! Above, you can see their sauna-inspired shower and their daughter's nursery which was built into the spacious closet. The Arrow Anglers admit that it was stressful at times, but as you can see the rewarding job has brought them closer together.
This Camper Is All They Need
Emily is known as @livingsimplemama on Instagram and this is the adorable fifth wheel that she lives in with her husband and their two young kids. Emily and her husband Robert are fulfilling their tiny house dreams of living in a renovated camper while they build a farmhouse on a piece of land they bought in Washington.
They purchased a 1989 30-foot fifth wheel that they've renovated into this incredibly chic home! Above, you can see how they've transformed the dingy front area of their camper into a bright and inviting living space that also doubles as a playroom for their kids.
From A Dingy Room To An Airy Sleep Space
"The first time I walked into the camper and saw the carpet and the curtains and smelt the weird smells, I turned to my husband and said 'this isn't going to work babe,'" Emily writes in one post. Here is a before and after of their bedroom, which only goes to show that first impressions don't always last!
Thankfully, Emily gave the bedroom and the rest of the camper a second chance. She shared that despite how hard it was to leave her childhood home behind, which they sold to pursue this dream, she is positive that they are onto a more fantastic future and life as a family!
White Paint Opens Up A Tiny Space
Here are before and after pictures of Emily's kitchen. As you can see, Emily and her husband really make living in a camper full-time a possibility. If you didn't know they lived in one, then you might think that these pictures are of a small studio apartment!
Though she is constantly cleaning because it's a small space with two kids younger than five, it seems that Emily and her family are truly happy even though they don't have a house on the ground. "If all I had for the rest of my life were my husband, two babies, and this camper, well then I would surely have it all," Emily writes.
This Family Of Five Lives In Something A Little More Classic
Meagan and Adam are the minds behind The Miller Movement, a blog and Instagram account that wife Meagan runs to showcase their amazing transition into a tiny home. Meagan and Adam live full-time in an Airstream with their three young kids and two dogs.
The Millers now live in a 1993 34-foot Airstream Excella, which was perfect since Meagan loved the look of a classic Airstream. This is different from the tiny homes we've seen before since it's not your typical renovated fifth wheel RV. Because of its round-shaped walls, they've had to do some custom renovations to make the space their own.
They've Modernized The Interior
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Millers was deciding to live in their Airstream during renovations. That can get pretty crazy, especially with three young babies and two dogs to take care of among all the renovation chaos!
The bedroom originally had two twin beds, which they've ripped out and replaced with one queen sized bed. Meagan tells her followers that her two oldest kids will sleep in the living area. The change has definitely added floor space and made room for more storage. As you can see, they've dolled the place up and made it more open by painting the walls and cabinetry white.
Adjusting To The Shape Was A Challenge
When it came to renovating the living space of their Airstream, the Millers debated getting new couches or building one on their own. Agreeing that buying a new one would compromise what little space they had, Meagan finally got Adam to agree to build one.
By purchasing the supplies and doing the labor themselves, the Millers saved themselves around $500 in deciding to build their couch instead of buying one. They saved themselves a lot of floor space but were still able to build a couch deep enough for their kids to sleep on at night.
Their First Renovation Was Incredible!
Of course, building a couch wasn't too much of a new venture for the Millers because this isn't their first go at a huge renovation project. In fact, the Airstream isn't even the first tiny home that they've lived in!
Above you can see a before and after the 1998 40-foot Monaco Dynasty that they renovated and previously lived in. After living in their bus and having just finished renovating it, they decided that it wasn't the safest option. Driving it around caused their belongings to move around and was dangerous for their kids since it didn't have seatbelts.
This Family Also Lives In An Airstream
Lane, Tiffany, and their six-year-old daughter Audrey live in the exact same type of Airstream as The Miller family. Their little family appears to be newer to the renovation process, but are taking each step in stride! Above you can see the floor plans they've drawn up for their new tiny home.
Though they haven't fully moved into their new tiny house yet, they plan to live there full time. One of their goals after purchasing the Airstream was to get it as shiny as possible to get a sleek, mirror finish.
Renovations Can Be A Piece Of Cake
Lane and Tiffany decided to dedicate the entire back room to their six-year-old, while the living area will soon be their bedroom. Their most recent renovations, however, have been in the kitchen area.
Tiffany writes that while the kitchen wasn't that bad to begin with, they still wanted something that had a modern flair. They've painted over with the wood cabinetry with navy-colored paint as well as updated the hardware. They've also replaced the floors with wood panel floors. As you can see, they've truly turned the '90s-era decor into something worthy of a summer home in the Hamptons!
