Transforming an empty cargo van into a comfortable and functional adventure machine was hard work, and took us three years to complete. But some of the last things we did to our tiny home on wheels were the most fun – adding personal touches everywhere that make our van uniquely ours.

We took great care not to clutter up the clean lines of our build-out. But a splash of color here and there, and incorporating some bits of nature into our design make all the difference.

As grey hikers, the color “grey” is a recurring motif for us. So Karen repurposed some old grey curtains from a friend into some lovely matching pillow shams, a privacy curtain, and even sleeves for the sun-shades. The effect is subtle but provides a continuity of design throughout the van.

We often collect shells and rocks and interesting bits of nature when we adventure. Sometimes we make jewelry with these findings, sometimes it inspires a bit of poetry, and sometimes we incorporate it into our van. The first thing people notice when we open up the van is a beautiful, shiny-smooth branch of cedar serves as our grab bar. We also turned seashells and interesting rocks into handles for some of our cabinet doors. The center section of our dash is filled with an ever-changing collection of such findings and the odd trinket.

A map of our favorite trail, the Appalachian Trail, adorns the front of our pantry door. And plenty of hiking-related and hippie stickers are multiplying on the back end of our van (so much for being stealthy).

Finally, we have some skinny art attached to the walls in the back: a small painting, by Susan Henderson, of an iconic rock structure from our Newfoundland hike; and hand-made boomerang that is just too pretty to throw.

All of this may change over time as our own personal taste evolve, but for now it works for us.