Tag: caravan

Categories
Design Designers Interiors Addict Interviews The Block

Michael and Carlene’s latest vintage caravan is for sale!

You absolutely loved former Blockheads Carlene and Michael Duffy’s last vintage caravan renovation so when we heard that they have put another one on the market, we had to take a tour. Experts at vintage caravan renovations, this one, named Dolly, is a retro baby blue dream. At 22 feet long, the 1970s caravan is the largest the interior design duo has renovated, making it ideal for a family.

Carlene and Michael Duffy with their children and Dolly

“We sourced and renovated her in 2017, not to a specific brief. It might have taken six months in total. Walking inside Dolly feels like a holiday. There is something simple and calming about small space living and yet by van scale, Dolly is a whopper!” says Carlene of the van that features beds at both ends (including a gorgeous brass-trimmed bunk), as well as a fully functioning kitchen area, dining nook and plenty of storage space.

Dolly caravan
Dining and kitchen
Carlene Duffy
Carlene on Dolly’s queen bed

The renovation includes the Cedar & Suede designers’ signature brass accents combined with pastel tones and quirky prints. “We love Dolly’s fresh, retro, coastal vibe,” says Carlene who maintained as much of the original van as possible throughout the restoration.

Dining area
Dining area

Painted in Taubmans’ Crashing Waves and Big White, the caravan features timber-look vinyl planks on the floor and a combination of renovated and new elements within. The dining area features a resurfaced collapsible table (in Laminex Carrara), freshly sprayed gold table legs as well as newly upholstered bench seating. “We love combining gold with pastels, which are a real nod to that retro, coastal vintage feel. For us, the idea is to retain the character where we can. So, if it’s salvageable, we refresh it and highlight that,” says Carlene.

Kitchen
Kitchen nook

The kitchen nook has a matching Laminex benchtop, white subway tiles, brass tapware and the couple replaced the original, amber-coloured glass from the front of the kitchen cupboards with brass netting. The kitchen also features a gas stove top burner and Dometic 12 volt/24 volt RV refrigerator.

Dining and bunk area

As for the sleeping arrangement, there’s a queen-sized bed up one end a bunk bed at the other. The queen bed features handy under-bed storage with gas struts.

Bunk bed
The gorgeous bunk bed features original brass details

Dolly is registered, weighs just over 2 tonne, has electric brakes and a 12 volt deep cycle battery. The van is available for pick up from the Gold Coast and, based on vintage van market research, all offers over $30k will be considered.

For more on Dolly

Vintage caravan renovation: five top tips

It’s pretty safe to say that ex-Blockheads Carlene and Michael Duffy, of Cedar & Suede, are bona fide vintage caravan reno experts. From the gorgeous ‘Bumblebee’ to their latest project…
Categories
DIY RENO ADDICT

Vintage caravan makeover with amazing interiors

It’s taken longer than expected for Steph Spaninks and husband Matt to finish transforming vintage caravan Belle but it’s been worth the wait. Although it’s rather cruel that the pandemic cut short their much anticipated first trip!

They bought Belle (because all made-over caravans need a name, don’t you know?!) at the end of 2018 for $3,000 and she was “stinky, gross and run down” with free dead mice!

“The chassis (frame) however was in good condition, which is an important thing to look for when buying a vintage van otherwise you will have extra costs fixing or replacing the chassis,” Steph says.

AFTER
BEFORE

“Matt is very handy, I love interior design and we like to have a project on the go! We also love to travel! At that stage we had a one year old and thought that caravanning and a young family go together nicely. In saying that, I like my creature comforts so if I was going to get into caravanning it was going to be done my way!”

AFTER: Exterior
BEFORE: Exterior

Although the couple naively thought it might take six months, it took 16 months to finish the complete rip out and rebuild. But to be fair, they only spent weekends working on her and Steph got pregnant part way through with their second child which saw productivity, understandably, drop!

While cutting to size and installing the new 3mm ply walls was the hardest part, it was a clever trick with vinyl flooring which they think made the biggest difference to the end result.

“We got vinyl peel and stick planks from Bunnings, cut them in half and laid them in a herringbone pattern,” Steph says. “The parquetry floor adds a sense of luxe to the van and elevates the whole feel of the interiors. The floor is definitely my favourite part.”

