When we built our house there were a few pieces of vintage furniture from my grandparents house I wanted showcase in our home. This radiogram was a feature in my grandparents lounge room and I loved it. We were also considering purchasing art but I loved the idea of having record covers on display.

After extensive pinterest research we discovered Ikea shoe storage boxes are perfect storing records and Ikea frames were the perfect size for record covers! We had a large plain wall above the stairs  but to create a record space there was much harder than you would think. We moved lights,  added a powerpoint, mounted the storage boxes and had difficult access to hang the frames! I’m really happy with how it turned out, what would have been a dead space in our house feels like another room.

It was a quandary to source and decide what covers should go in the frames.  I picked up these records for $2 each to get the project rolling.  I’m still rummaging in record bins to find new gems….. I think it might turn into a changing feature wall.

We work from home and have had different versions of an home office over the years. Last year we changed to Xero software so are mostly paperless and working off laptops so a traditional office isn’t required anymore. We were also finding having a toddler and an office space weren’t working becuase he needs to be right near you “ helping”.  Then with the arrival of a new baby we were forced to make a choice about the use of rooms in our house.

We decided to move the office into our dining area. We put the wireless printer in a cupboard upstairs and created a servery style office with space for each family members “office” supplies and two desks.   We added extra powerpoints and lighting above the desk. To avoid over filling the space with chairs the kids Ikea stools became the desk chairs. We still have to centre the light having the new table. But loving the space and its working really well.

As I often do art projects we decided this was the time to change our dining table so we could accommodate 6 people for a meal and it could be used as a sewing table.

After a series of tent breakages and a year of deliberation and research about the ultimate camping set up we picked up a second hand 2007 Jayco Hawk. After a quick weekend camp we wrote an extensive list of modifications to make while keeping it a simple as possible to set up. The aim was it should only take us 40mins to set up a full campsite.

It turned out great and being self sufficient with luxuries has  opened up so many more camping sites to us…..especially with two small kids in tow.

Storage

Added drawers in the poky cupboards inside and large drawers to the outdoor cupboard to create an outdoor kitchen. We bought Ikea wire drawers that fit on the floor when the caravan is packed down. When we arrive at destination they fit on the bench secured with small wing nuts to store our clothes. I recommend Kathmandu tanker cargo bags as they compress small bags when you have unpacked.

More gas and gas points

Added an extra 5kg bottle and got 2 gas points added at the back of the caravan for the hot water, shower and the BBQ.

Shower

Bought a hot water system and created a custom bracket to hold the shower in place. Then a pop up tent can be placed over the unit if extra privacy is required.

Outdoor Kitchen

 

 

 

We revised the bbq stand to save time in set up and create a larger food prep area. This means we had to create a specific plan of how to pack the caravan so we don’t have to dismantle this! The ziggler and brown bbq is great as it as the option to turn it into two gas hot plates if you don’t want to have a traditional bbq.

 

 

Charging

We installed solar panels and added a plug and usb point that enables us to charge off 9volt power. Also added an anderson plug to run the fridge and charge the battery while we are driving.

Water 
Added electric pump on inside tap rather than the original hand pump.

Packing
All bedding, toiletries and kids toys are kept in caravan. Microfiber towels are a great space saver and dry so quickly on a campsite. We stocked up on gourmet pantry essentials so we just grab any fresh food left in our fridge before we leave and that will be enough to last us a few days.