A HOME ON WHEELS

The Motivation

For years my husband and I dreamed of converting a van and driving around the country. In 2023, we made the dream a reality. We had been working in corporate jobs for almost 20 years and felt that there was a different path for us. We bought a cargo van in Detroit, sight unseen, and worked with a company called Drifter Vans to convert it into a home.

The Process

If you are ever thinking about building a custom van, Drifter Vans are the best you can work with, in my opinion, and after much research! Drifter customizes each van to fit your style and travel considerations. They are experts on the right techniques and materials for such a specialized project, yet appreciate that great design combines to make for an exceptional customer experience. I worked with their woodworkers, electricians, and in-house designer to craft what we imagined Linda Ronstadt’s tour bus looked like in the 70s! We were thrilled with the final product, incredible craftsmanship, and service Drifter provided. Fun disclaimer: since starting the business, Drifter has asked me to join them as one of their interior designers, helping clients bring their visions for a home on the road to life.

The Design

I remember when I detailed some of the "look" I was going for with the van, I worried the Drifter design team thought I was a little crazy! But hey, if you can't have a little fun in your van, where can you? Red velvet comforter, walnut cabinets with gold basketweave inlay, custom paneled ceiling, shaded light fixtures, floral broadcloth fabric upholstery, gold plumbing fixtures, tasseled throw pillows, and an old-school magazine cover of Linda for good measure. All while having to consider every square inch. The design process of the van taught me valuable lessons about aesthetics vs practical components and building a sense of home and belonging, in a space under 100 square feet!

Van Adventure

Hitting the Road

During the build out, my husband and I had many conversations about our life goals and what we value, and it was clear we did not want to delay the trip until some day down the road. Life is too short! Once the van was done, we hit the road with our dog and headed west. Over the course of 5 months we visited 39 states. My husband has a lifelong goal to hit all 63 national parks and we visited 14 of them as we slowly meandered through mountains, deserts, and small towns, everywhere from Acadia to Tacoma, Palm Springs to Key West. The best parts were stumbling across the parts of America we had barely heard of, the kind of places you would never cram into a one-week vacation. We got to really enjoy every part rather than dipping our toes in the water and making vague promises to return one day.

The down time on the trip gave me the space to think about what I wanted to do next. I realized that making spaces into a home has been something I have done my whole life, from an early age when I painted my childhood bedroom black and white with an old movie motif, or later refinished my mom's basement into her new master suite. Design work has brought me much greater satisfaction and joy than anything I accomplished in the corporate world. I was already spending my free moments thinking about design…why not do it full time? When we got back to the Boston area, I started Get a Room Designs.