Me, with one of the cars that I killed
I grew up in what you could call a “car family,” if you wanted to make the understatement of the century. Throughout my childhood my father owned a series of Porsches, all of which he cleaned both before and after driving – to my significant consternation, because he insisted on involving me in these omg, very extensive cleaning sessions. The idea of introducing a single atom of food into his vehicle gave me heart palpitations. Touch the windows, or any spot on the exterior save for the handle? Enter without a thorough cleansing of my shoes? I don’t think so.
So it is with considerable disappointment that my father views my own car-related proclivities, which is that I kill them. Like, kill them dead. The first car I owned when I moved out to LA was a Chrysler LeBaron convertible with red velvet seats. I adored that car, and then I killed it by not realizing that there was a thing called “oil,” and that it needed to be addressed on occasion. My most recent car I killed by mayyyybe driving over a curb that was mayyyyybe quite high, and mayyyyybe destroying the transmission. (And let’s not forget about this little incident.) I do very much enjoy the car I have now, though – goodness gracious, it is lovely – and so I have turned into a mini replica of my father in some regards (“GET. THE SLIME. OUT OF MY CAR”). We’ll see how long that lasts.
All of this is to say that I don’t tend to nerd out over vehicles all that much. Except. Oh, except.
I mean…what even IS that?!
The answer is that it is a 1950 Westcraft Capistrano Trailer named “Calypso” – one of only two in the world – and the product of 11 years of work (!) by a team committed to transforming it from a slightly forlorn collector’s item into a move-in ready, functional piece of art and history. I found out about this stunner from a colleague who introduced me to the restoration team, and seriously: The work that went into the trailer (not to mention the result) is just completely jaw-dropping.
First, shall we check out the before?
I KNOW.
Let’s take a look at the interior, because the restoration is just as incredible inside as out, and included…
Wait for it…
- A master bedroom
- A full kitchen with STUNNING period-specific appliances (omg the stove and refrigerator omg)
- A bar/lounge
- A living room with custom-made leather convertible sofa/bed and chairs
- A spectacular period bathroom with jade-green toilet (eeee), gimbaled vanity and heavy stainless steel shower enclosure.
- Honey wooden floors and cognac woodwork
- Custom burgundy leatherwork throughout
- Hand-built furnishings, including a fold-up dining table that vanishes into a leather-lined cabinet that also conceals a flat-screen TV
The restoration also included crazy high-end amenities that bring the retro design into the modern age. For example:
- Two highest-end sound systems
- Two hidden flat-screen televisions
- Authentic Deco lighting set to dimmers
- Custom-fabricated grills, modern appliances, luxury faucets and fixtures
- Contemporary water-heating, air-conditioning and heating systems
I cannot even. I may just go ahead and move in myself. The kids can live on the roof.
(Did I mention it’s for sale? It’s for sale – you can check out more details here, and inquire with the owners by clicking this link or emailing me at jordan@ramshackleglam.com so I can put you in direct touch; I’m helping them out with some updated photography, so also be sure to follow my IG stories to watch me touring the trailer myself in full-on Gush Mode.)
Above photography by Pawel Litwinski
