Transient Homemaker: How to Keep "Home" Cozy When You Move Every 6 Months
Written by: Josette Deschambeault
I was 26 when I signed my first year-long lease. As a post-grad, I generally moved every 6 months (10 times in 4 years, actually), and never lived in the same dwelling twice. But as a cozy-loving introvert, I love nothing more than a homey space. It’s hard to do that when you’re living with twelve other people in a house for the summer, or living in four different towns (or states) within a year — or living out of the back of your truck.
Here are the few items I kept with me along my travels that made any place perfectly homey:
BABY CABIN, ALASKA
One of my favorite places that I have ever lived was a tiny cabin in Skagway, Alaska. I rented this 8’x12’ glorified garden shed my second summer in Alaska, and fell in love with tiny spaces. (You can rent it nightly now, which I absolutely recommend when you venture north.) There was barely enough room for two people to stand up, and the dog and I couldn’t walk at the same time, but it was absolutely perfect. If you sat on the toilet, you could also reach the microwave and stare straight out the front door (if the curtains weren’t closed). The table flipped up for breakfast or craft time, and flipped down if I needed room for a puppy crate. I named it “Baby Cabin” and loved it.
Because of the limited space, I had to get creative with making it “homey” (since the “cozy” aspect was already taken care of). Adding art to a transitional space makes you feel rooted to that place. Thankfully, our small town in Southeast Alaska is home to an incredible amount of artists, and finding pieces of the wild to bring into Baby Cabin was a piece of cake.
Baby Cabin & Champ
These were my favorite pieces:
Driftwood and pinecone wall mobile. This was super easy to make! Pick out a piece of driftwood (or a stick) of your desired length. Drill holes every few inches (if you don’t have a drill, skip this step.) Tie varying lengths of twine to the tops of pine cones, then tie the other ends of twine into the driftwood holes (or around the stick). Tie another length of twine around each end of the wood, hammer a nail (or pushpin) into the wall, and hang up your creation!
Dried flowers in photo frames. Pressing flowers between pages in a book works great, especially if it’s a heavy book! (If it’s not, put a rock on top of the book.) I found some simple wood frames on Amazon, but I also love ones that I’ve found in thrift stores.
2-3 tea mugs. I found one of mine at a Starbucks in Glasgow, one at a thrift shop in Colorado, and a friend sculpted the third.
Mason jar with fresh flowers. Or dried grass stalks. Or tree branches. At once point, I collected spruce tips and filled up the jar for a week before I made spruce tip-infused gin!
Handmade quilt (thanks, Grannie!) I think this is the most important piece. I’ve always had cozy bedding, despite my locale. I try to do at least one comforting hospital blanket and a quilt/bedspread at all times because I like to keep my home cold when I am sleeping.
‘95 TACOMA, COLORADO-ALASKA-MAINE
Halfway through my first summer in Alaska, I came home to Colorado for shoulder surgery. I returned to Alaska with a new (to me) truck, a new dog, and a new shoulder. Champion (the dog) and I spent five days driving Trucky (the truck) through Canada, and slept in Trucky’s bed, which my dad renovated for the journey. Over the years, the build-out has morphed (from metal and wood, to all wood, to removable slats) and the lengths of time spent sleeping in the back have changed (from a 2-week road-trip from Alaska to Colorado to Maine, down to the occasional weekend camping trip).
These items helped make it a mobile home:
Luci lights. They’re inflatable, waterproof, have dim and bright settings, and are solar rechargeable. And they made the truck feel much cozier than a headlamp. (It was also easier to toss in a Luci light and crawl in with the dog than it was to fumble with a headlamp or flashlight!)
Foam mattress topper. At one point, I had an entire twin mattress in the back. That was a bit much. Instead, I moved to a thick foam mattress topper over a piece of carpet, which kept me and the dog off of plywood and a lot warmer.
