Step inside an Airstream home
Small-space living tips from a nomad designer
Landscape architect Andreas Stavropoulos sits outside of his remodeled 1959 Airstream trailer, which he parks behind a Berkeley, CA, co-op.
When he goes to work, he doesn't drive to an office; he heads to the site being landscaped in his Honda CR-V, towing behind it a 2003 cherry-red Wells Cargo trailer that he found on Craigslist.
“I have always loved small, manageable, mobile spaces,” he says. “They allow me breathing time as I set off on my chosen path.” Full story
Click ahead to see inside his remodeled Airstream home, as well as his "think tank" Wells Cargo trailer.
Airstream living: Double-duty spaces
In the Airstream’s small space (15 ft. long, 7 ft. wide), a chair for computer use—which doubles for dining—is all that Stavropoulos needs.
The Airstream's "den" is colored in chartreuse paint (Lime Rickey from Sherwin-Williams) which lightens the ceiling and highlights its curved shape.
Track lighting (Radium fixture from Ikea) also echoes the curves-and-circles theme of the interior.
Airstream living: The full view
The view through the Airstream's back window shows the entire layout of the home.
There are no closets, so Stavropoulos keeps possessions to a minimum.
Airstream living: Built-in storage
Stavropoulos keeps his few shirts and jackets hang neatly from a wooden rail opposite the cooktop.
Drawers of all sizes hold foldable clothing, kitchen utensils, and more. Built of birch plywood, they have no drawer pulls, just holes. The desk is also made of birch, its edge gently curved to echo the ceiling’s lines. The built-in bed is topped with a thick piece of cut-to-fit Memory Foam.
Thin, lightweight, and natural, cork is warmer underfoot than the original linoleum.
Mobile office: On the work site
When Stavropoulos heads to a job, he tows this 2003 cherry-red trailer behind his Honda CR-V.
The mobile studio’s loading ramp swings open to views of the real garden as Stavropoulos gets to work.
A Kyocera KD 135-watt solar panel is mounted on the roof to power his iMac.
Mobile office: Inside the "think tank"
Everything Stavropoulos needs is inside: generous workspace, reference books, and, of course, his desktop computer.
Perforated steel siding from a metal-supply shop lines the wall behind the desk; Stavropoulos clips his plans to it when he’s working. Sold by the sheet, it can be cut to any size.
A “shadowless” translucent skylight illuminates the work area, so supplemental daytime lighting isn’t necessary.
