A mother-of-three has revealed the transformation she carried out on her family’s static caravan, creating a luxury get away lodge for just £1,000.
Joanna Kelley, 49, from, Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire, bought the 2003 model static caravan in the Welsh countryside for £6000 in 2017 with her husband John, 50.
Joanna began renovating the holiday home on the outskirts of Snowdonia near Machynlleth in Spring 2018, but has recently finished the project calling the space a ‘god send’ after lockdown.
The couple, who regularly holiday at the caravan with their two grown up daughters, 32 and 27 and a son, seven, say they kept costs down by filling the holiday home with second hand furniture.
The master bedroom of the static caravan, a carnaby belverdere 2003 model, in the Welsh countryside
The master bedroom before renovation. Now wood panelling placed above the master bed in place of a headboard gives the caravan a far more rustic and homely feel than 80s style decor
Joanna said: ‘We bought the caravan for £6,000 in 2017 and spent approximately £1,000 buying pieces of furniture on local sites and then painting them all to coordinate with each other creating a warm lodge style interior.
‘Our biggest expense was the caravan itself and the cheapest and biggest bargain would be the sofa for £100, including the footstool.’
She added that they had avoided spending thousands on upgrading the static caravan to a newer model by doing the DIY refit entirely by themselves.
The twin room now, with tartan furnishings and warm lodge like colours and decorations. A platform bed allows for full size single beds to be installed and more floor space
Before the twin room was a stark white with little room to walk between the beds
The DIY savvy family changed the layout of the twin bedroom, placing one bed on a platform to create a much larger floor space and cosy feel.
While wood panelling placed above the master bed in place of a headboard gives the caravan a far more rustic and homely feel than the previously 80s style orange furnishings.
Joanna said: ‘Doing everything ourselves cut out the need for upgrading to newer models and we have been astonished at the reaction to our home away from home on social sites.’
The stunning views from the ‘lodge’ on the outskirts of Snowdonia near Machynlleth, Wales
The caravans newly renovated lounge complete with a gas fire and second hand sofa and footstool bought for £100
The space now feels like a home-away-from-home for the family of five who regularly visit
Before the living room was an uninviting space with cool colours and a bench seat sofa
The bargain second hand sofa which Joanna bagged along with a footstool for just £100
Before, a more old-fashioned static caravan feel that may remind you of holidaying in the 80s
The shell of the lounge seen after the bench sofa was ripped out by the couple in Spring 2018
The mother, who works in a school, said that the family mostly take advantage of their getaway retreat during the school holidays.
However she said that the family had especially been making the most of the caravan during lockdown.
Joanna, who has documented the renovation on her Pinterest page said: ‘I’m always tinkering with [the caravan] but I think I’m almost there, we missed it terribly through lockdown but now we are back it is proving a godsend as the travel restrictions abroad are now making people appreciate maybe holidaying at home now.’
Joanna Kelley, 49, from, Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire, bought the 2003 model static caravan in the Welsh countryside for £6000 in 2017 with her husband John, 50
The modern kitchen transformation was carried out with just a lick of paint and new handles
After two years of ‘tinkering’ Joanna said she feels that she has finally finished the renovation
Before, a drab kitchen diner, typical of the static caravan style, complete with a bench seat
The kitchen during the process of renovation, with the cuboard doors removed for painting