He lives in a trailer? ehhhhhh…. WHOA
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With the great response to my pirate ship bedroom blog, I searched the internet for an even more amazing bedroom and I found this guy’s trailer. You might be wondering, “A trailer? Really? How can that beat a pirate ship with a 2 story slide and drawbridge?” It just does!
Meet Matthew Hofmann. He lives in a trailer. Before you judge him, check out his trailer! It’s way nicer than anything you’ve probably lived in, myself included. It’s also eco-friendly and shiny!
“Many of my clients are in Santa Barbara, so after looking at some tiny yet still expensive condos and lofts, I purchased and remodeled a 1978, 25-foot Airstream trailer on a whim on Craigslist.”
“Material scraps from the Airstream, pictured above before the remodel, were sent to a recycling yard. That included hardware, braces, tracks, rods and plastic paneling. All of the old appliances and fixtures — refrigerator, oven, sink, toilet — were sold on Craigslist or donated. That extended the life of old materials and prevented them from heading to the landfill.”
My words: I think it’s great he made the trailer green. All environmentally conscious men get extra points!
“For the new dining area, I replaced the existing tabletop with Cali Bamboo natural strand bamboo while reusing the table posts. The old tabletop was reconditioned and used as shelving in the cabinetry. The dinette doubles as a guest bed.”
“By removing the table posts and lowering the top to seat level, it also converts to what I call a media lounge where I can play movies on my 27-inch iMac. The office printer is tucked into a custom-built pullout drawer under the bench. I sold my plasma TV, DVD player, audio receiver, seven-speaker surround sound, desktop PC, laptop computer, wireless home speaker system and portable radio.”
My words: I’m not gonna lie, I don’t think those beds look like they’d be very comfortable to sleep on (even when they’re extended) but I guess I can’t judge without trying it. But in reference to that media center… uhhhhh….WANT! That setup is amazing! If I won the lottery I’d spend a good $15k at the Apple store.
“The kitchen has a Moen stainless-steel sink with a Euro-modern 23-inch pull-out spray chrome faucet. New appliances include an Atwood Wedgewood three-burner propane stainless gas cooktop, Target countertop stainless-steel toaster oven and Norcold refrigerator.”
My words: Amazingly beautiful! I love the butcher block counters. The faucet seems a little over the top for a trailer, but hey… do your thing.
His words: “One of my favorite purchases was a Hafele Kessebohmer integrated pullout pantry system. Hafele also makes a very cool Moovit drawer box system and cutlery tray inserts. Those German designers know their driving machines and storage devices.
I’m 6-foot-4, so I designed a generous convertible bed using locally supplied, lightweight materials. I hired a seamstress to hand-sew Sunbrella indoor-outdoor fabric cushions from CushionsXpress. Underneath the bed is the original roll-up cabinets from Airstream. ArchiTech in-wall speakers sound like a high-fidelity surround-sound system.”
My words: Excuse me, The Germans? The Swedes have been doing it big in the storage department for years. Ikea, bro! :)
His words: “The bathroom was easily my greatest indulgence. Attractive, durable and sustainable custom-cut counter tops are by Custom Cali Natural Strand Bamboo. The shower was handcrafted with practical and pleasing curves using tiny glass tiles and a custom-built redwood shower pan. Water temperature and power are controlled through a Grohe Euphoria chrome fixture.
A14-inch glass vessel sink sits under a single-handle faucet. The room’s custom LED light has two-stage brightness, from ultra-low to high voltage. The towel bars, TP holder and other accessories were from the Grohe Essentials line. “
My words: That bathroom is gorgeous. I love the tiling. It does seem cramped, but I like that he took the curtain and glass off the shower so it makes it feel bigger.
And here’s the handsome that built everything. WHAT’D I TELL YOU? He’s a catch! If you have questions or want to see more of Matthew Hofmann’s designs visit his website http://www.hofarc.com/category/blog/ and read more about his time on the road.