Steph and Matt did almost all the work themselves, only outsourcing the electrical and mechanical work (new suspension, axle and electric brakes) and getting the exterior spray painted. “You can DIY paint the exterior, however by the end we had renovation fatigue, a newborn and just needed to get it done!”

The impressive, marble-look bathroom

Having a bathroom in the van was a prerequisite so when designing the new floor plan, they had to work out how they could fit it in the 16-foot van and still have decent kitchen and floor space.

“Matt came up with the idea to ‘build in’ the vanity and bench into the cupboard next to the bathroom to allow for maximum room in the bathroom without taking up more floor space. The faux marble waterproof ply board is from Bunnings which is the hero of the bathroom!”

AFTER
BEFORE
Nobody wanted to eat here before!

The young family attempted their first trip in March and headed north from Sydney, stopping in South West Rocks, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. However, Covid-19 restrictions and border closures were looming so they packed up the van early and headed back home. “We can’t wait to get away again once restrictions lift,” Steph says. They may also rent Belle out on Camplify (like Airbnb for caravans and RVs).

Always keen for the next project, Steph and Matt are now working on a cubby house, sandpit and playground for their kids!

Follow their adventures on Instagram at @journey__home

Michael and Carlene’s caravan Bumblebee | Vintage caravan renovation: 5 top tips

Categories
DIY Expert Tips Interviews RENO ADDICT

Vintage caravan renovation: five top tips

Dolly

It’s pretty safe to say that ex-Blockheads Carlene and Michael Duffy, of Cedar & Suede, are bona fide vintage caravan reno experts. From the gorgeous ‘Bumblebee’ to their latest project ‘Dolly’ (pictured below), their caravan renovation prowess is unparalleled which is why we are thrilled to share some of their top reno tips with you today.

Carlene and Michael Duffy in front of their latest caravan renovation 'Dolly'
Carlene and Michael Duffy with their children and latest renovated caravan ‘Dolly’

From the importance of planning and clever storage to the judicious choice of materials, overhauling a caravan could be just the weekend project you’re looking for but you’d best start now to have it ready in time for summer!

Dolly
The divine ‘Dolly’ interior

Buy according to your skills
As with any renovation project (be it a piece of furniture or even an entire house), you need to work to your skill set and limitations. “If you’re handy you could buy a strip-out that needs a lot of work but if you’re an inexperienced renovator it’s best to spend more on a van that’s in-tact and that only requires more superficial changes,” says Carlene.

'Dolly' caravan
Dolly’s delightful dining space

Good planning is key
“Like any reno you want to spend time in the planning stage achieving a functional floorplan and sleeping arrangements for you and your family,” says Carlene. Mattresses aside, you need to think about how much time you will spend hanging out in the van and whether a dining space is important too.

Main bedroom
Main bedroom

 Keep it light
“This home is transportable and therefore keeping all the materials lightweight is key for optimum safety. Use lightweight benchtops and cabinetry, as well as flooring and wall panelling,” says Carlene.

Dolly
Bunk beds and dining area

Optimise storage
As with any tiny home, employing smart storage solutions is vital. “We include storage under the beds and under the dining banquette seats to store our camping chairs, tables, surfboards and everything else you can think of,” says Carlene.

Storage is key
A decent amount of kitchen storage is vital

Design with holidays in mind
“Most of us use our vintage vans for holidaying so creating a holiday vibe is key. Don’t be scared of colour. These are retro vans that hail from the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, a time when colour was king, so paying homage to the van’s origins in this way is only right,” says Carlene.

Gorgeous kitchen details
Gorgeous kitchen details

If you’d like to learn more, Carlene and Michael are delivering a series of caravan renovation workshops at Brisbane’s upcoming Reno Home Show and they will be exhibiting ‘Dolly’ there too.

Photography: Cait Meyers

Purchase tickets to Carlene and Michael’s vintage caravan workshop | New retro flat-pack interior kits for VW Kombi vans

Categories
Design Interviews Real Renos RENO ADDICT Styling

Michael & Carlene’s latest vintage caravan: Bumblebee

Michael and Carlene Duffy with their latest creation
Michael and Carlene Duffy with their latest creation

Bona fide vintage caravan renovation experts (and Block alumni) Carlene and Michael Duffy, of Cedar & Suede, are back with yet another amazing makeover – the aptly monikered ‘Bumblebee.’ Its combination of light timbers and dreamy yellow hues could win the hearts of even the most caravan averse.

