Life in a Pimped-Out Airstream

We've always loved the retro-vibe of the Airstream, but these designer trailers sport as much style inside as they do out.

Sure, Airstream trailers are fun to look at, but could you live in one?

It turns out that these retro cuties make for a very comfortable home -- at least that's what we learned after we chatted with several Airstream enthusiasts about their designer trailers. (We even peeked at Airstream Life, the must-read for anyone who loves their Airstream as much as life itself!)

California Dream

Californian architect Barbara Brown and her husband Dan Shugrue own a 1988 Airstream Excella 25 that they restored and decorated in their own style, which they call "a 1960's 'vision of the future.'"

One of their top priorities in the restoration was to make sure that the trailer remained road-worthy. In other words, they didn't want it to be so precious that the design didn't function for them.

Call Barbara's space-age style "retro-modern." Her trailer is infused with contemporary materials (think: a sleek black vinyl banquette meets silver pedestal table). Or, it's like "George Jetson meets Eero Saarinen," she says. Still, the trailer is very livable.

To keep up with the inevitable wear and tear, Barbara used a durable Chilewich floor mat that has an aluminum weave. The kitchen and bathroom are decorated with stainless fixtures and door pulls. Barbara also used the lack of color to create focal points. For example, the black vinyl booth and black plastic laminate in the bathroom contrast nicely with all of the silver.

Other high-style details include perforated metal, a retro-style microwave and a floor-lit path to the bathroom. Despite the high-stylin', this couple's main focus is traveling: they've logged about 33,000 miles so far exploring the Western and Southern states, as well as Canada.

Airstream As Guest House

Another Californian, Michael Epstein, owns a Christopher Deam edition Airstream that launched in 2007. If you don't know Christopher Deam, he's a pretty famous designer who has a penchant for Airstreams and mobile living.

Michael says he initially planned to build a guest house, but instead opted for this designer trailer for both economy and efficiency. He put it in his back yard. "I liked the modern feel and it seemed younger and fresher," Michael says.

His guests seem to love the privacy, although Michael has never stayed in the trailer himself. Since it's used quite often as a guest house, he doesn't use it for travel: essentially the trailer is fixed in its position and can't be moved.

Have Airstream, Will Travel

Paul Welshmeyer is another Californian Airstream enthusiast (I sense a location theme here!). His stylish 1958 Airstream Traveler trailer is "designed to work," he says. He's logged over 10,000 miles with his family, spending a week each December camping in the Mojave desert. His children have practically grown up in the trailer.

However, it wasn't always stylish or functional. When he first bought the trailer, he and his boys ripped everything out and took the contents to the city dump. "We never looked back," says Paul. From then on, it was a two-year labor of love.

Once the trailer was completed and after various tests to be sure that it functioned well for travel, Paul and his family have been enjoying it ever since. Notably, Paul, an architect, won an American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Exceptional Residential Design for his Airstream design.

What's so special? Inside, he used perforated wood and custom designed furnishings to update the 1950s trailer without removing the charm of the original design. Everything was designed to have at least two uses, and often this camping trailer became an office for Paul on job sites.

The Airstream community is tightly knit -- a love of functional design seems to bring these enthusiasts together. Many know each others trailers and communicate online about their travels. "There are not many Airstreams out there," says Michael Epstein, "and I believe this has formed a bond amongst owners."