From houseboats to shipping containers, there's a whole host of innovative ways to downsize and start living small. Meet the Mayes family, who have done just that – moving from a 5,000 square-foot house in Illinois into a stylish 250-square-foot converted school bus.

Gabriel and Debbie Mayes started their Skoolie journey in February 2017 with their four children, Gracen, 10; Darby, 7; Deacon, 6; and Jovey, 2. "Gabriel was a little skeptical, but we both knew we wanted to head to California and thought it would be the perfect way to reconnect as a family," explains Debbie.

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Before they started the project, Debbie spent a lot of time researching. "I made a Pinterest board with all the ideas I had and followed Expedition Happiness, another school bus conversion, on YouTube. They were the only people at the time that we knew had done it, but even then, all the buses had a centre aisle floor plan, we had the idea to change that up," explains Debbie.

Unfortunately, the families journey started off with a few bumps in the road. Their first bus buy, which cost them $5,000 (£3,800) and was already partially converted, ended up being full of rust. After this, the couple decided to hire a company for the conversion, and bought a second vehicle that was in better shape.

While the family were living in Oklahoma, the conversion began over 300 miles away in Texas. The first step was to strip out the seats and the centre aisle, which gave the Mayes some space to work on their floorplan.

Once the seats were removed, the bus was transformed into a blank slate. The next stage of the process was to lay out the floorplan, which allowed Debbie and Gabriel to see how the interior would work and how the units and storage would fit into the small 250-square-foot space.

The bus slowly began to take shape as the kitchen units and sofa frames for the living area were fitted. "It is so important to us that when the kids are in bed, Gabriel and I can spend time together in the living room without waking them," explains Debbie.

The layout that the Mayes opted for is different to many Skoolies. Most have a center aisle floorplan so that you can see straight through the bus to the master bedroom at the end. Debbie created an individual plan that zig-zags through the bus to create separate, defined spaces.

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When it came to the interior design and decor, Debbie and Gabriel used a minimal colour palette. "We are naturally minimalists and love the Scandinavian modern style. I'm drawn to black, white and grey and like to have a very simple, clean style. Our bus definitely reflects that as there isn't much colour inside," says Debbie.

"I would describe the Skoolie as modern, functional, and bright," says Debbie. At the moment the Skoolie is connected to the grid, but there are plans to make it completely sustainable in the future. "We would love to get solar so that we can be off the grid, we are hoping to have it by next summer,' says Debbie.

The entrance to the bus houses the living room area, which needed to be carefully designed to create the perfect space for the family of six to spend time together. Right next to the door is a shoe rack, which helps to keep the bus clean and organised.

The sofas also have hidden storage in the base, which is perfect for keeping the children's toys out of the way. The family took the opportunity of moving into a tiny space to downsize all of their possessions, so every time they get a new toy, they throw one out as a way of decluttering.

The living space is full of small homely touches such as the brass letter holder, cushions and key tray. The sofas are narrower than the standard size to allow for a wider aisle space.

Overall, the Skoolie can sleep a total of eight people, which is a rare feat in the world of tiny living, as the sofas double up as a bed. Debbie and Gabriel also installed a TV which entertains the children in wet weather. 

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The living room opens up into a spacious kitchen. The white ceilings and walls help make the bus feel larger, while the wooden countertops add a splash of nature in the neutral colour palette.

"Our favourite piece in the Skoolie is the kitchen countertop. It was so important to me that we had a large counter space, we even chose a smaller, under-counter fridge and sacrificed that space so that we could have a large countertop," says Debbie. The couple also opted for a deep 23 inch Vigo sink and as the bus is often in transit they had to find an unbreakable option for their kitchen tiles, and instead used a peel-and-stick option.

One of the most difficult problems to solve was the dining space. The family thought that they had found the perfect solution by having a flip-up table next to the kitchen, however, it proved impossible as they lost space during the build. They then tried small centre tables where they can sit and eat on the sofas, but recently the family have been eating outside and are still searching for an indoor solution.

Just beyond the kitchen sits the bathroom with a tiny tub, a sink with a built in step stool for the children and a toilet that even flushes. One of the biggest challenges the family have faced since living tiny is the laundry, so the bath is often turned into a place to store dirty clothes when their basket is full.

Right at the back of the bus, you'll find the sleeping quarters for the whole family. The children have a bunk area with a traditional centre aisle so that the bed frames could fit over the wheel wells. Originally, the plans included a four bunk corner system, however, there was just no way to make it work. The snug space also includes some hanging wardrobe space for Debbie and Gabriel.

One of the hardest parts of the design was the master bedroom. When the walls and back window were sealed, the room lost a few inches, which might not sound like a lot but in such a tiny space it had a massive impact. To solve the problem, they were able to add some overhead storage and some space at the side of the bed. In fact, there's so much storage that they don't use it all.

It may look like plain sailing, but there were a few problems along the way. "The first journey was a disaster. We realised that the right brake light and blinker was broken and the toilet and hot water wasn't connected. It turned out that the plumbing wasn't right and that the roof leaked. We patched up enough to drive to California and then broke down and ended up spending three days living in a garage while they fixed everything," says Debbie. This still didn't dampen their enthusiasm though.

Living in such a small space with a young family can be challenging but Debbie and Gabriel would recommend it to anyone. "Don't waste time worrying about what other people will think or if everything is perfectly planned, you are only one decision away from changing everything and you will feel so much freedom when you start living your life the way you want," says Debbie.

It may have cost them $38,000 (£29,000) but it was well worth it. "I love how connected our family has become. We used to find ourselves all spending time in different rooms of the house, but now the kids read to each other in their bunks, go on biking adventures and we all curl up on the couches together and watch movies. Being in such a tiny space can be stressful but we have so many more opportunities," says Debbie. 

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