A venture capitalist turns Airstreams into quirky works of art in her spare time - take a look at her unique renovations

One weekend in 2015, George decided to buy a last-minute ticket to Burning Man with the goal of proving to herself and her friends that the annual desert festival in Nevada was overrated. George said she thought it was a "very bad idea to live in a desert voluntarily without amenities."

"I was very judgmental about this camping culture," George told Insider. "I grew up in Europe, so it's not part of our lifestyle back there. When I moved to the United States, I always imagined [the camping lifestyle] was something that people did because it was necessary."

To her surprise, George loved every aspect of Burning Man, including the camping.

"I was human, so that means I was wrong," George said. "... I fell in love."

The 33-foot-long Airex was George's first foray into the world of recreational vehicles.

"It was extremely ugly," she said. "My boyfriend at the time said, 'I cannot drive this thing around.'"

Together, they decided to give it a makeover with a coat of paint.

George wrapped the entire RV in military green and then her boyfriend, an artist, made drawings on it to complete the look.

After the renovation, they realized the vehicle wasn't the proper fit for them.

"We realized it was very difficult to travel with a motor home that long," George said. "You can barely back up. It was very challenging."

George first bought an aluminum Airstream and didn't love the layout, so she decided to sell it and buy another. This time, she stumbled upon the Argosy model, which didn't have the signature aluminum exterior but painted siding instead.

George saw an opportunity. She decided to give the Argosy a creative fresh coat of paint.

Inspired by vintage cars, George painted the Airstream a bright blue. Because of its color, George decided to name her first Airstream redesign "Berry."

After renovating the Airstream, George decided she didn't like the layout and size of the vehicle, so she sold it.

From there, a process was born. For the next five years, George would buy Airstream Argosys, renovate them, and then sell them until she found one that was right for her.

"I was looking for the perfect house for myself," George said. "That was the purpose."

Over the years, it became a hobby and a creative outlet for George.

Airstream only produced the Argosy model between 1972 and 1978, so there are a limited number of them. When not focusing on her day job, George spends a lot of time online searching for Argosy models for sale and sometimes even finds herself driving through neighborhoods and peeking into people's backyards to see if they have one parked back there.

She explained that these models are the best for what she wants to do because they are the only Airstreams that can be painted, and they are lightweight.

Typically, she purchases an Argosy for anywhere between $5,000 and $14,000.

This Airstream was painted to resemble a Ford GT40 and was inspired by actor Steve McQueen, prompting George to call this model "Steve."

George said you need a specific license to paint these vehicles, so she hires shops in Reno, Nevada, and Los Angeles to do the job. Depending on the task, it can sometimes cost $10,000 to get them painted.

George tries to preserve the original furniture — which is made of lightweight veneer — so that the Airstream can still be considered a collectible, but she still gives each piece a face-lift.

She sometimes covers furniture or walls in different vinyl for an updated look and adds all-new upholstery. George also replaces the linoleum floors or carpeting with new flooring by herself.

Without any prior construction or renovation experience, George taught herself everything.

"The only reason I manage to do this is because I think I have an engineering mindset," George said. "You need a lot of mental capacity. It takes me just a day to lay the flooring now."

George said the renovation process typically starts at $15,000 and can go up indefinitely. Despite the high price tag, she likes to sell the finished Airstreams well below market value.

"I do not price them crazy high because that's not the point," George said. "It's my hobby. It's not a business. I'd rather people enjoy it."

George said she does not sell for higher than $35,000, while most renovated Airstreams on the market sell for over $50,000.

By the sixth Airstream, George finally learned what kind of layout she wanted for herself. She needed a front dinette and enough space for a desk in the back.

She bought a 1976 Airstream Argosy that measures 24 feet long and decided to renovate it to fit her needs.

George said the exterior of this Airstream was inspired by Curtiss-Wright's P-40 Warhawk plane from World War II — which had a shark mouth — and the 1968 Pontiac Firebird. She decided to name this model the "Curtiss."

"Not everyone likes black, so it's a matter of taste," George said. "But it actually looks gorgeous."

Since it matched her tastes, George made a big lifestyle decision during the pandemic. In June 2020, she decided to move into the Curtiss full-time.

George is working on another Airstream renovation right now that she thinks may be the perfect fit for her. She said she may sell the Curtiss and move into the new one once it's complete. In other words, she will continue renovating Airstreams even though she started this venture just to find herself the perfect home.

For George, this isn't a side hustle; this is her passion.

"It's an outlet for my creative side because in my profession there's not much that you can do creatively," George said. "I do not get tired from this work. I do this in between my main work. It helps me charge. When people say it's cool to have a hobby that pays, I realized a proper hobby should be entirely different from a job. It's very useful for the clarity of your brain."