Does he come with the Mobile home? (o;
Brilliant design. Obviously he is a talented man with a keen eye for potential. One can only hope that he is given more opportunities to surprise us with the possibilities currently hibernating beneath the dregs being mindlessly disregarded.
March 14, 2011 at 8:46 PM
Way to be pretentious about a trailer.
March 26, 2011 at 4:55 PM
I actually lived in a trailer for several months. My folks towed it from Maine to California (!) when we moved in 1960. With four kids (!!) And kid #5 arrived 6 months after we moved out (do the math – !!!!) We lived in it for about four months. It was pretty nice inside, but crowded (duh). Some of the places we stopped at were very, very nice, others little more than vacant lots. Quality of life is as much the trailer park as the trailer. It was certainly one of my formative life adventures.
March 14, 2011 at 8:49 PM
*yawn*
March 14, 2011 at 9:19 PM
are you kidding
April 21, 2011 at 8:16 PM
Wow, he sounds self-absorbed, arrogant and snobby. You can have him and his trailer both. Yuck.
March 14, 2011 at 9:24 PM
That’s amazing!
March 14, 2011 at 9:34 PM
I’m sure this story wouldn’t have been written if he was a short, fat guy that looked like Danny DeVito.
March 14, 2011 at 10:06 PM
He’s due at the gym in 26 minutes.
March 14, 2011 at 10:07 PM
will need to look him up… my momma’s renovating her trailer in the park, and i think this is just the guy for me to hire.
*swoons, falls over footstool, breaks femur, and reaches for mobile phone to call ambulance*
March 14, 2011 at 10:34 PM
He is suuuuuper hot! Probably the best part of the entire article was the last picture. :)
March 26, 2011 at 1:40 PM
That is a really cool looking trailer. It just goes to show, with some time and creativity…and of course money, you can make anything look amazing.
March 14, 2011 at 11:37 PM
He kept the tambour doors on the upper cabinets, good on ‘im! Most hipster architects would’ve ripped them out the first time they got their fingers pinched.
March 15, 2011 at 12:02 AM
Dear Bethany,
Your posts have an unfortunate habit of making you sound shallow, unintelligent, and bitchy.
Please try to avoid reproducing.
March 15, 2011 at 3:37 AM
Dear James F. Campbell,
Thank you for that surprisingly insightful comment. You should be a blog analyst because it was so revolutionary. I’m shocked (but not surprised) to find you don’t think my blog about JERSEY SHORE AND RANDOM THINGS I FIND AMUSING is high brow and intellectual. What ever shall I do? I better rethink everything. Tomorrow I’ll start writing about politics and stocks.
Please try to avoid leaving your mom’s basement.
-Bethany
March 15, 2011 at 7:57 AM
Dear James F. Campbell,
Your post had the unfortunate outcome of making you seem like you are writing from your mother’s basement with a small man’s complex surrounded by your comic books. These days it doesn’t take much to be an internet bully.
Please try to avoid being a douche.
March 15, 2011 at 5:37 AM
that is one sweet trailer,i would live in it!
just think how much you can save on property tax!
March 15, 2011 at 6:03 AM
This is actually pretty cool! It looks awesome but I think all the windows would have me feeling like I have no privacy, despite the curtains.
Here’s a link to a similar way of thinking that I thought was pretty cool an that you and your readers might enjoy:
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
I’d like to see a post about one of these houses. :)
March 15, 2011 at 7:43 AM
Cool trailer. This article would have been so much better if it wasn’t written by a moron.
Bethany, you should listen to “James F. Campbell”. Your assumption that he “lives in his mom’s basement” was just one more example of what an example of what an idiot you are. How ironic that you insult others while revealing you basic lack of culture.
