When you hear the word “caravan”, you probably conjure up visions of budget holidays, cramped spaces and grey nomads. But when the reno wizzes at Three Birds Renovations were presented with a rundown beige caravan set on the muddy banks of a NSW river, they immediately saw its potential and set about turning it into the ultimate weekender.
“What drew us to the project was the challenge of doing such a small space in a colour palette that was really different to anything we’ve done,” says Lana Taylor, director at Three Birds. “We had to think creatively to make the space beautiful but also practical, so it could sleep as many people as possible.”
Inspired by their surroundings, Three Birds opted for a forest green BoConcept sofa to blend in with the bush setting. An artwork by Lauren Webster, BoConcept coffee tables, rug and armchair, and a Gallery Home floor lamp complete the picture.
Gone is the Birds’ usual all-white coastal vibe and instead, black fibre-cement cladding dominates with an interior palette of gold, green, black and pink. “To us, the concept of a river shack felt quite masculine, so we wanted to pretty it up, which you see as soon as you arrive and spot the bright pink caravan,” Lana says.
Bench seats offer storage and maximise the space at hand. Vinyl floorboards from Godfrey Hirst flow throughout, while a Paloma mirror, table and stools from Zanui and a pendant from Opaque Handcrafted blend in seamlessly.
Another surprise addition is the vinyl flooring. “Twenty years ago you would’ve just thought ‘yuck’, but vinyl flooring has come a long way,” Lana says. “We chose vinyl planks because they’re really durable, don’t scratch, are water-resistant and easy to clean, which was so important with lots of muddy feet coming through.”
With such a small space to work with, the girls had the kitchen (opposite) custom made by Carrera by Design. It features Fisher & Paykel appliances, a Caesarstone benchtop in Vanilla Noir and Luxaflex aluminium shutters. The artwork is by Simon Davidson.
Just one example of using available space for a multitude of purposes, this window seat converts to a bed at night, with handy storage underneath. The walls have been painted in Dulux “Parchment Paper”, the custom cushions are by Grace Garrett and the tasselled throw is from Sea Tribe.
With the brief of sleeping as many bodies as possible, the shack has many dual-purpose spaces that transform into places to sleep at night. This comes by way of considered furniture choices and clever uses of space, like the day beds that convert to sleeping quarters and the ottoman that folds out to a bed.
In an eye-catching move, the walls and curved ceiling of the master bedroom were covered with Watercolour Strelitzia wallpaper from Luxe Walls. A hanging rattan pendant from Newrybar Merchants casts a glow over the Cultiver bedlinen and bedhead from Heatherly Design.
And then, of course, there’s the real star: the river. “It was all about the river for us, so the whole home is designed to make sure that wherever you’re sitting, you have a great vantage point,” Lana says. That’s what we call a room with a view.
Black details add some edge to an otherwise feminine pink bathroom – think penny rounds from Amber Tiles, a Caroma showerhead, Dorf mixer tap and Caesarstone vanity top in Vanilla Noir. The pink feature wall tiles are also from Amber Tiles.
SMALL SPACE, MAXIMUM IMPACT
The Three Birds share their top tips for small space living:
Hidden storage: “Bench seats are great for creating storage, and we even built additional storage under the custom bunk beds.”
Keep the kitchen open: “In a small kitchen, consider not having overhead cabinetry so the space feels open. We did this in the River Shack and it made the bench feel much more airy and spacious.”
Join inside and out: “If you have limited indoor space, use your outside space to make everything feel bigger. Put in bi-fold doors to create a wide opening onto an undercover deck, or consider installing a servery from the kitchen.”
An additional deck was built on the riverbank – and Erin, Lana and Bonnie were happy to test it out. HardieDeck decking is framed by Dulux Weathershield “Black” walls, while gold stools from Space to Create and Alboo armchairs provide a place to perch.
