Mansions and rambling estates have never appealed to me. Whilst they’re romanticised by the Austin sisters, in reality, I’ve always been far more attracted to cosy little spaces.
And owning my own little space is slowly creeping closer. I’m dreaming about how I’ll decorate it and what furniture I’ll scavenge and recycle. I know I’ll probably end up with a one bed maisonette, but I want to make it the best god damn looking maisonette ever. I’m looking at inspiration in all places. From minimalist layouts to log cabins.
So when Truedor recently got in touch and asked me to pick my favourite amazing spaces from George Clarke’s book, I thought it was as good a time as any to start piecing together some design inspo.
I’ve picked my top three favourite projects from the book where I plan to steal a lot of ideas from.
The Airstream
To me, the airstream motor home is a much more attractive style than your ordinary, ‘plastic fantastic’ caravan. This couple created the home of their dreams from a 1954 model on wheels. They installed reclamation yard pieces into the curves of the airstream. Things like old fruit crates, doors, a wood-burning stove (my ideal item) and many other units. The kitchen is spacious for a galley with aged patina wood and other mismatched features. It’s just perfect really. An attractive kitchen for a tiny abode.
The seating area is also large at the back end of the caravan with Peruvian style linen padded cushions and furnishings. If I ever travel the country, I would want to do so in this. The couple now use it as their home which I imagine can be quite challenging yet humbling for two people.
You can find out more about this project here
Shore Cottage Studio
If I ever have a holiday home or live by the sea, this is how I would want my place to look; just like the Shore Cottage Studio. Note that it’s a studio, so it’s been designed and renovated with an artist’s space in mind.
It lets in plenty of natural light and a lot of the furniture has been made from re-appropriated objects, like the wooden pallet table, which has ‘artist’ written all over it. When I was at uni, the majority of my sculptural artwork was created from found objects so I imagine my very first place will too. Plus I’ve been upcycling a lot more of storage hacks too.
Being next to the sea, it’s obvious that the surroundings have influenced the interior design from blues to shells and from driftwood to things washed ashore.
Basically, this is the art studio (and home) of my dreams. I’m pretty sure I’d sleep here just so I could wake up and immediately get on with some work.
Gypsy Wagon
The gypsy wagon project looks like a fire warden’s nightmare. But to me, the all wooden exterior is immediately charming and very romantic. It makes me want to jack everything in and go live in the wilderness tomorrow. I’d just have to keep the camp fire a fair distance from my bed.
This photo of Wanderlusts Gypsy Caravans is courtesy of TripAdvisor
The people behind this beauty on wheels actually run a horse drawn caravan business where city dwellers can escape the rat race and rent out something similar. The couple, who are keen musicians, plan to use this caravan when they travel through France and will perform from the units very own stage (that’s right, it has an in-built stage!).
This photo of Wanderlusts Gypsy Caravans is courtesy of TripAdvisor
The interior is replete with a Queenie wood-burning stove and mezzanine beds on an alternating wooden strut base so it can become a double bed. A lot of the decoration has been carved by hand with swallows on the back to represent freedom and flight, horses on the front to symbolise strength and power and with snails on the bottom to reference how a travelers takes his home with him.
So after picking these top three, I’m certain I’ll be incorporating a lot of found and ornate pieces of wood in my soon-to-be first home.
Have you got any ideas for your interior design projects. I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
