I treated myself to a new book last week after seeing some of the pages reproduced in Coast magazine. I've always had a major passion for any type of thing that can be prettified and turned into a cute little homey hideaway, you know, sheds, summerhouses, beach huts, caravans, camper vans and the such like. Have never owned any of these things mind you (excepting a very small shed full of spiders and dirty underused garden tools), but ooooohhhh I've certainly dreamed long and hard about these sorts of places. I just love-love-love the whole idea of creating a Cosy Happy Place in which one can while away some hours and be surrounded by cosy cuteness. Comfy seats, cushions, blankets, dinky little curtains hanging at dinky little windows etc. And if this Cosy Happy Place happens to be on wheels and can take one away on holiday too, then woohoo so much the better. Yes, this is the Stuff Of My Dreams.
This book really is visually very lovely indeed. The blurb on the back tells you that the book contains "forty stylish caravans of all vintages from across the world. Packed with inspirational photography. Exploring how people refurbish and customise their caravans. A visual voyage into the unexpectedly stylish world of modern caravanning".
Ooooo Ok, so quite a quirky but very trendy-cool subject then. Cos it's all about style and vintage and being cool, obviously.
But you see, personally I'm not too fussed about the Vintage Credentials or about being Cool or Trendy or Stylish. No, just show me Interior Prettiness please. I want to see dinky curtains and brightly coloured melamine plates......
........pretty tins and lovely cutlery, and oh oh yes some bunting too, and if there could possibly be a blanket or two I would certainly be jigetty-jigging with the pleasure of it all.
Ah yes yes yes!!!! Page twenty and I see a crochet GRAnNy BlanKet and I'm oh so happy, doing a jigetty-jig!!!!
Aren't these images just adorable? Heart-skippingly lovely and sweet and the stuff that my Cosy Happy Place dreams are made of. For sure.
Would you like to know more about the delightful vintage caravan on these pages??
Here she is....she is called Constance, and is owned by a very nice lady called Lucy (haha, no not me, although I wish). Now Constance is no stranger to me as it happens, I have come across her before in fact, over in Flickrville.
Yes, I have drooooooled over the above image of Constance's interior more times than I can remember.
I have swooned over that blanket. And the cushions. Curtains too.
Oh and the bunting, the floor, the Greengate tins, the spotty tray. Yes I have swooned, admired, desired and been inspired by Constance for a long time now. She is the Stuff Of My Dreams.
I emailed Constance's owner last week and told her how much I was in love with her caravan, how the Granny Square blanket made me go weak at the knees. I asked her pretty-please could I share these pictures with you all, cos I wanted to show you the Stuff Of My Dreams. And she very kindly said that Yes I could most certainly bring Constance to Attic24 to show you all.
But that's not all.
No, there's more.
As well as the lovely Constance, Lucy also has a fleet of amazingly adorable VW camper vans that she hires out through her company Snailtrail. Oh my friends, you are going to LOVE these campers so much....take a look at some of the interiors....
First up we have Betty, doesn't she have the most beautiful interior?
This is Elsie......oh her blankie is so so so yummy in all it's grannified squariness!
And this is Flo...oooooooo spots and dots and great big granny squares and mugs of tea with jammy croissants!!!
How FAbUlOus!!!!
How beautiful and fun and inspiring and heart-skippy these pictures are!!!!!!!
OK, I shall stop exclaiming now, shall calm myself down and talk in a normal voice.
Now then....as you may or may not have guessed by now, this post does in fact have something more behind it other than me just hyperventilating over other peoples caravan/camper interiors.
I shall not beat about the bush....shall tell you without further ado that on the 1st of May we made a New Purchase for our little family here at number 24. Rather a big New Purchase.
Yes, we bought ourselves a Caravan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just an ordinary type of English caravan you understand, nothing cool or trendy or vintage.
But she is ours, all ours, and we are so so so so so so so so excited here at number 24!!!!!!!!!!
She's 18 years old and has been lovingly used by two families (brother and sister) and is now about to become the Stuff Of My Dreams.
You see at the moment she looks quite ordinary, a little shabby, a little tired.
