Inspirational mood boards by SoCal Vintage Trailer Design

What do you want?  When following your passion, the advice is to find what makes you feel good and go do more of that.  If you believe in manifesting or the law of attraction, then the next step is that more of what you like shows up.  It’s not all magic and mantras.  You have to put in the work too.  Part of the work is focusing on what you want, how you want to feel.  Then letting go of the “how” and having faith that each “feel good” step will take you to what you want in life.  To showcase this as a real life example, I am sharing with you two mood boards for vintage trailers that are a part of my vision for creating a nomad life.

Following My Nomad Vision

After selling my house in a suburb of New York City, we moved to Oregon.  We wanted to live in either a tiny house, a skoolie (converted bus), a container or some kind of RV.  What we bought was a 1975 27’ vintage Airstream that had some previous restoration work started.  The project of renovating this camper, we came to realize, was our form of play.  My adventure partner and I love deconstructing and reconstructing.  

The fun thing about renovating old trailers is that you get to make them your own. I love making things unique.  Since the model is called a “Land Yacht” and my partner is a sailor, we decided to go with this theme.  I put together Pinterest boards (https://www.pinterest.com/adventurewednesdays/vintage-airstream-remodel-wednesday-the-adventurer/ and https://www.pinterest.com/adventurewednesdays/land-yacht-airstream-design-board/ ).  

Mood Boards for Vintage Trailers

3D mood boards done for clients to give the feel of their future vintage camper

Last summer we attended a weekend seminar on vintage trailer renovations.  The classes fueled Ken’s dreams for his part in becoming a nomad – possibly building vintage trailers for clients across the USA.  The classes fueled my desires for creating and turning my ideas into reality. 

One class on creating designs for vintage trailers discussed mood boards.  This, to me, is one step in doing the work for envisioning your dreams.  A mood board is very similar to the concept of vision boards.  It puts the focus on what you want – or more specifically, how you want to feel.  The question then becomes – how do I want to feel when I am in my tiny home?

Wednesday the Adventure Airstream

“Before” images of Wednesday. The possibilities of what to do with her were overwhelming.

Creating a mood board helps focus and lessen that overwhelming feeling.

When I told people I want to design Wednesday with a nautical theme, so many people automatically think that means doing things like whale wallpaper and towels with anchors on them.  The “Aha” moment from the design seminar was that I wanted to create a “mood” vs decor items.  My goal is to feel aboard a sailboat within the airstream without resorting to lighthouse sculptures.  The mood board helps communicate this concept to others.  Additionally, it helps me focus on what exactly I do want, and how I want to feel when I will be living in my little space.

Astro the 1962 14’ Aristocrat

A different kind of vintage camper has joined the stable!

Recently, a second vintage camper came into our life, a 1962 Aristocrat Hi-Liner (a version that has a bunk bed).  Talk about manifesting!  Ken attracted this little trailer into our lives, and his future business.  For now, it will be my office and our “staff kitchen” until the Airstream is completed.  This little cutie needs work, after all it is almost 60 years old and the bones are made of wood.  

Doing some research, there is a much smaller community for these type of campers than airstreams.  The model we have, a Hi-Liner, is a rare find.  Apparently the popularity of the Aristocrat lines were the benefit of the Low-Liners fitting inside normal car garages.  Our version does not.  Many vintage campers of this ilk, like the more popular Shastas, enjoy their “original parts” and mid-century looks.  While many are adorable, they aren’t my style.

We found a name for this little camper: Astro! After the Jetson’s dog (the TV show aired 1961-1962!)

Thinking out of the box, and on trend, Ken suggested we make it a tequila bar.  (Did your mind go straight to that old “Tequila” song?? Mine does!). Looking at what was going on in 1962, I came across the Jetson’s…and their dog Astro!  All of a sudden, I knew that the mood I want for our “Astro” is a retro-future style tequila cocktail camper.  To feel the illusion of the “good old days” of the JFK Camelot years combined with playful ‘the future is now.’

The good news?  Our potential client loves this design concept, and fits in with how he wants to feel while glamping with friends.

Mood Board for Your Life?

What do you want?  Or rather, how do you want to feel?  Are you ready to create your own mood board?  Manifesting isn’t about instant gratification.  It also isn’t about things.  The key, as exemplified in our vintage trailer mood boards, is what steps are you open to taking to create the way you want to feel?  If manifesting a vintage trailer adventure is something you want in your life, let us know!  I can help you with the adventure mindset to get there, or (as we get this business going) find a fun camper to make uniquely yours!