Budget Breakdown: A Mother-Daughter Duo Give an Airstream a Vivacious Remodel for $64K

For mother-daughter design duo Tristan and Lynn Knowlton of Design The Life You Want To Live, a serendipitous visit to the Airstream manufacturing headquarters in Jackson Center, Ohio, inspired love at first build. "We’ve always been fans of these iconic units, so observing the craftsmanship in action made me want one," Lynne remarked.

Although she had never owned a trailer prior to her visit, the self-taught designer and blogger was up to the challenge. After 2 years of searching through vintage models, she and her daughter found "the one"—a 1976, 31-foot Sovereign International Land Yacht.

Renovations began in 2016, and they chipped away at it over time—completing it just this year. "We had many other projects on the go, so we tackled bits and pieces of this at a time. The span of work was also due to the fact that the Airstream went through four phases of tweaks and upgrades."

Initially, the unit was meant to be stationary and perched beside a pond in their sleepy hometown of Durham, in Ontario, Canada. "At first, we intended on doing the renovations with the idea of renting out the Airstream on Airbnb. But when phases one and two were complete, we fell in love with it (even more) and decided to take it out for a cross-country tour."

Lynne describes the first two phases as a "get-to-know-you" experience. "Having never worked on an Airstream before, we were lucky to have a friend who was an expert in these types of trailers and advised us on what to look out for," Lynne says. "When reviewing prospective trailers, we essentially got under ‘the belly of the beast’ and not only checked on the mechanics but also ensured that the plywood was dry and free of rot," Lynne says.

These vital measures ensured that they could proceed with renovations without encountering hidden problems and unforeseen financial burdens in the future. "Fortunately, we lucked out. This Airstream was in great shape, considering its age," Lynne explains.

Lynne says the biggest selling point of this particular model was an unconventional yet practical element: "It was the configuration of the bathroom/toilet that made it a winner for us." Most Airstream lavatories are located in the back of the trailer, which baffled her. "I never understood why this was the case—it’s silly, and a hassle to walk through the bedroom to access it." Fortunately, this Airstream’s bathroom was centrally located.

With the purchase finalized, the first thing the duo tackled was the color scheme. "Simple design is my jam, and less is truly more—particularly when it comes to small spaces," Lynne says. The trailer’s dark brown finishes made the space feel more cramped than it actually was, so she opted for light coloring and neutral tones. "We gave the interior a face-lift by painting it all white then adding touches of sophistication with gold-knotted Hygge and West wallpaper that echoed the original metallic trim found within the trailer. Instantaneously, the space felt airier, lighter, and brighter."

Before: Kitchen