Inside she has some rather dubious carpet and quite a lot of dusky pink and beige going on.
But in my Minds Eye I have already given her an Attic24 makeover, I can see her so clearly!! (remember The Chair, remember how clever my Minds Eye is??!) She is going to be made to look beautiful, colourful, cosy, happy, heart-skippy. Yes, I can assure you I've got it all worked out already. Can't wait to get started.
We're taking her out tomorrow, we are spending our first night caravanning at a local site in the woods near Bolton Abbey. I hope it's going to be the first of many, many happy days (and nights) spent holidaying with her, I really do.
Excited??
Ohhhhhhhhhh YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I love that book! Anyway, your caravan looks so cozy. It’s just my taste! I’ve long been planning to buy a caravan too. I might get myself one, hopefully, by next year! Yey, just the thought really excites me!!! :D
Posted by: Kurt Bukowski | November 13, 2012 at 02:50 PM
This is so sweet and awesome! I can imagine how it is cozy to travel in it somewhere :)))
Posted by: Anna | June 08, 2012 at 06:38 PM
Oh my how lucky you are congrats i will have to be patient as you spruce it up and make it your own.im off to dream of mine lol
Posted by: Barbara | June 01, 2012 at 05:23 PM
Had to laugh...we got our caravan in Feb 2009 from DHs parents....lovely...BUT....VERY biege and pink too!
First year it was our kitchen/diner/lounge as we ripped out the ground floor of our house (interesting with a 6 week old and 4 other children as it's only a 2 berth version!!)
2010 it got some trips out, last year was VERY busy so no trips out....can't wait to get out this year!
Can't wait to see how she develops :) xx
Posted by: KayElleC | January 24, 2012 at 10:12 PM
Wow... Amazing home. I like this creative idea shared by you. I feel fairly strong about this.
Posted by: חברה לייצור ריהוט משרדי | November 27, 2011 at 05:38 PM
Love your blog Lucy! We also own an old and much-loved caravan which regularly takes us on many adventures with our 7 year old son....currently camping in the Dordogne near a little medieval village called Limeuil - you'd love it. Thought you may be interested to know that we transformed the flooring in our van by ripping up the 'dubious carpet' and replacing it with vinyl stick-on laminate. Doesn't sound very glam but it's cheap, lightweight, easy to install and has totally rejuvinated her. Just had to seal the floor beforehand with watered down PVA glue to ensure good adhesion then lay the laminate strips down on top. So easy to clean, scratch-proof too and looks lovely. We then have washable carpet runners for added warmth and which are especially useful when it's wet!
Posted by: Amanda | August 15, 2011 at 05:45 PM
I just happened upon your blog and was excited to read your caravan entries. We have just bought an old and very beige van ourselves who is called Mavis/Grandad David - depending on which child you are talking to! I had a friend when I was little who had a fully working caravan as a den just for her and I think ever since then I've wanted one of my own. I get ever so excited about melamine and spotty knife and fork handles and crocheted blankets and fairylights and bunting and now I have a caravan to put them in it's even more exciting!
Posted by: Alison Biss | May 31, 2011 at 03:33 PM
The above statement is seen to be contradictory. The situation is
very critical and need an experience complainer to resolve it.
localmotorhomes.com
Posted by: austtin92 | December 09, 2010 at 12:48 PM
I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with everyone.
Caravans
Posted by: Caravans | July 25, 2010 at 05:00 PM
I am so happy for you! And I really liked the pictures from the book! I have my site on crochet, interior design and handmade. I publish these photos in my blog. The way Russian handmakers will also be happy with me!
I also dream of caravan!
Posted by: Yoko | July 20, 2010 at 12:26 PM
Wow thank you for the lovely pictures! Like you I have just realised a dream and last weekend we bought a caravan! The task ahead is to transform it into a cosy cutie just like the ones in your pics.
My little girls (8&11) can't wait to help. I feel I need some ideas though and it's so hard to find any, as all caravan interiors pictures seem to be brown, beige and a bit more brown!
Good luck with your caravaning adventure! We're a bit nervous about the towing!
