We have fond memories of childhood caravan holidays.

In fact, if you could bottle that carefree vibe; sandy feet, salty air, a bag of chips on the pier wall, you could make millions.

And after two years of travel restrictions, Cork interior designer Cathy Angelini was on the hunt for a way to hit the road and enjoy Ireland’s stunning coast.

A fan of vintage cars, Cathy turned her attention to finding a vintage camper or caravan that she could travel around the country in during the warmer months.

 

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“I had been a fan of vintage Eriba caravans for a few years so I would often hop onto Donedeal to see if there were any up for sale,” Cathy told Yay Cork.

In January, her dream caravan appeared and she snapped it up from a seller in Co. Clare.

“Before I lay a finger on it, I did a bit of research to see what the original interior would have looked like. It turned out that most of the finishes and fittings were original and seeing as I was drawn to the beauty of these caravans because of their retro style, I made a conscious decision to only make changes where I thought it would improve the overall look and comfort.

“The one thing I was sure of changing from the moment I saw it was the upholstery as it was a bit tired and drab.”

Cathy’s caravan was built in 1989 but it was designed to look similar to an older model built in the late 1950s.

“It has a strong mid-century look both in the interior and exterior,” she said.

“I kept this in mind when choosing the upholstery and curtain fabrics, the new fridge door covering and other decor and accessories.”

The designer said the trickiest part was reigning in her excitement so she didn’t ruin any of the original features: “I know from social media it would be a common trend to paint everything white but I felt this would devalue the caravan and I think the warm wood veneer would be sorely missed if it was covered up.”

Cathy used a combination of fabric remnants from another project and new fabric from HomeFocus for the upholstery. Storage came from JYSK, a Penney’s utensil holder was turned into a lampshade and lots of the decor and accessories were either H&M Home or vintage pieces she had squirreled away.

Now Cathy and her family plan to use the caravan for weekends away “anywhere between West Cork and Donegal!”

Any tips for first-time caravan fixer-uppers?

“If the floor and wall finishes are in need of updating, I would suggest something durable and easy to clean as these would be big factors to consider in small living spaces where you’re dragging in sand and grass all the time,” Cathy advises.

“If reupholstering, look for end-of-line fabrics as they are usually discounted and you won’t generally need a large quantity of fabric.

“Lastly, check the size of items you are adding in like shelves, light fixtures etc. as these items can swamp the space and end up being the things you bump into when moving about if they are not small enough.”

Follow Cathy Angelini for tips and inspiration on Instagram.