Mira and Jeremy Thompson wanted to build a home that was simple, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient. So, before the tiny home movement ever gained in popularity, they designed a tiny home unlike any we’ve ever come across – a school bus that was completely transformed into a tiny home.
By designing and building their bus conversion themselves, using reclaimed materials, the Thompsons were able to create their ‘gypsy cottage’ on a very tight budget.
Calling themselves ‘designers and makers,’ the couple runs Von Thompson Creative but saved this special project for themselves. Before taking on this unique conversion, Jeremy had almost a decade of auto body experience and even more carpentry experience. Combined with Mira’s eye for interior design – the finished product is absolutely dreamy.
Stepping into the home, you’d never guess you were inside an old school bus.
Using the body of the school bus, Jeremy and Mira added real pine wood walls inside the home as well as natural wood flooring. It perfectly complements the beach-house-style wood shingles on the exterior. Toward the front of the bus, you’ll find the kitchen, bathroom, and captain’s area, while in the back, you can find the bedroom, loft, and lounge area.
The full-sized kitchen is surprisingly spacious for the school bus conversion.
The kitchen features stunning, handcrafted wood countertops and lots of drawers, shelves, and cabinets for storage – there is even a storage loft located up above. A large window sits above the sink, perfect letting in natural light and gazing out at the surrounding nature.
The couple also refurbished an antique Frigidaire refrigerator and found a small gas stove and oven that seems to fit perfectly.
Windows and light are important in a tiny home, so Jeremy and Mira opted for windows in different shapes around the house – including circular, square, and octagonal-shaped windows.
Of course, in a bus, there are wheel wells that you have to deal with – so, the couple decided to get crafty. One wheel well was covered with a built-in sofa.
The couple loves to take on DIY projects, so they decided to make their seating space double purpose – not only is it a functional seating area with a fun, bright pattern, but it also covers up the ugly wheel well.
The other wheel was covered by the hearth for the family’s wood stove. The old stove was found in a yard, cleaned up, and is now fully functional! It serves as the heating unit for the entire bus-home.
Jeremy and Mira have a young daughter and plan on having one more child. So, they designed their sleeping area and loft with this in mind.
At the rear of the bus, the creative couple designed an absolutely gorgeous sleeping area with lounge loft up above. There are built-in drawers for clothing storage, and there are actually doors that can close, allowing for privacy in the ‘bedroom.’ The ladder to the loft can be moved and stored away when not in use.
The cozy sleeping loft has a king-size bed – perfect for their family of three at the moment.
Not only does the colorful bedding add a bit of personality to the room, but check out the beautiful octagon-shaped window! The couple also made sure to add shelving to act as their nightstands.
Upstairs, the loft currently serves as the family’s great room – but could easily be turned into another sleeping loft down the road.
The warm and welcoming space is perfect for the family to sit, chat, and have guitar-led sing-alongs. Of course, the couple made sure to add more windows to the area to make sure that natural light is abundant throughout every room.
The bathroom is back up front, near the driver’s area of the school bus.
Currently, the family has a flushing toilet, however, they would like to convert to a composting toilet in the future. Not pictured, they have a small stand-up shower for bathing.
Want to learn how Jeremy and Mira made their dreams a reality? Watch the full tour of their home in the videos below.
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Part two of the video is below…
