When Gabriel and Debbie Mayes decided to embrace the tiny house movement, they knew the transition would be anything but easy. For starters, they—along with their four children—were used to calling 5,000 square feet home. But they were intrigued with the idea of living in a much smaller space, so when they found "Skoolie," an old school bus, they knew the time had come to take the plunge and downsize.

Yet, before they could kickstart their adventure on the road, they had to conduct a major DIY renovation. After months of hard work, the Mayes Team successfully transformed the 250-square-foot bus into a comfortable home for their family.

Keep scrolling for all the fascinating "before" and "after" images.

Before:

In the redesign, the couple eschewed a common center aisle layout, as they did not want people walking into the bus and having a sightline to the sleeping area. Therefore, they decided to cluster the kitchen and bathroom together about midway through the bus's length.

By positioning the children's bunks and master bedroom toward the back, they were able to keep the social areas—such as the kitchen and living space—separated from the private sleeping quarters.

For finishes, they opted for a predominantly black, white, and gray palette, while also incorporating wood accents for warmth.

After:

To learn more about this renovation, or to follow along with the family's travels, check out their website and Instagram.