A photographer who lives in a 120-square-foot RV built a loft big enough for reading and stargazing above the driver's seat
- Jupiter Contreras built a reading nook loft above the driver's seat in their RV home.
- With blankets, vast windows, and a two-sided bookshelf, Contreras uses the loft to read and relax.
- Contreras renovated the rundown RV with help from family and lives there full-time with two dogs.
The first thing you see when you enter freelance photographer Jupiter Contreras' custom-build RV is the loft above the driver's seat.
"I knew it would be a really cool spot when I first started building it, but I didn't have any idea that it would end up being this cool," Contreras said in a video tour of the RV on YouTube.
Contreras purchased their tiny home on wheels for $2,000 and named it "Hottie." It took about a year and another $6,000 for Contreras and their loved ones to transform Hottie from a run-down, water-damaged RV, into a home.
Now, Contreras lives in it with their dogs while documenting their travels and hardships on their Instagram account @doesthiscountasvanlife.
Contreras used the tiny home's vertical space to make the most of her small living quarters. That's why they built a loft that doubles as a reading nook.
In an interview with Insider, Contreras said they had to strip down all the existing wood due to water damage and build the loft from scratch.
After adding new wood, they filled the space with pillows and blankets to make the space comfortable. Contreras built a two-sided bookcase in the loft next to the seating area to hold their collection.
The loft has large windows that let in plenty of natural light. It makes the spot perfect for stargazing, Contreras said.
Contreras said they use the space to read and reflect. Sometimes they come up here in the middle of the night to read and watch the stars.
It's cozy enough that they have fallen asleep up here reading, Contreras told Insider.
