A 1980s School Bus Becomes a Tiny Home With Scandinavian Vibes for a Family of Five
Graphic designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger took inspiration from Scandinavian design to craft an unconventional family home on wheels.
Graphic designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger took inspiration from Scandinavian design to craft an unconventional family home on wheels.
The van life movement is all about embracing minimalism and a nomadic lifestyle, swapping out a traditional home for a life on the road. One popular genre of van life vehicle is the "Skoolie"—a retired school bus that has been refitted into a tiny homes on wheels. When graphic designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger, founder of web agency Killdisco Design, was asked to transform a 38-foot 1980s school bus into a rolling home for a family of five, he immediately envisioned a Scandinavian-inspired Skoolie.
Designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger was introduced to the owners of the skoolie by a mutual friend after he saw some furniture and built-in work Welsh Weinberger had done in his own home. It was the first built project at this scale that he had taken on professionally.
Roehner + Ryan
"I accepted the challenge sight unseen, even though I’ve never built or designed anything in a mobile capacity," says Welsh Weinberger. "What I love about these clients is their openness for adventure as a family unit. The ultimate goal was to create a rolling space for the growing family to experience life outside the city—and to do it successfully for more than just a weekend jaunt."
Since being decommissioned by the state of Tennessee, the 38-foot public school bus had been owned by a "skoolie" enthusiast. "When I received it, it was immediately obvious that much of what was done was not only a layout disaster, but outright dangerous," says designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger. "My first approach was to make sure I had a certified person for each portion of the build to advise me on the safest ways to fit all the electrical, gas, and water inside this rolling home. It was the best decision I made."
Killdisco Design
The brief was for a complete transformation that would enable the family to comfortably travel the country in the tiny mobile home. As a result, it needed to include a full stand-up shower, a bathroom with composting toilet, a private master bed, bunk beds for the kids, a fold-up office compartment, a kitchen, and a living/dining area incorporating seating with safety belts.
To keep costs down, the decision was made to keep some existing elements from the partially renovated bus—including the welded-in freshwater tank and appliances, such as the washing machine, dishwasher, oven, and fridge.
The bus had been partially renovated and abandoned mid-project by the previous owner, but it had to be completely gutted and redone.
Killdisco Design
See the full story on Dwell.com: A 1980s School Bus Becomes a Tiny Home With Scandinavian Vibes for a Family of Five
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