Posted by: Lesley | June 24, 2010 at 01:49 PM
I know this is an old post, but I just had to come back here and share this link:
http://www.snailtrail.co.uk/meet_the_campers.htm
Lots of photos for inspiration!
Posted by: the chatty housewife | June 22, 2010 at 09:52 PM
I have myself a vintage Shasta Compact 13ft from bumper to tongue. I made her over with the help of my dad.....I couldn't love her more!!!!! She is lovingly named Lil' Lemondrop. I know all about the minds eye and can't wait to see what you do. I have always admired your use of colors.
Posted by: Lisa | June 22, 2010 at 07:26 PM
Hee, Hee, Hee - looks a bit like our wee caravan - just finished putting a new flooring down and have made some curtains for her this week - so exciting, and such good fun - have posted some 'after' photos on my blog if your are interested, I tell you my little hands can't crochet fast enough to make blankets for all of us - thinking a crocheted heart garland might be the thing for a quick fix!
http://northernhi-lights.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-adventures-lie-ahead.html
Posted by: Elaine | June 17, 2010 at 04:25 PM
I just found you via my Google feedreader... It is SOOO nice to meet you! I love your blog and your granny's and your excitement about life and all your pretty things!
Posted by: Ansie | May 26, 2010 at 04:50 PM
I have been truly bitten by your caravan bug! I am getting married this August and we have asked for money instead of present and you can just guess what we are putting our money towards! I absolutely cannot wait! x
Posted by: ruby | May 25, 2010 at 06:30 PM
i can't believe there's a whole book dedicated to something so wondrous! how could you not buy it, indeed :) have fun :)
Posted by: sez | May 12, 2010 at 10:47 AM
So I see this new "toy" and within 10 seconds of browsing your post I know I WANT IT TOO! But my boring common sense (all dressed up in a button up strict black dress, starched and pressed) and my dear husband (who is at this point my worst enemy...Grrrr) says "NO! You can't have it!"
So I lay down on the floor and throw a tantrum, just like my three year old would do. And I am entitled to kick, scream, cry and wave my fists in the air. Because I just really really WANT IT!
And then I am sending myself to my room to calm myself down, cause this is not healthy behaviour at the age of 40... or is it?
You have opened a door to a forgotten world of caravan life and camping memories... And now I want my own family caravan to build new lovely, happy memories in! (Big siiiiiiigh!)
Annette
Posted by: Annette | May 12, 2010 at 08:42 AM
Welcome to caravanning! You will have sooo much fun! Those campers you showed us are soooo adorable too. We have a caravan called Sally Sprite and go away every other weekend, only quite locally because our dog gets travel sick, but ohh what fun it is!!! I'm sure you will soon get your little van exactly how you want it, Love Honeypuddle
Posted by: Michelle | May 12, 2010 at 08:39 AM
My heart just exploded into a million polka dots, granny squares, and spare tires -- I'm in love I'm in love and I don't care who knows it! This is just brilliant Lucy. Many congratulations!!!
Posted by: Alicia P. | May 11, 2010 at 11:03 PM
I'm showing my daughter (she's 8) this post - we have an old caravan on the farm she wants to do up as a cosy little cubby/hideyhole, and she would LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures on here!
Enjoy your lovely van, can't wait to see her transformation ;)
Posted by: Naomi | May 11, 2010 at 02:28 PM
Congratulations! I cannot wait to enjoy the journey of your fancy-ing it up! I can only imagine how very fabulous it will be once it has become the Stuff of Your Dreams! Golly, your excitement even makes me want one! But since I'm 3 weeks from having a baby, guess I had better wait, lol! TFS, Lucy.
Posted by: Christina | May 11, 2010 at 01:05 PM
so-o-o excited for you. can't wait to see the progress. i want that book ...
Posted by: greedy nan | May 11, 2010 at 12:47 PM
la transformation est terrible !
Posted by: LIlouka pour JojO | May 11, 2010 at 09:35 AM
wow, that is going to be a great caravan!
I featured you on my blog yesterday, hope that's ok!?
Posted by: Kim | May 11, 2010 at 08:39 AM