Hi, I’m Michelle Wilson and my company is Hornby Island Caravans located on…yup, Hornby Island which is in British Columbia, Canada. So far my crew consists of me and occasionally my husband Lawrence Nyberg who is also a very fine luthier (builder of guitars and other stringed instruments).
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