The sleek Airstream trailer has earned a reputation for being one of the most iconic trailers out there, thanks to its unique, rounded “silvery bullet” look, and its longevity—mostly due to its durable skin made of treated aluminum alloy. Not surprisingly, thanks to the use of high-quality design and materials, there are many vintage Airstream caravans still running on the road today, some of them bought secondhand and transformed into full-time homes for families, mobile offices for entrepreneurs, and even guest suites for boutique hotels.
Some Airstreams gain their long-lived status by being passed down in the family, like this 1968 Airstream Land Yacht that was passed down from grandfather to father, and finally to son. Nicknamed Harlow, this beautifully renovated Airstream is now the home of August Hausman, a musician and interior designer, who inherited this 23-foot-long caravan from his father Shawn Hausman—who is also a well-known interior designer—some years ago when it was in pretty rundown shape. Previous to that, it was owned by Hausman’s grandfather, a film producer who also raised bison on a Montana farm. There’s a lot of family history with this now-reborn trailer, and we can see the interior from this video tour via Living Big In A Tiny House:
Hausman wanted to completely transform the interior into a minimalist and modern haven where he could live in, as he wanted to move out of Los Angeles at the time. So he parked it at a friend’s garage where he could borrow some tools, and set about gutting the inside down to the subfloor to start. It was a challenge to cut everything to the right size or the correct angle, due to the Airstream’s existing curves.
Hausman used a lot of white and neutral tones to keep the interior feeling clean and more open. The only other contrasting tone is the warmth of walnut wood, which is used in the kitchen counter, dining table, the trim around the windows, at the top of the kitchen ceiling, and on some of the furniture.
The original layout had a convertible bed and dinette at one end, the kitchen and another bed in the middle, and a bathroom at the rear. Hausman decided to keep most of the original layout as it was but modified some of the elements to make the small space function well, both as a place to live full time, and to work.
For instance, the new layout has swapped out the bed and dinette combination. Instead, there is now a generous sleeping area that can easily transform into a day bed to lounge in, thanks to the removable cushions that are attached to the walls with leather straps.
Strategically placed lighting is crucial to breathing life into any space, and here, Hausman has livened up this daybed with the installation of two reading lamps in the wall. In addition, there are two windows on either side of the bed to let in lots of natural sunlight, which can be regulated with the help of fabric shades.
Because of those tricky interior curved walls, Hausman has come up with a clever idea to keep those shades from dangling too far out, with some hidden magnetic strips that stick to the Airstream’s metal sills.
In the middle of the trailer, we have this gorgeous, streamlined kitchen. There’s enough space for all the essentials here, like a propane stove and a 3-way under-the-counter Dometic refrigerator that can run on propane, battery, or shore power. The counters have been built with multiple walnut wood pieces that have been glued together, and that warm tone sets it off well against the gray tiled backsplash. The milky white porcelain cabinet pulls were integral to keeping the design simple but elegant.
The sink features a built-in metal dish rack that fits in perfectly to dry dishes and save counter space at the same time.
As a gesture to the original spirit of the Airstream, Haus decided to keep this vintage control panel that lets him check battery levels and monitor other important features.
Past the kitchen, we have a closet for hanging clothes.
Opposite the kitchen, we have the small dinette that serves as a place to eat and work. The walnut table sits on top of a handcrafted piece of storage furniture that acts to also hide the trailer’s wheel well. The seat here also acts to hide the trailer’s storage “garage”, which can be accessed from the outside. A single desk lamp on an arm, mounted on the wall, swings around to provide light where it is needed, without taking up too much floor space.
The sliding door to the bathroom was enhanced with a translucent pane of glass that permits light to pass through, without compromising privacy. As Hausman notes, the color of the glass changes throughout the day with the light—a lovely perk to enjoy.
The bathroom has been redone in a way to make it as open as possible, by converting it into a wet room. Instead of a tiny shower pan, Hausman uses a detachable showerhead, and the waterproofed walls mean that he can use the whole room as a shower. There is a small sink here, a walnut countertop, and a composting toilet.
In the end, Hausman managed to create quite a home for himself, using his skills in design and woodworking, while keeping costs relatively low at $25,000. As he explains:
To see (and hear) more, visit AU8UST or August Hausman’s Instagram.
