My Country Peanut – Peanuts Big Reveal (Before, During and After)

As I sit here in Peanut writing this I cannot believe how well this renovation turned out. All 9 feet by 6 feet of her has been updated and I couldn’t be happier. When I first saw the add online I was over the moon that it was only posted within the hour and that only a few short hours later I would get to see her and purchase her (THANK YOU MAUREEN!!!)

The exterior was in decent shape. There is the usual wear (dents and scratches) and a couple little holes but nothing that stood out as “to much to handle”. The electrical had been update and there was a fairly new plywood floor down. The interior was dark grey and the fabric was sad and outdated. But this little girl had so much potential.

Original interior:

• 

• 

• 

• 

I knew right away that the bathroom and the fridge / shelving unit needed to go back in. The original 1976 Rambler Peanut had them and it didn’t feel right not putting them back. There is ample floor space in this tiny unit and that addition didn’t detract from that. It might actually feel bigger in there.

Cost Breakdown:

Accessories and Decor: $303.57

Lumber, Tools, Paint: $639.50

Fabric and upholstery: $1291

Fridge: $212

Hitch lock, Trailer cover, Tire covers: $232

Toilet: $154

Total: $2678.07

Here was my inspirational photo that helped guide me through the process and kept me on track from getting overwhelmed by ALL the amazing ideas you can find everywhere:

As some of you know I was lucky enough to get the fabric for the curtains and cushions for free from work. They were remnants leftover that went unused for years. This was a huge score as I expect that the fabric alone for these two projects would have cost between $500 and $800. This was a huge score!

Shane Hodge at Royal George Upholstery did an amazing job sewing and assembling all the cushions, pillows and curtains. Here were some the photos he took during the process (THANK YOU SHANE):

• 

• 

• 

Over the winter I did the cabinet doors – adding trim and paint to them as well as cleaning the old original hardware:

• 

• 

• 

And little by little I kept working on Peanut when the weather was warm enough:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I had originally budgeted $1500 for the full renovation. I did splurge on the fridge (was going to purchase used) however, The Home Depot sold one that was so shallow I didn’t have to modify the already in place bench seating. I did invest in approximately $400 worth of new tools to get the job done. Now I will have these tools for future projects. And if you haven’t purchased lumber in a long time – the sticker prices of wood is shocking. That was the final largest investment that I didn’t see coming.

For a grand total (purchase $3500) this Tiny Peanut has cost me $6179 and I am okay with that. This is by far my most favourite renovation of all times. This compact cutie is my dream space and a bucket list item and I did it (with a bit of help from my dad who loves to build).

THE MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR – PEANUT:

• 

• 

Thank you all so much for following along. The next Peanut Blogs will hopefully come from the road as soon as we get to travel. Until that time I will use her as my office space when working from home and guest space for anyone who wants to try her out.

I am back to work Monday April 12th until the end of August but I hope you follow along as I continue to highlight beautiful old homes and properties and as I jump back into renovating my house. Interior and Exterior 2021!

Happy Spring!

🙂