AIRSTREAM RENOVATION: AFTER

At first it seemed like it’d be a big financial and resell risk to renovate a newer Airstream, especially one that we’re still paying off. But after doing a lot of research, planning, and work on it, we realized how important of an investment it would be in ourselves, our lives, and even our happiness. For the full rundown of the renovation process, first visit the BEFORE blog post before scrolling down.

Now that you’re here, Luna and Sunny will welcome you inside our recently renovated 2017 Airstream International Signature 25ft. trailer.

The first significant update we made was to exchange the Ultraleather couch cushions for a heathered oatmeal upholstery fabric from Nate Berkus. Luckily we found a local upholsterer to craft them for us so we didn’t have to struggle with sewing the rounded cushions ourselves.

The other big change that was a top priority for us and our ability to work/lounge in the multi-use space by trimming down the size of the table top and converting it into a adjustable pedestal base, transforming an awkwardly oversized dinette into a cozy J-shaped booth and customizable workspace. Our friends at Woodland Airstream helped us with the table and oven installation (which you’ll see soon).

We were able to maximize underneath space by tucking the cat’s water dish, toy basket, board games, fan, and a power stripe underneath the new bench for easy access to the outlets.

The other BIG change we made took more time and attention to detail than either of us could have imagined was painting. The dark brown wood finish was too much for us — see the BEFORE post to see for yourself. It made the 200+ square foot space feel even smaller and cave-like, so we opted to brighten and lighten up the walls and kitchen cabinets with an off-white satin paint while also replacing the polished chrome finish hardware with natural beech wood handles with a matte stain finish.

We upgraded to a Furrion stove top to include a built-in gas oven, replacing the stock stovetop that was a bit clumsy to open and the separate convection microwave oven underneath that never quite lived up to being an oven, along with further changing out chrome finishes with a matte black kitchen faucet and adding a magnetic knife rack.

The warmer white gel filters that we installed in all 28 LED light pucks has made our trailer feel more like our home more than we could have imagined. For our fellow Airstreamers, it’s a worthwhile investment whether you purchase replacements or cut-out and install the gels yourself like we did - click to see how we did it.

My favorite new feature is the pegboard wall that we framed, painted, and installed in the hallway between the bathroom and the bedroom. This was previously a waste of space blank wall that now gives us the ability to hang, display, and store just about anything we would need to with the ability to change it as needed.

We didn’t change much in the bedroom area other than continuing the warm white paint on the walls and storage compartments. We did utilize the trimmed off piece of tabletop from the dinette to create a collapsible workspace at the end of the bed underneath the double windows.

In actuality, it acts more like a cat perch than a desk, but nonetheless, it has provided some much needed surface storage both above and below while still being able to fold down when not in use.

Speaking of much needed space, we don’t have much for clothing, but we make it work and have packed as wisely as we could. Check out our entire packing list in our next post.

When we first traveled on the 50 States: Veterans + Artists United tour in 2017-2019, we had our cat Noel with us, an 8-year old Maine Coon who sadly passed away in March 2020, who was a very sweet, laid-back adult cat that loved to be around us. When we first bought the trailer new in 2017, Airstream Woodland installed this cat door into the litter box underneath our bed that can be emptied from the outside compartment.

This time on the road we thought two cats would be able to entertain and keep each other company while we’re out on our various day excursions. And when I say cats, I mean two kittens! Included in our remodel project was the need to kitten proof the trailer as much as possible, so we installed scratch pads and packed more cat toys than you’d think were necessary.

Thankfully, both Luna and Sunny have loved living in a tube of windows watching birds, creeping on our camping neighbors, and passing out together in their backseat carrier as we drive from one campground to the next. For all your cute kitten needs, follow them on their Instagram page: @lunaysunny.

UPDATE: AFTER A FEW MONTHS IN COLDER CLIMATES AND FAR TOO MANY NIGHTS OF BEING WOKEN UP BY THE SOUNDS AND SMELLS, WE DECIDED TO REVAMP THE LITTER BOX AREA FOR ALL OF OUR SAKES. WE FULLY INSULATED THE FLOORS, WALLS, AND CEILING TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE CONSISTENT, DRY, AND TO BLOCK SMELLS.

As with any home, the more we spend time in our Airstream the more updates and improvements we’ll continue to make, which is part of the fun for me. We’ll be certain to share these updates with you as we go.

If you have any questions about our experience working on the remodel, feel free to Contact Us.