Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
Streetcars carried passengers through the streets of Santa Cruz until 1926 when they were decommissioned and replaced by buses. If you've ever wondered what happened to the historic streetcars you'll want to take a look at this streetcar home design that Mary and Gerhard Ringel live in.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
From the moment you set eyes on this unique tiny house you are sure to be surprised as it is like nothing you've seen before. From the exterior, the tiny house does not look like a streetcar, painted in bright primary colors the home has a sunny look and feel. Inside you step into a good-sized living room, with a beautiful stained glass-looking ceiling feature and wooden floors.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
There is a full-sized bathroom with a claw foot bathtub with a shower, sink, and toilet. The streetcar home design also has a full-sized kitchen with everything you need.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
There is a dining area with a table and chairs and a wood stove in the living area to keep things warm when the weather gets cooler. There is also a bedroom. When you go up the stairs to the small covered porch and front door you have to stoop a little to get in the door.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
While the home does feel spacious there are however lower ceilings compared to a standard-sized home. When the couple first purchased the streetcars, they were pretty run down.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
Gerhard replaced the acrylic, plastic windows with lightboxes with LED lights in them to create the look of stained glass, they look beautiful, and the lights change color. When they first bought the streetcar home it had a lot of colors, and they wanted to keep that vibe and energy because that is how Santa Cruz is. But as the couple is grandparents they wanted to tone that color down just a bit so they hired a painter who helped them with the task by recommending they put their ideas in an idea book where they then put their ideas on Houzz and got feedback.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
The streetcars are made from Redwood which is why they have lasted for over a hundred years. The streetcar home is in an idyllic location in Santa Cruz where when Mary opens the windows she can spell the ocean air and hear the sound of the sea lions barking on the wharf.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
The home is within easy walking distance of the beach with easy access to various running trails. In between the bedroom and the bathroom is an actual streetcar door, from the bedroom to the bathroom you are actually going to where the conductor might have sat, and so there is this door that runs on tracks. So when you open and close the door you can hear that rumbling like you might have heard if you were in the streetcar in the 1920s.
Grandparents Turn Some Old Streetcars Into the Dreamiest Tiny Home: the Ceilings Are to Die for
The streetcar home design has 750 square feet of space. Downsizing from a larger home really forced the couple to organize their stuff and get everything in order. The couple love living in the unique home and enjoy having their children and grandchildren over to visit.