March 15, 2011 at 8:16 AM
@John Snook… You’re missing the piggyback joke off Darren P. Stevens but that’s OK if you’re just here to be mean and nasty. I’m here to enjoy this, because it’s cool it happened. thanks for your feedback and hope you have a great day. -Bethany
March 15, 2011 at 8:48 AM
Bethany,
Thanks for posting the pictures and narrative. Matthew did a fantastic job with the remodel.
March 15, 2011 at 8:26 AM
There’s no such thing as a stupid TV Show…only a stupid viewer. The beauty of the internet is that you can CHOOSE what blogs/sites you go to.
THis being said, CHOOSING to visit a blog and berating the author is like going to a book signing you werent INVITED to, but rather chose to attend, to give the author a piece of your self entitled mind and complain about being there in the first place.
Let that analogy sink in for a moment.
March 15, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Alejandro, you make an incredibly valid point. It really is that simple :)
There is really no need for hate towards Bethany. It’s a blog…close the fucking window if you’re offended…
March 27, 2011 at 10:03 AM
agreed
April 14, 2011 at 6:09 PM
I’ll keep my house… but there’s certainly room somewhere in there for him. I’m sure my husband wouldn’t mind. much.
March 15, 2011 at 12:21 PM
Maybe your husband wouldn’t mind at all. If you allow him the equivalent woman somewhere else in the house. Just have to make sure they never meet each other or you’ll both lose out.
March 30, 2011 at 2:04 AM
Inherited my uncle’s 1955 8′ x 50′ Peerless mobile home on a lake-front lot in 2005. It’s almost totally original. Uncle used it as his permanent retirement home; I use it for weekends (50 miles away). It’s comfortable and inexpensive to maintain. You’d be surprized how many people use small trailers for homes (vacation & permanent). A lot of “friends” are always hinting how they’d like to borrow my place for a vacation or park their boat free at my dock. doesn’t seem to be much trailer-snobbery then. Years ago I read in the San Diego Union-Tribune about a guy in Arizona (Tucson?) who restores old mobile homes. I submit this website for readers interested in older mobile homes (Atlas Mobile Home Museum): http://www.allmanufacturedhomes.com. He did a nice job with his Airstream; now let’s see what he can do with a 1958 Zimmer (or a 1969 Trotwood, ’63 Detroiter, ’68 Windsor, or the ’53 New Moon used in “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz).
March 15, 2011 at 1:56 PM
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Alejandro,
No, no my friend you are mistaken. There are indeed stupid TV programs. There are idiotic bloggers and simple minded comment posters as well as those who believe they have it all figured out. It is a function of the blogosphere that inaccuracies, misunderstandings and biases are called out by commenters. Otherwise folks would imagine that all they say is fantastic.
Bethany thanks for sharing about the trailer re-hab.
March 15, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Enjoyed your take on this, thanks for the post.
M
March 16, 2011 at 5:04 PM
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The article is cool, and the trailer is gorgeous.
March 25, 2011 at 2:57 PM
Great review! I have to say I think I love this guy Matt.
March 25, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Hi,
Just as an FYI, according to his website his name is spelled ‘Hofmann’. Matthew Hoffman is actually a murderer. Perhaps a fix is in order?
March 29, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Fixed it, thanks for telling me! I didn’t notice.
March 30, 2011 at 6:21 PM
Matt, your work is fantastic. Remember not to listen to the bad comments, they do not mean a thing. Some people just say stupid things because they do not know how to say something nice. Most likely they have never had anything nice said to them. Anyhow, keep it up, (the good work) you’ll go far… : )
March 29, 2011 at 5:58 PM
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Living in a trailer, unless constantly on the move, is still a very confined way to live. Personally I wouldn’t like it, but if he’s happy…
March 31, 2011 at 9:44 AM
where you get laid?
March 31, 2011 at 4:47 PM
where the bed room?
April 1, 2011 at 3:36 PM
Wow. that is very impressive. lots of talent!!!!
April 3, 2011 at 7:21 PM
That’s bad ass!
