1. Stick to just one color palette
2. Make your furniture multi-task
3. Use vertical space as well as horizontal space
4. Arrange more public uses closest to the door
5. Don’t be afraid to have fun

To read the full article go over to Apartment Therapy and be inspired by all the great photographs.

Her home in Germany (which she shares with her partner, “The Beard”, who also has his own trailer) is a caravan which was formerly parked on a farm. The 60-year-old wooden wagon, known as a Bauwagen in German, was on the farm for at least 20 years and the owners of the farm gave it to Nicolette for free if she hauled it out herself.

She proceeded to fix and decorate the wagon over a the course of a year with about 900 Euros and many trips to the Dumpster for furniture, lighting, kitchenware, bedding and even food. Her wagon, affectionately called the trash house, is parked in a wagenplatz, an intentional community in which people live together on a piece of land in a variety of wheeled dwellings.

Her tiny house contains a woodstove, a bed, a desk and shelves for books and a closet for clothes. The wagon does not have running water and Nicollete cooks in an outdoor summer kitchen or a communal kitchen in the wagenplatz. The bathroom and shower is also communal.

The birth of her baby may have Nicolette getting a larger wagon, but she intends to stay in the wagenplatz because of the opportunity for instant community.

“I can’t imagine a better place to raise a child. It’s the “it takes a village” principle in living color,” she said. “There’s space to play outdoors. There are seventeen different people to talk to and learn from. It’s not any smaller than most of the apartments I’ve lived in. And we have a hell of a lot more money then we would if we had to pay a normal rent. I can’t think of a single reason to leave, no longer being attached to the luxury of having running water within arm’s reach at all times.”

Photos Courtesy of Nicolette Stewart/ClickClackGorilla

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

I have been reading your blog for a few months now and every new post inspires and surprises me. The whole idea of utilizing and experimenting with small spaces is really fascinating. Considering most of your blog posts have an American/Canadian touch to it, I believe that my story could be a fresh view on camping!

My girlfriend used to go camping with her parents in this beautiful classic caravan. Last summer we took it to Switzerland and France and this summer we took 4 weeks to completely restore this 50 year old caravan.

The caravan is a Wa-Wa 180 Sport. The original manufacturer doesn’t exist anymore, but they used to build a lot of wooden caravans and trailers. This Wa-Wa was created for recreational use on campsites but considering its weight of 300 kg’s even people with a small, not so powerful car could take this caravan and travel around with it. Besides the chassis and the rear window, the whole caravan is made of wood. Inside there is room for a small kitchen – with a refrigerator, sink and a gas cooker – and a large twin bed that can be removed and replaced by two small benches and a table. Originally the caravan was designed so it could fit 6 people! The caravan surface is only 2 x 3 meters so in practice nobody used it that way.

The Wa-Wa caravan is even more special because of its roof. The wooden roof is set up when you are camping in it and can be fold down so it is barely higher than a small car. This saves a lot of gas money and creates a stronger structure when you are driving with it.

On the pictures you can see the blue tent that was specially made for this caravan.

This caravan has a big history and is pretty unique; only a few of them are still alive these days.

Maarten Bellaard
The Netherlands

[View with PicLens]

“If I see an old piece of furniture laying around, and it looks like it can still be used, I’ll saw it up,” Joseph said. “It makes the whole ‘find is and use it’ process more enjoyable.”

Joseph initially designed and built the stained glass window in the gypsy wagon, but he thinks he might look for a local stained glass artist to do the window in his next wagon. The wagon weighs about 1,500 pounds and can be towed by a small truck. It was recently sold for about $8,500 and Joseph plans on keeping his next design’s price to below $10,000.

If you are interested in one of Joseph’s gypsy wagons, email him at jsph.crowell (at) gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of Joseph Crowell

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Kim has been a craftsman for over 35 years and builds the wagons from scratch. You can purchase a finished wagon or have a custom sheep wagon built to your specifications. The wagons can be built on running gear that is freeway worthy or they can have original antique wood spoke wheels.

Typically, each wagon will have a bed with a memory foam mattress, a sitting and eating area with storage underneath, an antique wood stove or an electric stove, and a small kitchen area with custom cabinetry. They can also have several 110 electrical outlets and a storage area on the back of the wagon. The wagons are painted in traditional white and green colors and will have the classic canvas roof that is rated to last up to 10 years. The wagons are built with 2×6 Douglas fir and the cabinets and doors are built with 3/4 inch birch, pine and Douglas fir.

These sheep wagons can be used as a tiny house, on a farm or ranch, as a guest house, or an artist’s studio. Idaho Sheep Wagons also offers delivery. The prices range from about $9,000 for a 12 foot wagon to $13,500 for a wagon with original spoke wheels. Currently the company has a wagon for sale for $8,300.