Curtains. A crucial piece of cozy equipment. Homemade curtains are easy to make — I attach velcro to the tops of flannel rectangles (cut to fit the windows of my topper), and attached the second piece of velcro just above the windows. Removable curtains were key to my sense of privacy and security, and made the truck feel less industrial and more home-like.
Organizational system. Any “dirtbag” (or volunteer vagrant) will tell you that the key to #trucklife is organization. I picked up a great trick from my boyfriend, and started keeping a plastic drawer in my backseat for odds and ends — toiletries, coffee creamer packets, dog toys, socks, chargers, you name it. It was much easier to grab at a gas station, and I knew where all of my essentials were! Totes (or milk crates) were another key aspect. My truck was built with a wooden platform supporting the sleeping area on top, and providing storage space underneath. I attached a rope to the handle of the totes that would go furthest into the depths of the truck, so that I wouldn’t have to crawl in every time I needed something from the back — I could just pull it out! Having clothes, gear, food, and dog essentials organized made me feel so much better; rather than a big pile of junk, my “home” was tidy.
Down comforter. It varies from #trucklifer to #trucklifer, but I’m a big proponent of sleeping in a proper bed. Sleeping bags usually feel constricting, and I like the option of having my dog snuggling under the covers. I found a flannel cover that was water-resistant to stay cozy and dry, even in a Canadian blizzard.
Truck camping, a la Luci Light.
Photo cred: Matt McDonald
The original platform, with dog!
Truck-side Bart Cart
Brady McGuire’s flannel down comforter
BASEMENT, COLORADO
Like I said, I was 26 before I signed a lease on a house. (With 3 other roommates, of course.) After four years of travelling, seasonal work and multiple living spaces, I finally had an entire finished basement to myself. In the months since moving in, I have slowly cultivated a homey, cozy, and welcoming space (with the help of many Target runs and Amazon sprees.). I finally have room for knick-knacks, which I haven’t had in a very, very long time.
My favorite knick-knacks:
Photos and paintings of Alaska. The Last Frontier has been hard on my heart ever since I left it. To remind myself of all the good things up there, I interspersed photos and paintings of Alaska across the wall over my desk.
3. Baskets. My roommates complain about my abundance of baskets, but that’s not stopping me! I have baskets to organize everything I can — blankets, dog toys, laundry, etc. They’re more aesthetically pleasing than plastic totes, and provide the same function. I did find most at Target (whoops), but found a lot more at Goodwill for a fraction of the price!
2. Tea set. Potentially overboard, but it’s been way too long since I’ve had room for a proper tea set. But that feels like home — my grandmother was taught by her Scottish grandmother how to make a proper pot of tea, and I’ve been drinking black tea with milk and sugar every day since I was about ten years old. Drinking tea has always been my biggest comfort, and greatest cause for nostalgia. It forces me to take a moment and appreciate where I am, and where I’ve been.
4. Whiskey display/bar cart. My whiskey collection is extensive for a 26-year old woman. I favor peaty scotch, but love a good bourbon (you can take the girl out of the South...) or a rye (because I’m a Colorado native). Although I’m still on the hunt for a good bar cart of my own, I had a good friend who used to say, “I’m not home until I pour someone a drink from my bar cart.” In the meantime, I took two wooden crates and set up a beverage display with my favorite bottles (Lagavulin 16 year, Tomatin 14 year, and 50 Fathoms Gin). One of those wooden crates served as my mobile bar cart while living in Alaska and out of my truck — I always had it handy for when a friend needed a little liquid encouragement, or just a “cheers” at the end of a tough work day. It’s more than a glass of whiskey; to me, it’s hospitality. My family takes great pride in our Scottish heritage. (Don’t let the French names fool you.) There’s nothing more hospitable than offering someone a bite of good food and a wee dram of good drink.
There’s nothing that can set my soul at ease like coming “home,” wherever that might be. We’d love to hear — what makes you feel at home? How do you make a new space cozy, unique, and welcoming? Give us your thoughts! We’ll put on a pot of tea.