My husband Steven and I lived in Knebworth before moving to Baldock. Steven ran a car-hire business, and the hours were very long. He left at 6 a.m. and didn’t return until our girls’ bedtime. Feeling fed up, we toyed with the idea of moving to a more rural area. We began looking at properties to the north, where we could get more for our money. A push from an old friend led us to finally buy a house. The cottage required work, so as renovations kicked off, we began searching for an old camper to serve as temporary housing. Online, we came across a 1957 Sprite14 in a jaunty apple-green and cream. Unable to resist, we snapped it up straight away. “Constance Caravan,” as we named her, became the perfect bolthole escape from the noisy and dusty renovations going on in the main house.
Soon we were collecting several camper vans with the intent of starting another rental business. We restored all of them, including Constance, trying to keep as much of the original details as possible, including the sliding plywood cupboards and mirrored doors. Where we had to use new, we went with era-appropriate Cath Kidston and Greengate prints and gorgeous vintage crocheted blankets from our friend Lucy Bates.
A cheery mix of melamine, red-and-white checkered linoleum flooring, floral fabrics, and boldly patterned china hints nostalgically at Constance’s heyday. Classic board games, striped deck chairs and colorful bunting make up the finishing touches to a classic 1960s English camping scene.
Inside, we’ve maximized every square inch with dualpurpose fixtures and an eight-person dining table that can be swapped out for two double or three single beds. A minuscule kitchen is complete with cupboards, sink and a tiny cooker.
Now that the house is finished, the camper has become a private studio for our daughters. They can create their own meals, design decorations for the camper, and have sleep overs when the projects they are making do not want to be put away at bedtime!
My husband Steven and I lived in Knebworth before moving to Baldock. Steven ran a car-hire business, and the hours were very long. He left at 6 a.m. and didn’t return until our girls’ bedtime. Feeling fed up, we toyed with the idea of moving to a more rural area. We began looking at properties to the north, where we could get more for our money. A push from an old friend led us to finally buy a house. The cottage required work, so as renovations kicked off, we began searching for an old camper to serve as temporary housing. Online, we came across a 1957 Sprite14 in a jaunty apple-green and cream. Unable to resist, we snapped it up straight away. “Constance Caravan,” as we named her, became the perfect bolthole escape from the noisy and dusty renovations going on in the main house.
Soon we were collecting several camper vans with the intent of starting another rental business. We restored all of them, including Constance, trying to keep as much of the original details as possible, including the sliding plywood cupboards and mirrored doors. Where we had to use new, we went with era-appropriate Cath Kidston and Greengate prints and gorgeous vintage crocheted blankets from our friend Lucy Bates.
A cheery mix of melamine, red-and-white checkered linoleum flooring, floral fabrics, and boldly patterned china hints nostalgically at Constance’s heyday. Classic board games, striped deck chairs and colorful bunting make up the finishing touches to a classic 1960s English camping scene.
Inside, we’ve maximized every square inch with dualpurpose fixtures and an eight-person dining table that can be swapped out for two double or three single beds. A minuscule kitchen is complete with cupboards, sink and a tiny cooker.
Now that the house is finished, the camper has become a private studio for our daughters. They can create their own meals, design decorations for the camper, and have sleep overs when the projects they are making do not want to be put away at bedtime!
