Kai and Julie decided they want to do the whole tiny living thing. But these two are next level tiny living it.
They live on a 118-square-foot mini school bus.
They found their bus standing on the side of the street in Berlin, Germany and bought it the next day. The U.S. school bus was a rare find in Germany and was perfect for traveling around.
To start turning it into a home, they had to strip it bare to the metal on the inside.
“Having a blank canvas is a great way to start a conversion like that, and it’s the toughest. We didn’t have a master plan and developed everything on the go,” Kai and Julie told Apartment Therapy.
They did have two main things they wanted to make sure their house could accommodate: comfortable sleeping quarters and the ability to cook.
Having a wood stove was a must for them.
“Our favorite element is definitely our wood stove. It makes you feel super cozy and gives the whole bus a true cabin feeling,” the couple writes.
“It just makes you feel at home. Nothing beats having a candlelight dinner with the stove on. Besides the entertainment, there is a practical part, too. We heat the bus with it and we also use it to cook, which works great.”
They also wanted to use as many refurbished materials as they could.
They used old loft flooring wood for the cupboards and their table.
The shelving and their wall came from vegetable boxes they deconstructed.
“We were trying to keep things as simple as possible. Even though the technical installation is rather high-key since we wanted a four-seasons, off-grid bus. We carry about 26 gallons of fresh water, which is filtered to drinking quality, and we use a portable composting toilet, which works great,” the couple says.
Their kitchen includes a nice countertop with lots of cabinet storage space with adjacent seating.
It also houses a gas cooker.
They keep their food cool in a refrigerator, drink from a water tap, and have a full sink.
They decided to give their house a shabby chic look and outfit their home with a solar energy electrical system.
They also have a pull-out table to save space.
If they had to do one thing over, they would add an on-demand shower.
“There is no place on earth we have ever slept so good. Our fixed queen-size bed was a must for us and we just love it. Since we mostly park at remote places we truly enjoy the silence and the sounds of nature when we wake up. Our bus is a very peaceful place and sometimes, at special places, time seems to stand still.”
You can see more pictures of their minibus home on their Instagram page wetravelbybus.
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