Bonnie Christine will never forget the first meal she cooked for her young family in their 1962 Airstream Overlander. She and her husband, David, had just reached Colorado in their new-to-them Airstream trailer with sons Bear (4) and Ollie (2) in tow — a far cry from their stationary home in Franklin, NC. Bonnie whipped up a modest stir fry using veggies she’d brought along for the trip, still fresh from the family’s garden at home in North Carolina. The distance traveled and experience underway as a family were not lost on her, nor was the pinch-me moment of gathering around the 150-square-foot trailer’s table and taking in the magnificent views out the window.
It was all a dream realized for Bonnie, a surface pattern designer and fabric designer, and David, a fly fishing guide — one that was a decade in the making. “Ever since we got married, David and I have dreamed of owning an Airstream,” Bonnie begins. “For 10 years, we casually looked, sometimes more serious than others. This past spring we decided it was the right time for our family to do some traveling, so we made it our mission to find an older Airstream that had already been updated (we weren’t quite up for a full renovation), but something that I could still update to make our own. On Easter weekend, we found the perfect match. A 1962 26′ Airstream Overlander. The previous owner had done a complete shell-off restoration, so it already had new axles, updated plumbing and electrical, new cabinetry and several improvements. She was the perfect blank slate! We scooped her up, and while looking through the original paperwork, found that a Miss Marjorie had first purchased her in 1962, so in honor of her beginnings, we decided to name her Marjorie.”
Bonnie set out to give Marjorie a deeply personal feel, and one that would refresh and relax the family every time they stepped inside. She used every bit of a four-month stint to update the Airstream, and that came with some trial and error on Bonnie’s part. Being a very artistic person, her imagination brims with ideas, and she’s the first to admit that she needs to see all aspects of a concept come together before she can make a firm decision on it — and Marjorie’s design was no different. An initial plan to stain the kitchen cabinets a deep walnut color and use a quartz for the countertops was scrapped once Bonnie had stained and rebuilt the cabinets completely. She instead opted to stain the countertops themselves and re-sanded and repainted the cabinets in a soothing green tone that plays beautifully off the Airstream’s pièce de résistance: the “Pimpernell” wallpaper by William Morris. “As a surface pattern designer, I also wanted to give a nod to the father of surface design himself by using a William Morris wallpaper,” Bonnie shares. “I find it endlessly inspiring!”
Since embarking on their first trip, the family has clocked over 5,000 miles, taking Marjorie from North Caroline, to Colorado, Yellowstone, Oregon down the coast of California, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. The couple’s hopes of simplifying their sons’ lives have materialized before their eyes while also ushering in a world of new adventures and memories. Bonnie tells us, “I am most thankful for what this tiny home represents — the ability for our family to be completely mobile. We can go for a small weekend trip, or set out on a cross-country adventure with our home right along with us. There’s nothing more grand than seeing the wonders of nature and the great outdoors through our children’s eyes!” —Kelli
Photography by Bonnie Christine / @bonniechristine
Image above: “In the Airstream, our community is constantly evolving and changing,” Bonnie explains. “We’ve met people in all walks of life and have savored getting to know them and hearing their stories. Most of all, our children have enjoyed meeting new friends, and have even made some ‘pen pals’ that they’ll cherish for years to come. It’s so sweet!”
from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/08/a-dreamy-1962-airstream-wallpapered-with-florals.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/177345158039
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