Brenda and her dog Ranger live in a 2012 Ford E350 Van named ‘Copper,’ after her favorite Fox and the Hound character. She and her father DIY’d the entire conversion in 42 days and, even more impressively, while both were working full-time jobs!
“I’m pretty proud, 42 days to make my dream home, and I’m incredibly happy with it!"
Sticking with the copper theme, she incorporated as much copper as she could into her build, from drawer knobs to curtain rods, to copper hooks for miscellaneous items. Brenda loved learning how to work with copper, her dad even taught her how to solder. Copper highlights also peek out from her backlit shelf lighting, spice container lids, mugs on display in the kitchen, and the bars in front of the above bed shelving.
Tiny Touches Make a Place Feel Like Home
Brenda made a wall separating the cab and living area and installed a charming curved pocket door, reminiscent of a tiny version of an old medieval castle door. She stores tons of clothes in her above cab storage area and also in her ceiling-mounted cabinets–according to her, way more than she needs!
She chose to forego storage cabinets above her bed and put up miles and miles of shelving for her beloved plants instead. These, along with her favorite splurge of the build, and her amazing marine skylight, give the van a green, outdoorsy vibe.
Brenda’s kitchen has a beautiful L-shaped butcher block countertop with a deep under-mount sink in the corner to maximize counter space. The brightly colored tilework of her backsplash adds a nice, homey touch to the kitchen. The space is rounded out by a pop-up table that serves as Brenda’s desk and a hammock as her seat for her 9-to-5 remote job. The bed doubles as a couch/lounge area. Brenda and her father created a section of the bed on a hinge so that it could be lifted up to a couch position, thereby opening space in the garage for larger items.
Make Special Spaces for Your Pets
Ranger uses a pull-out bed extension for a step to jump up onto the bed and even has his own little cozy cubby tucked away under the bed for when he cannot go on hikes, or she has to leave him in the van.
“If this lifestyle is resonating with you at all, this lifestyle, this dream that has changed my life, I just strongly recommend you keep watching videos, listen to podcasts, follow people on Instagram. Learn as much as you can, I was learning about this for three-years before I finally got to do it!”
And finally, her advice is to ‘just take the leap!” Brenda couldn’t be happier, she has the home she has always dreamed of and the freedom lifestyle to go with it!
To see Brenda’s full tour:
Follow Brenda on Instagram @theroadthroughmyeyes
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