April 3, 2011 at 9:49 PM
I think this trailer’s pretty cool. Though I wouldn’t want to live there. The bathroom looks too cramped, I don’t have claustrophobia. However, I would probably become really claustrophobic in such a small bathroom. Still a cool idea though.
April 5, 2011 at 9:12 PM
I have worked with movie stars and seen some basic and some amazing trailers. Credit given to this guy for being innovative and futuristic by his design and layout whilst forward thinking in a bid to his bit for the greener planet. I am sure many of those I have provided security for would deam this as a vast improvement on some of the facilities they have been provided on-set.. good business opportunity and great market for expansion.. yep, I’d definitely stay in this and I’m not one for using trailers.
I’ll rate this 10/10 effort – 10/10 achievement
April 7, 2011 at 10:17 AM
I like the trailer and I emailed the story to my wife who loves AirStreams. My BIG question is not about the trailer or the blog but about the ugly nasty responses about the blog writer and the subject of the story. Where is the offensive content to warrant such comment? Is this a new sport or an attempt to build self esteem by tearing someone else down? I’ve started seeing comments in the same vein on other blogs and stories that, like this one, have virtually zero controversial content. The question is, in part, rhetorical but I would like some insight if anyone has any. It’s disturbing and baffling.
April 13, 2011 at 11:49 AM
@JS I’m not sure! There are always haters, I’ve learned to expect it. Thanks for stopping by! :)
April 13, 2011 at 12:40 PM
Ok Js here it is. this crap is pretentious. He built a lovely trailer now i on stumbeupon have to come across fucking idiots praising him to the sky. Can we have balance please?? It’s alright but ill take a house anyday, that retard who wrote the blog too seems like an anti-troll ie someone who cant say anything bad about anything. I think your view is somewhat biased too because he’s apparently attractive. For fuck sake can you look at something without letting sex come into play. Are you retarded?
Then you’ve got retards who say ” if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all” why dont you people just die, i wish you would. Your mother told you that as a child so that you wouldnt get confused if she told you to ” bite your tongue” but some of you retard actually havnt grown up and learned how to converse like adults. I really hate the pro apple content too. It looks fucking beautiful but my god are macs expensive pieces of crap.
April 14, 2011 at 2:10 PM
@Paddy
You are so egregiously self-righteous that I don’t even know where to begin picking apart your hate filled comment, so I simply wont because it would take far too long. I only have 3 things to say to you:
1. If you don’t like that you stumbled upon it (as I did) then just click the “Stumble!” button again. It really isn’t that hard.
2. Your over the top use of “retard” is insensitive and makes your argument seem very unintelligent.
3. There is no such thing as an “anti-troll”, simply good people. She says nice things because there are too many people like you in this world who seem to relish in hate mongering.
@Bethany, good for you to be able to step over the crap some people spew.
April 16, 2011 at 3:01 PM
Hahahhahahahahahaaaaaa, ohhhhh man, you’re killin it.
June 30, 2011 at 12:09 PM
you tell him, Ed ..why are people so jealous of talent..is it because they don’t have the energy or imagination to come up with such a great way to live? I could live in this home easily and would love to travel in it.
July 30, 2011 at 6:52 PM
ERm… Is that cutie single? lol
April 17, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Bethany,
Thank you for sharing something cool! I actually didn’t stumble it, I added your blog to my favorites because I liked it!
I appreciate this post because Matt took something old and used imagination and innovation and made something cool. And yea for him that he is good looking AND talented.
I think the trolls should have to walk around in real life with a “T” on their shirt. I think they speak up on the internet because they can’t in real life. Applause to you for keeping the crap where it belongs.
Thanks again for sharing!
April 17, 2011 at 5:18 PM
he’s hot
April 18, 2011 at 11:39 PM
This is SO cool!
As an aside: I never cease to be amazed by the multitudes of angry, hateful comments I see on web sites today – and on such benign topics like a trailer remodel??!! There sure is a lot of misdirected anger out there… very sad.
