The Airstream Life
1959 Airstream travel trailer.
The renovation was necessarily an exercise in restraint and creativity. With just 150 square feet to work with, I jettisoned the 1950s colors of flesh tone paint and wall-to-wall linoleum, and moved in with cork flooring, track lighting, fresh colorful paint, and custom designed cabinets and furniture to fit the sinuous interior topography. I revealed the beautiful workmanship of the riveted aluminum end caps, and removed sewage facilities completely. I performed the work myself, trying to keep the design in my head one step ahead of the building process of my hands.
The Airstream now resides in the garden of a co-op in North Berkeley, a few steps from the Cheeseboard and Chez Panisse.
The interior is lit by several medium sized windows and an off-the-shelf track lighting system. With the door open, diffuse light makes the space glow.
Stripping paint to reveal the beautiful riveting and aluminum was one the hardest but most rewarding tasks. To me, revealing the structure and construction honors the original craftsmanship that went into this trailer.
An enormous slide out drawer was necessary to create a storage area for clothes.
The bed measures 7 feet from head to toe. Designing and building cabinetry for the space was challenging. Every panel hides a full extension drawer that provides unparalleled access to storage.
The renovation was necessarily an exercise in restraint and creativity. With just 150 square feet to work with, I jettisoned the 1950s colors of flesh tone paint and wall-to-wall linoleum, and moved in with cork flooring, track lighting, fresh colorful paint, and custom designed cabinets and furniture to fit the sinuous interior topography. I revealed the beautiful workmanship of the riveted aluminum end caps, and removed sewage facilities completely. I performed the work myself, trying to keep the design in my head one step ahead of the building process of my hands.
The Airstream now resides in the garden of a co-op in North Berkeley, a few steps from the Cheeseboard and Chez Panisse.
The interior is lit by several medium sized windows and an off-the-shelf track lighting system. With the door open, diffuse light makes the space glow.
Stripping paint to reveal the beautiful riveting and aluminum was one the hardest but most rewarding tasks. To me, revealing the structure and construction honors the original craftsmanship that went into this trailer.
An enormous slide out drawer was necessary to create a storage area for clothes.
The bed measures 7 feet from head to toe. Designing and building cabinetry for the space was challenging. Every panel hides a full extension drawer that provides unparalleled access to storage.