Michael and Carlene Duffy with their latest creation
Michael and Carlene Duffy with their sunny creation

“I love the combination of yellow with light timbers and rattan. I always aim for our vans to feel like a beach holiday with pastel colour palettes and a fresh airy feel inside,” says Carlene who acquired the van last year when it was in less than fabulous condition.

“We facilitated and judged a vintage caravan renovation challenge for The Block last year and this was one of the vans that the contestants were challenged with renovating in eight hours. There was extensive water damage so we ended up replacing the entire front frame of the van,” says Carlene.

Dining area
Dining area

“This is our fourth vintage van renovation and the style is in keeping with our previous renovations – they always have a vintage flavour combined with the functionality of modern living. I decided I wanted this one to be yellow and the name Bumblebee is a nod to both a bee and the Bumblebee Transformer, because we transformed it,” says Carlene of the van that boasts a new professional automotive exterior paint job too.

Kitchen
The gorgeous kitchen

Kitchen tap
A brass tap adds some unexpected luxury to the kitchen

But fresh aesthetics aside, the 12 foot long caravan features all the mod cons to make road tripping a breeze including an on board water system, 12 volt lighting system, 12 volt deep cycle battery, a fridge and gas stove. The dining table converts to a bed (complete with new custom mattress and gorgeous bedding), there’s under seat and under bed storage and a great sized wardrobe too.

The bed features a new custom mattress and gorgeous bed linen
The bed features a new custom mattress and lovely bed linen

And as for her favourite part of the overhaul, it’s the gorgeous rattan cabinet fronts. “I guess it’s not a detail that you’d expect in a vintage caravan.”

Cedar & Suede caravan
One last look!

 Another Cedar & Suede vintage caravan reno

Categories
Expert Tips RENO ADDICT The Block

#Vanlife, The Block’s Michael & Carlene renovate a vintage van

The humble caravan is staging a major comeback. Have you ever gone down the rabbit hole that is the hashtag #vanlife? There’s currently 2.2 million Instagram posts tagged! And #vanlife is not just an aesthetic or even a mentality, it’s come to encapsulate a movement; a one-word, enviable lifestyle that is free of the traditional nine-to-five. Now, thanks to social media, many want to jump in a caravan and drive into the unknown!

So it comes as little surprise that self-confessed caravan geeks and Block alumni, Michael and Carlene Duffy, jumped at the opportunity to renovate a vintage Viscount van. The finished product, Vonnie the Van, sleeps two adults and two kids, making it perfect for overnight visits from friends, owners looking to up their Stayz revenue and of course, those wanting to hit the wide, open road and explore the country.

Taking inspiration from the stunning coastal bushland around their family home in Queensland’s Tallebudgera, Michael and Carlene chose a colour palette of varying shades of green, offset by brass and gold fixtures. Wanting to create a soft, relaxed, natural vibe; they opted for White Knight’s Sussex (a muted green) paired with Crisp White as the two hero colours. Vonnie has ended up a fresh, calm, Palm Springs-inspired version of her retro roots, with just a touch of glam!

Before the reno

Vintage vans can be picked up quite cheaply, but most are in dire need of renovation, refurbishment and modernisation, which is where Michael and Carlene came to the rescue. “Vonnie the Van had good bones but needed a lot of work,” explains Michael. “The metal exterior was on the verge of rusting, the interior laminate cupboards and kitchen-tops were straight out of the 60s and the old girl badly needed some new furniture.”

Before… Agh!

Applying all their home renovation skills to Vonnie’s makeover, they upcyled old furniture using acrylic enamel spray paint; modernised the benches and cupboards with laminate paint and brought her exterior and chassis back to life with White Knight’s Rust Guard.

With the right products, some TLC and hard yakka, Vonnie is now ready to cruise the coastline for many more years to come.