For the record, though, I LOVE this! Not sure I could live in such a small space, but kudos for the creativity and innovation!!
April 19, 2011 at 7:49 PM
Hi Leslie,
I fully agree with your comment about the hateful comments…you see more and more of them everywhere now.
I have chosen to ignore them…but I see it does get to some people. I believe if you respond to them, you’re bringing yourself down to their level, as that’s what they want.
But, to each their own. It’s just a shame that people from the West have evolved into such hateful and hate-filled people.
-Jeeem-
May 12, 2011 at 8:39 PM
Interesting article. I thought it was really neat how Matt was able to completely remodel that trailer and not only make it more spacious, but improved the living quality on the inside and making its operation much more environmentally-friendly. Good job!
However, I also find it interesting that with peoples’ comments about the author’s irrelevant focus on the remodeler’s looks at the end, that more people aren’t as a result opening their minds a little more and thinking not about the person’s looks but instead on what they achieved; there are several comments which completely ignore the point of the article: the achievement- and focus instead on the achiever. Conflicts of interest = ‘very yes’.
Also, simply put, it’s disappointing on the part of not only the frustrated commenter, but also on the part of the author, who responds with insults of their own, that are just as hurtful, from behind the guise of carefree nonchalance rather than concisely refuting their arguments and being done with them. (A more accurate word would be immature.) It can also be said that those who get upset with people who challenge them is because they’re at least partially at fault.
The fact that instead of summarizing at the end what you’ve written and documented over the course of the article, and instead focused on the looks of the person who did it lends itself to the argument challenge made first by , re-stated by ‘John Snook’, and later ‘LeBoulavardier’ backed up (in a manner of speaking).
Sure, it’s a personal blog, but it’s obviously irrelevant information (and yes, somewhat “shallow”) to include. The phrase “What a catch!” confirms this to some extent.
Someone may look attractive, and have preferences that are more environmentally-friendly than some, but they may not have a very cohesive personality. When someone tries to make a connection between physical attractiveness and good practices, it’s considered shallow; similarly, if the person was not as attractive, then even though a photo might have been shown, it would have been more like an homage (‘hey, here’s the person that put it all together’), than a catcall (‘here’s the hotty that did it ! ;D’).
(I don’t say this as if to challenge M. Hofmann, who I can see has commented on this article in the past; I’m speaking in theory.)
Anyway, that’s my $0.02
I’m out.
(Keep up the good work, Matt.)
April 20, 2011 at 2:54 AM
relax man. the trailer is cool and the guy is good looking. fact. take a chill pill.
April 28, 2011 at 10:16 PM
Simply marvelous!! ;)
April 25, 2011 at 3:25 AM
Environmentally concise trailer? NO such thing that has to be pulled by a vehicle that will average 5-9 mpg while under way!
April 26, 2011 at 10:39 AM
Wow people… a lighthearted piece on trailer remodels psyco analyzed and nit picked over… The piece itself was awesome. And of course if the remodeler is cute someone’s going to say something… look at our status quo in society. To over-analyze and criticize is just ridiculous… spend your time debating something worth debating… and let us sigh in relief of your abscence. Please let’s just take the light hearted piece as it is and smile. (Stupid people)
April 28, 2011 at 2:03 AM
no picture of the bed?
May 5, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Hi Matthew,
Very nice place and wonderful work you’ve done to it! If I ever return to the states (I have lived in Southern Thailand for several years now) my plan is to buy a small tract of land and do something similar to what you’ve done.
Years ago…circa 1977, I was living in Seattle, Washington and was one day invited to a party way up in the Snoqualmie hills. I had difficulty finding the place as it was tucked into the forest in a very secluded spot.
