A fun-loving couple, Erika and Clint, converted a vintage bus into a tiny home. Five years ago, they bought a 1977 California Crown bus. With the curviness of every single wall and the roof, it was a real challenge to build it out. This contributed to a longer-than-anticipated conversion process—18 months in total.
“Yeah, that’s the thing people don’t tell you when you’re building a skoolie for yourself is that triple, quadruple the amount of time you think it’s going to take. Because I’m very ambitious with things like that. But I’d never owned a tool in my life before we decided to convert a school bus and cut the roof off and raise it and all sorts. And we were very fortunate that the skoolie community’s got a lot of YouTube videos out there explaining how to do it.”
-Clint, @bigskybus
Their curvy 36-foot-long vintage bus conversion is gorgeous with top-notch interior design. That’s what Erika has done for a living. During the planning phase, she decided on a bright, colorful palette. Like a rainbow, but not garish. Another top goal was to make the layout feel light, airy, and cozy. As she’ll tell you, creating an open feel is a really hard thing to do in a tiny home.
Erika and Clint didn’t change much about the front of the bus to preserve the functionality and classic bus charm. Next, in the kitchen, they created an exceptionally functional space with unique material use. The counter is made from character-rich reclaimed wood with a flip-up leaf that creates a U-shaped workspace. Further, they opted for a LEGO backsplash. It’s made of 3,400 pieces sourced from various dealers around the country. They chose this for looks, but also because it’s lightweight and easy to clean.
Their living room features impressive bookcase cabinetry built around two windows. A large sofa provides comfy seating. Of course, it has hidden storage beneath it. They use ottomans for extra seating. These have a reversible tabletop to act as side tables when needed.
Between the living room and the bedroom is a fully-functional bathroom with a spacious closet. It’s a wonderfully chic and practical room. They tiled the entire shower, including the back wall with the vanity on it. Interestingly, the vanity is constructed out of PVC. It’s available in planks or sheets, like plywood. This makes the whole cabinet waterproof. Additionally, inside one of the soft-close drawers is a hidden electrical outlet.