More on White Knight | Michael and Carlene’s latest adventures

Categories
Furniture Homewares Interviews RENO ADDICT

From vintage 1960s caravan to mobile homewares store

As a mother to three young children, Sarah Percy longed for a creative outlet. With a background in hospitality and a diploma in interior design, she dreamed of opening a shop, but knew the overheads and time commitment were too much. So, she thought of the perfect alternative solution: a shop on four wheels, in the form of a 1960s vintage caravan.

image

“I started to search the ‘net for a vintage caravan after seeing a few that had been converted into mobile bars. They are not easy to find and after numerous failed bidding wars on eBay, just after the birth of my twins, I got lucky. I remember being in the final seconds of the bidding war with a baby on each hip getting restless, thinking to myself how will I possibly get the last bid in? But as a multi-tasking mum, I did!”

image

A few weeks later, Sarah’s husband and father-in-law picked it up from Byron Bay and towed it back to their home on the NSW Central Coast. Lucky for them, the outside of the caravan was in good condition, however the inside was far from pretty! “The previous owner was originally going to renovate it himself but came to a standstill. He had already gutted the inside so this was one less job for us. But he had started to lay some ugly vinyl on the floor and grey tiles down one of the walls. It was pretty dismal looking on the inside, dark and closed in.”

image 2

However, with a carpenter for a husband, Sarah was in a good position to start renovating. Keeping the outside true to its original style, inside was where the magic really happened. They cut out two small windows and added a long, server-style window, installed timber paneling, added bench seating and storage, polished the floor and installed new insulation and a pressed tin ceiling. “It’s very inviting now. Light and bright on the inside with that beautiful detail of the pressed tin ceiling and timber paneling, yet it still has all the character of its original self from the outside.”

image 3

While the project was only supposed to be a hobby, as soon as Sarah started renovating, she knew she couldn’t wait to open shop. “It was always meant to be a hobby and something we could work on while the kids were at home still, and once they started school I would have myself a job without that fear of getting back into the workforce. But once we started to see the transformation, I knew I just had to make it work sooner.”

Screen Shot 2015-03-19 at 11.12.40 am

Open every Sunday on the Central Coast’s Ettalong Beach, the caravan, called Blonde Onyx, sells a range of homewares from cushions and throws to small pieces of furniture, kids decor, wall art and pendant lights. Sarah also stocks her own range of hand poured soy candles, with the whole collection being a mix of Scandinavian and coastal charm.

Screen Shot 2015-03-19 at 11.12.48 am

Having been very well received by the local community, Sarah has high hopes for the future. “I have grand plans for our little van once our children are all in school and my hands aren’t so tied. I’m constantly on the hunt for another caravan and while I don’t move location at this stage, it’s definitely something I will be considering. Starting this journey has opened my eyes to a whole new world of creativity and because it’s mobile, I have freedom!”

For more information.

Categories
Travel

Taking gorgeous interiors outside with the Happy Glamper

By Alex Ursell

The onset of summer brings with it the anticipation of Christmas and for many of us, the ‘official’ holiday season. After the festive madness is over, the idea of reveling in life’s more simple pleasures is infinitely appealing!

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper

This is where the global trend for glamping (aka glamorous camping) comes into its own – where we can get back to enjoying the great outdoors without sacrificing any of the modern comforts that we all love! No more military-style planning required, challenging tent-pitching and deflating airbeds.

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper
Photo: Via Happy Glamper

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper

Happy Glamper offer a glamping experience with a difference, away from the hectic demands of the over-stimulated world where most of us spend our weeks. Started by Jessie and Scott just over a year ago, The Happy Glamper aim to bring the happiness back to camping by making it as easy as possible. And it looks fab too: “We’ll do all the work so that you have all the time in the world for creating memories, relaxing and exploring.”

Based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, The Happy Glamper started off with Peggy-Sue, their vintage Airstream Tradewind caravan, now joined by a fleet of canvas Bell tents comfortably equipped with beds, fresh linen, rugs, games, cushions and recommendations on local eateries. Incidentally, the region is Australia’s only inclusion in the prestigious National Geographic Traveller Magazine’s Annual Best Trips of the World list for 2015 so if you needed an excuse to visit, this is definitely it!

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper

Your only decision is where you want to glamp (Jessie can recommend their favourite places on the Peninsula) and they will do the rest. For the first time in Australia, you can stay in a vintage Airstream in the location of your choice or in one of the charming canvas Bell tents. All you have to do is bring your overnight bags and start relaxing!

We caught up with Jessie recently to shoot one of her charming Bell tents in situ, and love the colourful and eclectic styling that the Happy Glamper is known for. Her tents have also been used for editorial shoots (Ralph Lauren campaign no less), festivals (the Do Lectures), weddings and birthday celebrations and private functions.

