11-Year-Old NY Girl Transforms a Camper Into Her Own Tiny Home

The summer of 2020 wasn't a bust for one 11-year-old from Western New York. Instead of letting COVID ruin her time off from school, Lauren Nelson from Attica got to work in a different way, transforming a camper into a personal oasis.

"I love this, I love renovating," Lauren told WKBW. "I was very motivated with this camper, I really wanted a place where I could hang out, like my own house."

Lauren's mom, Aimee, said they got the idea as her daughter was flipping through an American Girl magazine and saw a toy VW bus for $650.

"My husband was like 'That's ridiculous; you could buy your own camper for that price,'" Aimee told WKBW.

So Lauren got to work, saving her money and searching for her camper. Her mom said one day her neighbor put a camper up for sale and Lauren "squealed all the way home." Then came the negotiations....

"It wasn't very hard," Lauren told WKBW. "He said $500 and I said $400 because that was the money I had in my bank account and he said sold."

Renovations came next as Lauren worked to transform her camper into a beachy, boho-inspired oasis. Aimee told WKBW there was a lot of deep cleaning involved, and they even found a family of mice.

But after a summer full of hard work and just $800, Lauren's big project turned into a cozy space she can truly call her own. It has its own kitchen and bathroom, and Lauren typically spends five days a week in her tiny home, which she lovingly named Camp Hygge, meaning comfortable and safe.

Aimee told WKBW that her daughter's project was inspired by HGTV's Tiny House Hunters, and that Lauren "now says she's part of the tiny home nation."

If she can take on a project like this at just 11 years old, Lauren Nelson certainly has a bright future ahead. She told WKBW that when she's older, she'd like to work in home renovation or forensic science... or maybe even both!