Cajsa is a 55-year-old grandmother who lives in a ground-floor apartment with a garden in Skåne, Sweden. While Cajsa adores her home, she has also dreamed about holidaying in a caravan to relive her childhood memories of camping abroad in Europe.
As luck would have it, Cajsa was finally given the opportunity to purchase her very own caravan in 2020 when an acquaintance was selling a 1980 Adria 305 for 4800 SKR, which is about $550. She then spent up to $450 renovating it, with her tight budget dictating the use of plenty of recycled materials.
Fortunately, that suited Cajsa well since she loves to reuse things and is interested in decorating, renovating, and fixing. After spending almost two months renovating the caravan to her liking, which is still ongoing, she is now able to spend time with her four grandchildren holidaying in places like Ullared, Borås, and Gränna.
Whether she takes her grandchildren on holiday or not, Cajsa said she just loves to be able to sit in it and relax.
While Cajsa renovated her 1980 Adria 305 herself, she had help with more of the complex jobs, such as replacing rotten studs and push brake, and updating the electrical work. Some of these renovation tasks are still ongoing.
Cajsa gained inspiration from other people’s caravans when decorating her own, and the results are impressive. She has decorated it with a Bohemian design, smart storage solutions, and quaint touches like plants, baskets, and dream catchers. According to Cajsa, the small space makes it challenging to keep it tidy, but she loves how cozy it is.
To tie the Bohemian theme together, Cajsa laid vinyl with an oriental pattern. It also meets the shoe storage area under the seating space, which she cut out with a saw by herself.
While making space for Cajsa and four grandchildren can be challenging, it helps that her caravan has two dining areas that double as sleeping areas – one small and one large. This is the dining space before renovating.
She transformed the smallest dining nook and made a new table from inserts she got for free from her local wood store. She glued these inserts onto a board, then filled, sanded, and varnished them. The uneven colouring gives them more character and ties in well with the décor.
At night, the smallest dining space is transformed into a cosy bed. This is where Cajsa sleeps when she takes her grandchildren on holiday.
The large dining area before Cajsa renovated it was dark and dreary, but it was deceivingly spacious.
After Cajsa renovated it, it became her favourite part of the caravan. She painted the table white, added fresh white curtains, and updated the flooring, as well.
Cajsa keeps the bed area out most of the time since it’s cosy to sit on and relax in. She has kept the Bohemian theme alive with vibrant décor.
Cleverly installed over the big bed is a much smaller and removable bed for the smallest grandchild to use. The use of white paint on the ceiling and cabinetry lightens up the space.
When Cajsa’s grandchild isn’t using the small bed, her dog Ludde likes to borrow it. This small snook has undergone a complete transformation with white paint, white curtains, a dreamcatcher, and plants to tie the look together.
The kitchen was intact and functional when Cajsa purchased the caravan, but she decided to give it a new lease on life. It not only features the gorgeous oriental flooring for that Bohemian touch but a bold graphite grey paint scheme on the kitchen cabinetry.
Cajsa originally painted it white but decided to darken it with something bold. After paint wash, primer, and two coats of wall paint to create a matte surface, it came together beautifully. The grey works in harmony with the wood benchtop and decorations.
Before the renovation, the kitchen featured bold 1980s styling, with orange vinyl flooring and deep, dark wood coloring. It was dark and dreary.
No stone was left unturned in creating a gorgeous kitchen that Cajsa could enjoy. Brass contrasts beautifully against the dark grey paint, and she has also used black tiles and a combination of natural and dark elements to tie the look together.
Cajsa also found the brass-look bowl at a flea market, which she uses at a sink, and put a curtain in place to create privacy from the living room.
When Cajsa first purchased her caravan, it had a boiler and a door over the closet. Cajsa installed two curtains on arms that can be moved to create walls. They can be set straight to separate the kitchen from the seating area, or the arms move to form a V, making a toilet room for the portable toilet.
Cajsa made a step that slides under the toilet when it’s not used to make it easier to get on and off the toilet. Due to the wheelhouse being where the toilet is, it can’t be directly on the floor. The step also functions as extra storage. You can keep up with Cajsa and her adorable camper on Instagram
