A Multifunctional, Open, Welcoming Small/Cool Space
A Multifunctional, Open, Welcoming Small/Cool Space
Name: Emily Soon
Blog or website: https://www.simplesmallspaceliving.com
Instagram: @emsvanlife
Size: 72 sq ft
Home type: Converted cargo van
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Years lived in: 4 months, owned
Household: A pet fish
Have any design professionals worked on this space: True North Custom Campers converted my van; however the layout and design were my own.
Describe your space:
When planning my van build for full-time living, I made sure to create a space that felt like a home and not a van I was camping in. I didn’t want to have to be a setup crew transforming tables to beds twice a day. My space mixes my love for simplicity, clean lines, and minimalism. It has a relaxed vibe and a warm, calming color palette inspired by my time living in Australia chasing waterfalls through jungles, driving down dusty red dirt roads, exploring white sand beaches and swimming in clear turquoise waters.
Did you DIY anything in your space? And, if so, what's your favorite DIY?
When planning the decor for my van, I knew I wanted a tropical vibe. I also knew I needed to rein myself in from overwhelming the space with too much pizazz. My Nature’s Head Composting Toilet is “hidden” under one of my bench seats that makes up my dinette/couch area. Just a box surrounding a toilet, I decided this was just the spot for the pizazz. On a tight budget, and unsure of how the end result would turn out, I purchased a roll of drawer liner contact paper in a palm tree pattern for $6.99 and “wallpapered” my new “bathroom.”
How do you make your small space work for you and feel bigger than it really is?
Making my space multifunctional means that clever, sneaky storage is “hidden” all over my van. My two-seat dinette drops into a 6' x 2' couch/guest bed. I have storage under one bench seat and my bathroom under the other. Due to the height of the toilet and the 4” high-density foam custom-made cushions, the bench seat is an odd height. In order to reduce “foot dangle” when sitting at the table, I added a 6” step up between the two seats. Under the step up, I have a 2ft sq lockable drawer. I added a flip-up extension in my kitchen for extra counter space.
How does your home reflect you?
When designing the layout of the van, organization was integral for me. Every aspect of how it would function most efficiently, where items would be stored and how furniture could be multipurpose with minimal effort were planned from the beginning. The design was kept minimal, with clean lines and doors on every cupboard to hide any clutter. As a career event planner and an organized person by nature, my van’s well thought out design, clever storage, multipurpose furniture and clean lines reflect my personality in a nutshell. It’s just not as funny as I am, but we’re working on that.