Photos courtesy of Idaho Sheep Wagons

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

We have just recently completed our 2nd caravan, the Sandpiper (named after our neighbourhood), which is 8’ by 16’ and was commissioned by a very lovely and talented couple-one is a well known double bassist and the other is a fabulous graphics designer.

What they needed was some extra space for guests, a place to work and also a place to play music. There were more specific requests as well, first of all, since a double bass is not a small instrument it had to have a special spot worked into the design (in between the desk and cupboards), also it’s case needed a storage spot which is under the bed. They also wanted a sense of airiness rather than a cozy feel, which was achieved with the high ceilings, white walls and a whole lot of windows, one of which was a beautiful, antique leaded glass window that they’d been holding onto for years.

I was also asked to make use of driftwood as I had done in my first caravan, which I was very happy to do- not only does it give the caravans a lovely beach feel but it means that I get to go ‘shopping’ for wood on the beach which is something I love to do. Since they liked the look, I used driftwood on all of the shelf supports over the bed and cupboards, the diagonal desk supports, the coat hooks and hooks for a violin and bow. As this caravan was intended for a specific site, the windows, painted to match their cabin’s windows, were placed in such a way that would allow for the nicest views, with the exception of the high leaded window which allows in light but creates some privacy from the neighbouring property.

As with the Vorizo, our 1st caravan (named after our postal code), we built with natural, healthy materials as much as possible- Rock wool insulation, beautiful woods, refurbished wood windows and eco friendly paints and finishes. Environmentally there are obvious reasons to use eco friendly materials but is important to me that the space is a healthy one for the occupant as well.

We’ve just started on our first live-in caravan, a 10’ by 26’ space with a kitchen, bed, desk , reading nook and storage. It will have a wash house (bathroom, washer/dryer and extra food storage) that will be built separately . Once the caravan arrives the two buildings will be attached by a breezeway . You can follow our progress on Hornby Island Caravan’s Facebook page , you’ll find a link to that on our web site which is http://ww.hornbyislandcaravans.com

This person took an old run down caravan or trailer and used it for the base, he then rebuilt it using his design and creating a simple structure for himself. It has all the basics, a place to sleep, cook and stay warm. Maybe this video is just the inspiration you need to start your own project.

I aim to create spaces that have a sense of warmth and character. It is very important to me that my caravans are built with natural, healthy materials and that they are designed in such a way that is mindful of the client’s needs. I spend a great deal of time in the planning stage thinking about how the space will be used and, with that in mind, how to use every bit of space in the best possible way.

I certainly want the caravans that I build to be beautiful but I think even more importantly I want that certain magical quality that you find in buildings which are made with creativity, attention to detail and an appreciation for the materials being used. My aim is for the customer to feel a sense of wellness and comfort in my buildings. If they do then I’ve accomplished my goal.

It all started with the British version of Country Living magazine. That’s where I first saw pictures of gypsy vardos and fell completely, madly, deeply…well I really, really liked them alot. Even the most simple caravans have such charm to them. The ones I have visited are really the most lovely, warm, inviting little spaces i’ve ever been in. And so I was hooked. But still, it took a while for my interest in caravans to turn to thoughts of a career since I was pretty happy and comfortable making my living as a clay artist. And then one day it just seemed silly not to make caravans, after all it combined so many of my interests and previous experiences in building, art and design.

So here I am building caravans, with the help of my husband Lawrence Nyberg, who lends a hand when it’s needed, acts as a sounding board for my ideas and is a great support in general- he is a very fine luthier the rest of the time. We live on Hornby Island, British Columbia, which is probably the most beautiful place in the world, with our two young kids, Finn and Lily and our two dogs Meili and Kaya.

Be sure and visit the Hornby Island Caravans website and contact Michelle if you want to learn more.

The caravans are built from partially recycled timber and meet high quality environmental standards. The insulation is made from wool and the windows and doors have double glazing. A hot water heater and electrical wiring is included.

Most of these caravans are around 215-230 square feet and include a kitchen, a bathroom and sleeping facilities as well as plenty of storage, heating for winter use, outdoor living spaces and lovely details including polished brass port-hole windows. They come fully equipped and can accommodate up to four people. Some are even accessible for the disabled. The units start at €29.800 or $41,000 and take 2-4 months to be completed.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

I am a big fan of caravans, vardos, gypsy wagons, etc. and this is a prime example of an old caravan he found and photographed in the UK. The interior is simple but well done and I like the simple all around design. I appreciate Phil taking the time to photograph it and than share it with us.

Photo Credit: Phil Austin