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper
Photo: via Happy Glamper

nteriors Addict Guest Post by Detail Collective | Feature on Happy Glamper
Photo: Catherine/Kitty Hawk Creative via Happy Glamper

Tapping into the innate and primordial desire most of us have to get back in touch with nature, but with a funky bohemian style, is what The Happy Glamper do best. We think a dose of the Happy Glamper medicine is just what is needed at this time of year!

–Alex Ursell is a stylist and one half of Detail Collective, an interior design, decoration and styling business based on the Mornington Peninsula. Their ethos is ‘make it simple but significant’.

Unless captioned otherwise, all styling and photos by Detail Collective.

Categories
Interiors Addict

Kara Rosenlund, Frankie and pavlova at The School’s first birthday

Kara Rosenlund and I (top right)

Kara Rosenlund and I (top right)
Kara Rosenlund and I (top right)

There are many reasons why I enjoyed The School’s first birthday celebrations this afternoon. Firstly, I finally got to meet stylist and photographer Kara Rosenlund (and her lovely husband Timothy O) who I’ve been a big fan of for a long time now. They brought their vintage caravan Frankie and all kinds of gorgeous wares, all the way from Queensland. Was lovely to have a peek inside and peruse her great collection of vintage lovelies for sale. And Kara was every bit as genuine and nice as I imagined. I wish I had the time to have done one of her vignette classes this week.

Continue reading “Kara Rosenlund, Frankie and pavlova at The School’s first birthday”
Categories
Interiors Addict

Kara and her caravan are coming to Sydney

I have always wanted to meet Kara Rosenlund, the stylist and owner of Frankie the caravan, from which she runs her Travelling Wares store. Only problem is, she is in up in Queensland. However, this weekend, she will be in Sydney, at Megan Morton’s The School, on both days! She sets off on Wednesday and is bringing Frankie, with lots of lovely wares for sale, with her! I ‘m so not missing this so I’ll be there on the Sunday. If you see me, say hi!

Rosenlund

There’s all sorts of cool stuff happening at The School this weekend on account of it being its first birthday. From 10am to 4pm on both days, go along for a visit, a free pavlova party and a free kids craft class. Find out more at The School’s website.

Categories
Interiors Addict

Learn how to create vignettes from Kara Rosenlund at The School

Kara Rosenlund

If you took part in the very first 7 Vignettes, my monthly Instagram photo/styling challenge, you’ll remember the lovely Kara Rosenlund was the guest judge. As well as being very generous with her comments and advice on participants’ efforts, we also saw how AMAZING she is at styling vignettes in her home with the most ordinary of objects (sometimes even chooks!).

Stylist Kara Rosenlund
Stylist Kara Rosenlund

Continue reading “Learn how to create vignettes from Kara Rosenlund at The School”
Categories
Interiors Addict

Visit the Country Road retro caravan in Melbourne’s South Yarra today

To celebrate the launch of its colourful Spring fashion and homewares, Country Road will have this cute retro caravan and models on customised Papillionaire bicycles outside the South Yarra store in Melbourne today (Saturday).

Those who visit the completely customised caravan, in this season’s neons and cool pastels, can pick up a new catalogue and be in with a chance of win one of 100 Country Road tote bags or 100 $25 gift vouchers. They’ll also be giving out treats like fairy floss and popcorn. I recommend a look at the new homewares range, especially the yellow chevron throw and grey cushions.

Categories
Interiors Addict

Stylist Jane Frosh has a new website

The lovely Jane Frosh, who I interviewed here, has launched a new website. No doubt it will soon be populated with all sorts of gorgeous things! Jane’s Blue Mountains home was featured in the February issue of Country Style magazine. I pretty much love everything Jane does, envy her gorgeous caravan Carrie, which is often used for photoshoots, and sometimes wish I lived her domestic bliss country life! Check out the website here.

Categories
Interiors Addict

Kara Rosenlund’s new blog

Kara Rosenlund is awesome. If you don’t already know about her, you need to, so check out her new blog here immediately! The talented Brisbane-based stylist and props buyer (not to mention photographer) just had her divine home featured on The Design Files. Best of all (in my opinion), Kara has a Travelling Wares pop-up shop of vintage treasures in a gorgeous CARAVAN. That’s right! Frankie is a lovingly restored 1956 Franklin Caravan. You lucky Queenslanders can visit Frankie this Saturday (26 November 2011) at the Jan Power Farmers Markets at New Farm’s Powerhouse in Brisbane from 6am until 1pm. Jealous…