“She?” Vivian grinned. “Sounds like you’re hooked.”
“It was love at first sight.”
Vivian chuckled as she took Dillon to the back of the shop. “I know exactly what you mean. This shop is named after my trailer. I bought and restored a 1960 Airstream on the heels of a bad breakup several years ago. I actually kept my trailer at my parents’ house and lived in it for a couple years. I named her The Silver Slipper.”
“So you really do understand.” Dillon felt her eyes grow wide as she surveyed the vintage trailer section. It was filled with all sorts of retro items—some new and some not—as well as a tempting selection of books on vintage trailers, and she wasn’t sure where to begin.
“I feel like I’m in trailer heaven.” Dillon selected a book with a pink teardrop trailer on the cover.
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Not just my shop, but Silverdale. We have a number of people who’ve restored vintage trailers. We’ve even created a trailer club.”
“How exciting.” Dillon told Vivian more about her trailer, even showing her the photos on her phone.
“That’s definitely a keeper.” Vivian nodded. “Those orange appliances are to die for.”
“I absolutely love them.”
“So are you planning to do the restoration yourself? Or do you want to hire—”
“Oh, I definitely want to do it all myself,” Dillon said. “I think it’ll be good therapy. Already, it’s been fun cleaning it out, and I can’t wait to start painting.” She showed Vivian the paint sample colors that she’d stuck in her purse, explaining her plan to paint the cabinets turquoise. “Do you think that’s too bright? Will it look okay?”
Vivian studied the colors and photos. “Kind of a Southwest look—but sixties style?”
“I guess so.” Dillon explained about living in Colorado. “I suppose that’s influenced me some.”
“Well, I love the color palette you’ve chosen. Admittedly, pink, blue, and yellow are mid-century colors, but not everyone wants a pastel-toned trailer. I believe you should do whatever makes you happiest. One guy did his in lime-green, black, and white. And it was gorgeous.”
“Well, these colors do make me happy.” Dillon picked up a turquoise teakettle. “See! This would be perfect in my Oasis.” She noticed some striped kitchen towels and pot holders with orange and turquoise shades. “These too.”
“Tell you what,” Vivian said. “I’ll give you a one-day first-time-buyer discount. Everything and anything you get will be 20 percent off for today only.”
“Thank you so much!” Dillon felt like a kid in a candy store.
“And I’ll show you some things that might work with your color scheme and Southwest theme.”
It didn’t take long for Dillon, assisted by Vivian, to accumulate quite a pile of kitchen items and charming knickknacks that she knew would be perfect for her trailer. But her favorite thing, besides the teakettle, was a set of unbreakable dishes in the perfect shade of turquoise. And there were plastic tumblers that looked like glass to go with it. She couldn’t wait to try them on her little dinette table.
“Do you know how to sew?” Vivian asked as she set a box on the counter. “If you don’t, I have a good seamstress that I use for my projects.”
“My grandma taught me when I was a teen, but I haven’t sewn in years.”
“Well, you’ll save money if you do it yourself.” Vivian led her to a fabric section. “My selection is somewhat limited, but I keep it like this on purpose. Too many choices just confuse people. And I’m certain we can find something to work with your colors.”
“Great.” Dillon wondered how hard it would be to dig Grandma’s sewing machine out from her craft room—and if she could remember how to run it.
Vivian picked out a number of fabrics that could work for curtains, and Dillon fell in love with a print that resembled a Navajo blanket in Southwest tones.
“And I always recommend keeping your upholstery color neutral. That’s another reason I carry a limited selection. Sturdy fabrics in basic colors.” She pulled out a tweedy fabric in earth tones. “I think this would be perfect.”
“It looks kind of boring to me,” Dillon admitted.
“Maybe it does now. But think of it like a backdrop. You just have to spice it up.” She spread the tweed fabric out on the cutting table, then laid the curtain fabric nearby. Then she perused her shop, bringing back several pretty throw pillows and a colorful knitted throw with hues of turquoise and orange. “Imagine it all together, Dillon.”
“Yes—I get it now. I think you’re absolutely right. I want these too.” She gathered the soft goods into her arms. “I feel like a bird who’s feathering her nest.”
Vivian laughed. “Yes, you’re definitely hooked.” Now she called her assistant over, telling her which fabrics to cut and how much was needed. Then she told Dillon about a website with a good tutorial on upholstering dinette benches. “It’s much easier than you think. All you need is a good pair of scissors and a sturdy staple gun.”
Dillon added those items to the list on her phone. More things to hunt down at the hardware store. “I hate to think of how much this will all cost,” Dillon admitted. “I mean, I think it’s totally worth it. But I’m preparing myself for sticker shock.”
“Restoring a trailer is definitely an investment. But I don’t think you should scrimp unless you have to. The payoff is a beautiful tiny home that you can take anywhere. It’s like freedom on wheels. And if you live in it, you’ll save a bundle in rent money. Really, it’s a win-win.”
Seeing a pretty display of fine bed linens, Dillon remembered her last good night of sleep in the tiny yellow trailer. “I’m not sure about the bed.” She showed Vivian a photo of her pull-out sofa/bed. “I want it to be really comfortable.” She didn’t want to admit she’d been sleeping on her grandpa’s couch because her mom had taken her old room. That sounded too pathetic.
“Well, if I were you, I’d convert that pull-out sofa into a regular bed with a good full-sized mattress. You could make it double as a daybed with some big comfy pillows in back. Then you could just toss the pillows onto the bunk above and sleep comfortably.”
“Yes, I can just see that. I love that idea.”
“There’s a great online mattress company I can recommend. The mattress comes packed in this relatively small box, then you open it up and—presto chango—you’ve got a deliciously comfortable bed.” She showed Dillon the website on her phone. “Look, they even do rush orders.” With a little help, Dillon soon had a mattress ordered with guaranteed delivery by Monday.
“Fabulous.” Dillon put her phone away, imagining the wonders of sleeping in a comfy bed in her own little trailer as soon as next week. Was that even possible?
“If you really want luxury, you should check out these sheets.” Vivian picked up a thick package tied with a blue satin ribbon. “They’re top-of-the-line and unbelievably soft. A little pricey, but with your one-day discount . . .”