CHAPTER four

Milly Pretty in Pink

Milly our 1970’s caravan is getting an extreme makeover. She was built simply with simple parts. But nothing of this restoration is simple, easy or quick. But it will be all worth the wait.

With space limitation a key factor, getting the layout right is critical. At the east and west ends of the caravan are awesome metal awnings over the windows, providing light without sun and glare.

We retained the “dining area” to the west end and re-labelled it as our meeting space. At the east end will be our main workbench. To maximise bench space, low height storage units will be installed to both north and south sides.

But nothing of this restoration is simple, easy or quick. But it will be all worth the wait

Our design also included a lighting plan incorporating both task and indirect lighting. Rather than ceiling lights, we opted for wall mounted fixtures. As the ceiling height space is limited, any ceiling lights would cause over-shadowing on the work benches.

At the east and west ends, we decided to reframe the overhead shelves. This allowed us the opportunity to concealed task lighting to the underside and an adjustable wall light above.

For the north and south sides, we opted for concealed led strip lighting to wash both the walls and benches. We made provision for new power points and installed a new external power inlet.

Along with repairing the roof leaks, we replace the old roof hatch and installed a new solar powered exhaust fan. The hatch and fan improve both air flow and keeps the temperature constant. The roof itself was sagging as all the ceiling timbers were rotted, so we re-framed the ceiling, re-installing the curved roof lines and allowing water to run off freely.

With the roof sealed, we started work on insulating and waterproofing the walls. Milly’s wall cavities are narrow so regular insulation was not going to work. We used a pink foam, which is a leftover packaging product of electrical goods.

The foam is normally thrown in the skip, so it was a great solution for both our application and budget. We also milled timber down to sit within the existing aluminium framing. These timbers would provide the support for the new wall lining.

With the extreme makeover well on its way, the big reveal will be a show stopper!