The van life movement is all about embracing minimalism and a nomadic lifestyle, swapping out a traditional home for a life on the road. One popular genre of van life vehicle is the “Skoolie”—a retired school bus that has been refitted into a tiny homes on wheels. When graphic designer Matthew Welsh Weinberger, founder of web agency Killdisco Design, was asked to transform a 38-foot 1980s school bus into a rolling home for a family of five, he immediately envisioned a Scandinavian-inspired Skoolie.

“I accepted the challenge sight unseen, even though I’ve never built or designed anything in a mobile capacity,” says Welsh Weinberger. “What I love about these clients is their openness for adventure as a family unit. The ultimate goal was to create a rolling space for the growing family to experience life outside the city—and to do it successfully for more than just a weekend jaunt.”

The brief was for a complete transformation that would enable the family to comfortably travel the country in the tiny mobile home. As a result, it needed to include a full stand-up shower, a bathroom with composting toilet, a private master bed, bunk beds for the kids, a fold-up office compartment, a kitchen, and a living/dining area incorporating seating with safety belts.

To keep costs down, the decision was made to keep some existing elements from the partially renovated bus—including the welded-in freshwater tank and appliances, such as the washing machine, dishwasher, oven, and fridge.

“We’re planning to spend our summers living in it, traveling across the US and to Canada, to stay with my wife’s family,” says the owner. “They all live humbly in small homes, and it’s a little cramped now that we have a family of five. This allows us to stay there instead of a hotel, but it also gives us the comfort of a home. Eventually, if this works, then we will begin to transition to full-time bus living.”

The sloped ceiling and tiny 250-square-foot interior made designing the layout challenging. The open-plan space contains two seating areas, a full kitchen, bunk beds with storage for the kids, a bathroom with a shower and toilet, a hallway with storage and appliances, and a comfortable master bedroom with a wardrobe. “It was important that we established personal and private spaces for the individuals to use while living in a fully communal environment,” says Welsh Weinberger.

Midway through the project, the clients announced they were having another baby. To accommodate the new arrival, the kitchen table was redesigned to drop to the level of seating to provide an additional bed platform.

Given the size constraints, it was essential to build in storage wherever possible. As a result, the benches in the main living space all conceal storage space beneath hinged tops, and the kitchen cabinets were designed to optimize space.

The bathroom was another challenge. “We wanted a bathroom that didn’t feel like a typical RV—no white plastic sheeting, weird half bath, or half toilet,” says Welsh Weinberger. “The client requested a modern and sophisticated composting toilet that we were able to vent to the roof of the bus, complete with a 12-volt powered exhaust fan.”

Shop the Look

The skoolie’s material palette was inspired by modern Scandinavian design, and it’s defined by abundant birch mixed with welded black metal details. “I just love the look of raw birch,” says Welsh Weinberger. “It’s readily available in a number of categories and makes for a warming tone throughout. The material ended up playing quite nicely with the flat-black industrial elements.”

Apart from necessary welding, cleaning, and repairs, the exterior of the Skoolie has been left in its original condition. “The bus has a lot of character, and there are many ways to do the exterior,” says Welsh Weinberger. “The family would prefer to wait and understand the personality of the bus before they put an outfit on that may not suit it.”

While the Scandinavian Skoolie “wasn’t done on the cheap”—it features high-quality finishes, such as a Corian kitchen counter—every decision was carefully considered to make the most of the budget. Welsh Weinberger fabricated many of the bespoke elements in his home workshop, such as the black acrylic bathroom doors and stainless-steel kitchen backsplash. A flexible timeline was essential to this approach, and the project took two years to complete.

“This was a passion project for both myself and the client, which allowed for some flexibility on timing” says Welsh Weinberger. “I was surprised how much time was eaten up by the continuous song and dance to court various tradesmen to come out to the site after explaining it was a school bus. Nine out of ten would hang up.”

“Thinking about the bus is a spark of joy, and I can’t wait to escape,” says the owner. “I was initially nervous about driving the bus and living in it full time. When we first drove it back to Los Angeles, though, all the small challenges—trying to park, going up steep hills—were lost among the joy of cruising together. The family didn’t play with screens the whole way. We just enjoyed the drive and adventure, played games, laughed, and felt the calling of a simpler life. Coffee in the kitchen, snuggling in the back room, playing cards at the dining table, stopping at roadside gas stations…the bus is magical.”

A Couple Convert An Old School Bus Into A Light and Efficient Family Home

A Classic School Bus Becomes This Family of Four’s Home on the Road

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Matthew Welsh Weinberger, Killdisco Design

Photography: Roehner + Ryan