I turned a rusty old caravan at the bottom of the garden into a woodland haven, it’s like going on holiday
ERICA Bracken, a freelance PR and content consultant, transformed a bargain old caravan into a woodland oasis.
In May 2020, Erica and her family purchased the caravan for just £1,187 and have since transformed it into an idyllic .
Erica told Metro.co.uk, “‘My family and I had always dreamed about having a cabin in a small woodland area at the bottom of our garden.”
However, Erica and her family unfortunately did not have the funds to build one.
The alternative was to buy an old, cheap caravan and give it a renovation.
The purchase was an impulse one, but one that has turned into a magical hideaway.
This wasn’t just any old renovation - this was a high-speed restoration as the caravan needed a considerable amount of work.
Working on the project whenever they got a spare moment, whilst juggling full-time jobs, the renovation definitely wasn’t an easy one.
“We started by stripping it, ripping out the old table, shower room, and bunk beds. We left the kitchen unit and overhead shelves to maintain some of the caravan’s classic character. And then we moved it down to the place in our garden where we had always envisioned it being, and added a decking.”
They transformed the caravan from the 1990s beige to a chic black with white walls and gold, yellow, green and brown soft furnishings.
The majority of the work was completed by Erica and her parents but they did gather outside help for electrics, plumbing and the majority of the carpentry work.
“Inside, we were determined to make it a stylish and cosy space, so that every time you stepped in from the outside it brought a smile to your face.”
It has a gorgeous seating area, a cosy bed and a fabulous kitchen.
They also put in beautiful decking and stunning fire lighting.
It even has an outdoor toilet.
There’s also a woodland path through the trees, adding to the experience to walk down through the winding path and see the caravan hidden away in the woods.
To keep the costs down, accessories were purchased from IKEA and H&M and some were even taken from their own home.
“We raided our own house to keep the budget low – crockery, cushions, blankets, nothing was safe! But it really didn’t take a lot to bring our simple design to life.”
The caravan is just a two-minute walk from the house and the family spend most evenings there.
They often host dinners with family and friends.
however, they did run into some unexpected challenges when renovating.
It wasn’t initially planned to add a roof, but after realising it was a very windy and exposed area, the family realised they would have to.
They thought they were finished last August but almost a year later they are still busy working away.
Regardless, Erica and her family have created the perfect ‘home away from home’, that they can enjoy with their friends and family.
How amazing?!
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