How a couple transformed an old school bus from the 1980s into their mid-century modern dream home

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Monica HumphriesJan 28, 2021, 22:25 IST
How a couple transformed an old school bus from the 1980s into their mid-century modern dream home

A photo of the bus before and after the renovation.Adelita

  • Christine Saldana and Kathy Mariscal purchased a 298-square-foot school bus from the 1980s they named Adelita.
  • This summer they spent five months renovating it into their mid-century modern tiny home on wheels.
  • The couple added custom-built furniture and estimate the entire skoolie cost $50,000.
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Meet Adelita, a mid-century modern school bus designed by Christine Saldana, 28, and Kathy Mariscal, 34.

Meet Adelita, a mid-century modern school bus designed by Christine Saldana, 28, and Kathy Mariscal, 34.
The couple renovated a school bus. Adelita

Last year, the couple decided they wanted to start saving for the future. After realizing that rent was their largest expense, they searched for ways to lower that monthly cost.

Saldana came up with the idea of living on a bus.

"We could save up a lot of money, get married, and use the money to start a family," Mariscal told Insider. "Living on a bus was the best option."

So, they set out to make the thought a reality and purchased a bus to renovate and turn into their mid-century modern dream home.

Read more: A couple and their dog live full-time in a 298-square-foot bus they transformed into their mid-century modern dream home on wheels

The couple purchased a 298-square-foot bus in June and hired contractors to help them transform it into their dream home.

The couple purchased a 298-square-foot bus in June and hired contractors to help them transform it into their dream home.
A picture of the couple when they first picked up their bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

The couple purchased the 1998 Crown Coach bus for $7,500.

At first, they wanted to do the entire renovation themselves but decided to hire experts with experience.

A contractor added the walls, AC, plumbing, and electrical systems, and they hired someone to paint the exterior of their home.

Fortunately, a family member has a furniture company, so most of their pieces were custom-built for the bus.

After renovations, the couple estimates the entire home cost them around $50,000.

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After spending the summer renovating, the couple and their dog, Lolita, moved into their skoolie in October.

After spending the summer renovating, the couple and their dog, Lolita, moved into their skoolie in October.
The couple, left, their dog, Lolita, right. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

The bus features an open living room that connects to a kitchen area. It also has a bedroom, closet, and bathroom.

The entrance of the bus welcomes you into the living room area.

The entrance of the bus welcomes you into the living room area.
The view from the front of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

Image of side of bus with door open

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When they were designing the layout of their school bus, they focused on creating a large living room.

When they were designing the layout of their school bus, they focused on creating a large living room.
A sketch of the bus' layout. @adelita_buslife/Instagram/Insider

The couple designed the entire bus themselves.

"We picked everything, down to the size, width, color, fabric," Mariscal said.

The couple added

They wanted it to be their biggest space since that's the area they planned to spend the most time in.

Inside the living room, a pink couch quickly became the focal point of the space.

Inside the living room, a pink couch quickly became the focal point of the space.
A before-and-after photo of the interior of the school bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

Fortunately, Saldana's sister and brother-in-law own a furniture company, so they helped Saldana and Mariscal create their picture-perfect space.

The couple wanted the interior to feel timeless and settled on a mid-century modern design.

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The living room also has a yellow corduroy chair and some shelving.

The living room also has a yellow corduroy chair and some shelving.
The living room area of the bus. Adelita

The living room also features a yellow corduroy co-captain chair, which is where Saldana sits when the couple travels to new destinations.

Lolita's bed sits in the living room, and the couple added some bookshelves for extra storage.

Behind the living room is the kitchen area.

Behind the living room is the kitchen area.
A rectangle outlines the kitchen area of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram/Insider

For the kitchen, the couple focused on the essentials.

Mariscal said she does most of the cooking, and instead of using a stove or oven, she cooks on a hotplate and Crockpot for most of their meals.

The kitchen also has a full-sized refrigerator and sink.

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The kitchen features wood countertops, teal cabinets, and a leather dinette.

The kitchen features wood countertops, teal cabinets, and a leather dinette.
Left, before the kitchen was complete, right, the completed space. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

The couple wanted to make sure their home felt as airy as possible, so they sacrificed things like upper cabinets to create an open look.

Across from the sink and cabinets, the leather dinette functions as the couple's kitchen table and seats four.

Across from the sink and cabinets, the leather dinette functions as the couple's kitchen table and seats four.
The leather dinette. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

Read more: A family of 4 lives in a 350-square-foot RV that has multiple bathrooms, a washer and dryer, and a fireplace

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Behind the kitchen table is the bathroom.

Behind the kitchen table is the bathroom.
A sketch highlighting the bathroom area of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram/Insider

A contractor added a bathroom, which features a small sink, compost toilet, and shower.

A contractor added a bathroom, which features a small sink, compost toilet, and shower.
A picture of the bathroom's construction. @adelita_buslife/Instagram
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The couple chose to cover the bathroom with pink tiles.

The couple chose to cover the bathroom with pink tiles.
The bathroom includes a shower, sink, and compost toilet. Adelita

While there isn't a designated shower area, there is a showerhead and the entire room is waterproof.

Across from their bathroom and behind the kitchen is the couple's shared closet.

Across from their bathroom and behind the kitchen is the couple's shared closet.
A sketch highlighting the closet of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram/Insider
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The two women have to fit their entire wardrobe in a closet that's about four feet by four feet.

The two women have to fit their entire wardrobe in a closet that's about four feet by four feet.
The closet is the main storage area of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

Mariscal and Saldana told Insider that downsizing was the hardest part of moving into a tiny home.

"Not all of the things we had in a regular apartment were going to fit in a bus," Saldana told Insider. "Letting go of a lot of our stuff was hard."

Finally, at the back of the bus is the couple's bedroom.

Finally, at the back of the bus is the couple's bedroom.
A sketch highlighting the bedroom of the bus. @adelita_buslife/Instagram/Insider
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The bedroom area has natural light and a queen-sized mattress.

The bedroom area has natural light and a queen-sized mattress.
The back of the bus is the couple's bedroom. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

The bedroom area is about 60-square-feet, so just enough to fit their queen-sized mattress and two walkways on both sides.

They've kept access to the emergency exit in the back, the area is filled with windows so the room to get lots of natural light.

Lolita loves to join the ladies on the bed, and so far, the pup has learned to love bus life, the couple said.

The exterior of the bus also got a new look with a fresh coat of paint.

The exterior of the bus also got a new look with a fresh coat of paint.
The couple repainted the school bus a pink color. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

The couple said the color of their bus sparked quite a debate.

Mariscal wanted a pink color, while Saldana wanted blue.

At the end of the day, they chose a pink shade that matches their iconic couch.

Read more: Before-and-after photos show how a family of 5 transformed an outdated RV into a modern space that they now live in full-time

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Overall, the couple said they're proud of themselves and the work that went into their home.

Overall, the couple said they're proud of themselves and the work that went into their home.
Mariscal, top, Saldana, below, and Lolita, their pup on the right. @adelita_buslife/Instagram

"We made every single penny, nickel, and dime count for this bus," Mariscal told Insider. "It almost seems surreal sometimes. We did this."

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