We were enjoying a kegger and I needed to use the bathroom…not to pee either. So, I went inside their house. In the bathroom, whose door was the door to an airliner bathroom, I noticed an accelerator pedal in the floor near the toilet. On closer inspection, I began to realize their “house” was constructed using two large school buses…sitting opposite one another and sitting atop a narrow foundation.
All-in-all, the owner said he did most of the work himself, enlisting some of his friends who were electricians, masons, etc., and kept the expense down to a paltry $12,000 dollars. To look at their house you’d never know it was two buses.
I’m all for living cheaply in this day and time. Too many of my friends have gone through foreclosures and “off the scale” mortgages. My motto is to live simply.
Carry on Matthew…you’re definitely on the right track!
-Jeeem-
May 12, 2011 at 8:33 PM
Pretentious, self-absorbed, arrogant and snobby? Sometimes when I read comments, I seriously question whether I’m watching or looking at the same things as other people.
May 13, 2011 at 5:24 AM
Brilliant Design, sexy designer. I’d live in that any day!
May 13, 2011 at 9:41 PM
Uh… I want one. We need a re-hash of how much it costs to park one of these puppies. And, this guy needs to have a site dedicated to saving money in LA. Done.
May 14, 2011 at 5:34 PM
Way, way cool but definitely not nicer that anything I or most people I know have ever lived in. Maybe that’s the comment that set some people off? Anyway, cool post. Thanks.
May 15, 2011 at 10:32 AM
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Bethany, It is a nice trailer! With time, money, and some creativity… ya!
Anyway, I admire your ability to parry the thrusts of those who spar with you. I’ve thought about trying to blog for fun/$$ but not sure how to approach it. Since I found Stumble, I’ve taken an interest in skimming the blogs I come across and instead reading the comments. One can witness a profound cross-section of humanity w/access to the internet. Lovers/haters, attackers/defenders, scholars/morons. One can learn a lot just by reading, eh?
You go, girl. Do what you love.
btw, you look like quite a catch yourself!
May 26, 2011 at 2:51 PM
I liked it. I can see myself in there. Later tho. Right now my three growing boys would make it a little cramped. But definitely cool. And agree about the cute dude at the end.
F*&% the haters!!!!!
May 27, 2011 at 11:08 AM
That is quite the work of art, and also craftsmanship.I would be absolutely fine with living in there, even more so after seeing the spacious bed ( I too, am 6’4″). Thanks for sharing :)
June 3, 2011 at 6:21 PM
Heeey, this is fantastic. Can’t understand how/why people hate on others blogs. I used to get it all the time.
Chin up Bethany ):
Bekaah
June 7, 2011 at 1:55 AM
Trailer is as beautiful as him! I’ll take both if I may… Haha, I kid, I kid. But the trailer would be nice…
June 9, 2011 at 12:45 AM
beautiful trailer, it might be worth more restored to it’s original configuration.
June 22, 2011 at 9:20 PM
Fake. The windows of the interior do not match up with those on the exterior…
July 8, 2011 at 5:25 PM
As a designer I assumed the same… (fake) but after a careful analysis they match up exactly. Nice job, Matthew. Let’s see more…
July 13, 2011 at 5:22 PM
killer remodel!
July 19, 2011 at 9:39 PM
The trailer is nice, but the commentary is inane.
July 24, 2011 at 10:12 AM
its good to see another way of life.
August 3, 2011 at 7:21 AM
that sucks, it’s sooooo short.
August 8, 2011 at 2:00 PM
and hes handsome…
September 2, 2011 at 8:37 AM
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Im currently 1/2 way done rebuilding a 1965 Airstream 30′. I can tell you that it is no small feat. He really didnt do much to this trailer. Its more of a “lipstick rennovation” compared to most trailers I have seen. Tried to ge a hold of this guy to ask about cabnets ,fixtures, and possible mock up design job (I just needed autocad help not design). No answer back whatsoever. Not even to say no thanks. Real professinal, and kinda douchey. I doubt he has the chops to do a job like mine
April 20, 2012 at 9:33 AM