Tag: vintage caravan

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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…
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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

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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

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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.

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“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!”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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Interiors Addict

Get the look: the Interiors Addict guide to wedding styling

Today it’s 2 months since I married my love. How times flies when you’re honeymooning, moving house and enjoying married life! Before I completely let go of being a recent bride and get on with being a wife, I thought I’d share one last wedding post with you, this time about the styling aspect.

interiors addict wedding styling

It will come as no surprise that I was more interested in what my wedding would look like than what I’d look like! I don’t DO dresses. I do however, do decor! So I had a lot of fun with this part of wedding planning. Here are some highlights and details of all my suppliers.

Perhaps the most talked about things at my wedding were: the dress, the flowers and the vintage caravan which I had arranged to serve tea and biscuits (I know, how English) as a fun and pretty time-killer after church and before the reception. That Vintage Caravan were brilliant. I’d seen their pink caravan (Sweet Jane’s Travelling Teahouse) at events before but when I found out they had a new addition, Spencer, who was not only very handsome but also navy and therefore on colour scheme, it was just meant to be!

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Suffice to say none of my guests had ever been to a wedding where they served tea from a caravan parked on the street outside the church before and everyone said it was “very Jen”. The priest, in his wisdom, didn’t hesitate to give us the go ahead. Kelly Holcroft and her team did a top job of styling the grassy area around Spencer too, which suited the relaxed, pretty vibe we were going for. Total event professionals!

Continue reading “Get the look: the Interiors Addict guide to wedding styling”