This School Bus Is The Cutest Tiny Home Ever. Let’s Take A Tour

It's the age of minimalism, #vanlife, and Tiny House Nation, more people than ever are looking to streamline their routines. Julie Puckett and her husband, Andrew, first chased the simple life just over two years ago, and they're still rolling with it (pun very much intended). The couple's 200-square-foot home, which they somehow also share with their dog, Starbuck, and cat, Mr. Butters, is fashioned from an old school bus. Let's take a tour of the teeny-tiny sanctuary.

It really began with wanting more control over our finances. We were ready to move past apartment living, but not interested in the burden and commitment that comes with investing in a traditional home. The prospect of being able to move our home to a new location for vacations, or even for months at a time, was also very appealing.

I spent countless hours choosing decor as we completed the renovations, so as soon as those were done it immediately looked and felt so perfectly cozy. I fell in love right away.

The biggest challenge was trying to choose colors and textures that wouldn't overload the senses in such a small space. I didn't want it to feel sterile, either. About a year into living in the bus, I added a few punches of color by switching out the rug and throwing in some coral pillows, and it made it feel so much more vibrant.

The most rewarding feeling is when the bus is clean and tidy and the windows are open. I love being in a beautiful, serene space I've created from top to bottom. It was hard work, but I'm so proud of it.

I like to think I do! I don't know how I'll ever live in a typical house again that doesn't come outfitted with hidden storage. We built all the furniture ourselves—the couch opens up to reveal storage, as does the bed. But the storage solutions I love the most are the ones in plain sight. Our side table—a silver drum with a wooden lid that's just the right height to set your coffee on—is gorgeous, and it hides extra storage really well! We're always looking for pieces that do double duty.

The oldest thing in our home is my great-grandmother's menorah. I feel honored to have such a special family heirloom in our home. The newest thing? A brass narwhal tea light holder from CB2! I'm obsessed with narwhals and whales.

We can hear a little bit of ambient noise from neighbors, but not much, which surprised me. What we can hear a lot of is rain! The metal roof magnifies the sound of the rain, so we can hardly hear each other talk if it's raining hard enough. I've come to like it, though. It's a comforting sound now.

While I keep track of design trends, I never fully design a space around them. Home design shouldn't be fast fashion, unless you're redesigning every few years. I'll occasionally find ways to incorporate trends I like with small pieces that are easily swapped out. I like to place a few fun, eccentric touches here and there that really speak to who I am as an individual. Design should be fun! It's a living, changing thing, and if it's taken too seriously, the space is reflective of that.

Our home feels like a beach house in a lot of ways, and that makes me feel so calm and at ease. When everything is organized, it feels like everything inside me is tidy and calm, as well. Tiny spaces get cluttered very quickly, and a messy 200-square-foot home is a bit of a nightmare.

When people say that seeing our space (whether in person or on the internet) has inspired them to do something they care about. I don't think everyone should rush out and buy a bus or a tiny house, but I do think it's important to give yourself the grace needed to take risks in your life. If I'm helping people go after their dream, that's the best thing that I could possibly be doing.

Over the next year or so, we're going to find land of our own to host the bus as an Airbnb! To someone looking to make the transition to tiny, the idea of a tiny home or bus conversion is mostly abstract until you spend time in one, and our hope is that opening our bus to others will help them find the peace of mind to pursue another avenue. I also think it would be the perfect retreat for someone looking for some cozy, quiet time. And who knows: If children are in our future, I may need a retreat of my own!

Here's a primer on how to bring some of Julie's style into your own space, no matter what size it is.

To peek inside more feel-good sanctuaries from around the world, check out the rest of our Holistic Home Tours.