The idea of renovating a 1970’s airstream and making it your home may be just a daydream to many, but for Natasha and her husband it was much more than that. We loved following along as they rebuilt this living space and made it their own. Now they are once again transitioning to a new space and going through the renovation process all over again. We caught up with Natasha to ask about their past and future renovating adventures.
Tell us your story and your journey of living in an Airstream.
My husband Brett and I were traveling in a Volkswagen van for six months, and as we started heading home, we started thinking about what we really needed to live. Our storage unit full of stuff at home seemed like a burden. So we started thinking about ways we could live differently and were inspired by our pals at The Modern Caravan to give airstream life a try. We'd already built out our Volkswagen van, and I had a lot of experience with building electrical and renovations, so we figured we could manage it.
What was the restoration process like and how long did it take?
The restoration process was super rewarding but a lot of hard work. All the walls are curved and that makes for some difficult building. We spent a year of steady work on it.
There are a lot of us that look in from the outside with envy. What advice or words of caution would you give to folks wanting to make the leap?
FIND A PLACE TO PARK FIRST. And after that, don't underestimate how much work it's going to be. Most people that start renovating airstreams don't finish.
Tell us what made you decide to sell your airstream and build an A-frame style cottage in the woods?
Seattle is a tech boom city and is getting to be a pretty overwhelming place to live. When we imagined ourselves living in our airstream, it was is the middle of the woods. But in Seattle that wasn't going to happen. When we started talking about Vermont, we had planned to take the airstream, but eventually decided against it because our vintage girl isn't really made for crazy winters and tons of snow.
What will you miss about living in your airstream?
Everything! It's such a wonderfully cozy place to be on a rainy afternoon. Or in the summer with all the windows thrown open. It was our first home we owned together.
And what aspects of having a grounded house are you looking forward to?
A bigger closet and room for a ceramics studio.
Lastly, we always like to ask: what is currently up on your letter board?
"Home is wherever I'm with you". ♡