The Waverley Caravan – 3 – Renovation

The caravan interior was original and intact, but had become shabby with decades of use.

All the cupboard doors, the shelves, the folding screen and the pelmets above the windows were veneered wood. Dark brown, stained and dull. They looked scruffy and made the interior seem dark. To overcome this we painted all the wood in pale cream gloss, and the walls of the lounge pale grey below the dado rail, and warm yellow above. The dado rail seemed a rather grand feature for a humble caravan, but demanded special treatment so was picked out with pale terracotta. We used the cream gloss for the walls and ceilings of the kitchen, bathroom and small bedroom, and painted the kitchen unit doors in dark grey.

At some point before we bought it, someone had wired it up with modern 3 pin sockets and light switches. I guess this was to replace the original gas lights. All the electrics worked, and I could wire it up to the house supply with a long extension lead, so it was light enough to work there in winter, and warm if I didn’t want to light the stove.

I had a collection of original fabric from the 50’s and 60’s, some of which I used for curtains and cushions. The original moquette upholstery and cushions on the small built in sofa were in excellent condition. I made the curtains from some bark cloth I found on a skip. It was a pretty hideous design, but matched the decor well, and later complemented my choice of ornaments and fittings of dubious taste.

The caravan was increasingly used as a refuge for discarded, preloved tacky and scavenged furniture and ornaments I’d obtained from boot fairs, or were no longer needed by relatives and that, for reasons of taste (apparently), had no place in the house.

Many were salvaged from a skip behind the auction yard. Here was a treasure trove of discarded 1950’s items that only I appeared to find interesting. Each Saturday I would park near to the skip, go through it as best I could and select any real gems. I wasn’t just on the lookout for caravan stuff, there was often garden furniture and equipment lurking in the depths. The negotiation process was straightforward: I could have whatever I wanted for £2, including delivery if it wouldn’t fit into the car. Perfect bargains.