Wednesday 6 March 2019

The Living Room


I'm breaking these posts down into 'rooms' to make it easier to fit in and describe each living area of the Van, but I was having a bit of a laugh about it yesterday while walking Suky along the riverbank because you'll have realised of course that it's all open plan and therefore just one large 'room'.

As I think I've mentioned before the Van is 36 foot long and 12 foot wide, a total of 432 square feet of living space.  This is divided equally into two halves, so 18 foot of open plan living, kitchen and dining room space and the other half being made up of the main bedroom with en-suite toilet and basin, the twin bedded room and the shower room.

Today I'll show you what there is up to now of the living room, I'm just about to unpack the books and bits and bobs that we left here stowed under the bed over Winter, which will make it feel ... and look ... a lot more like home.

As you can see in the top photo there is a fireplace with an electric 'coal effect' fire, this is lovely as a quick warm up if we've been out and the heating is off.  But we don't use it much as the van really is very warm with the full central heating system heating radiators in every room.

Next to it on a matching unit is the television that my son Simon gave us when he upgraded via the local cheap selling pages and managed to get himself a huge, blokey model for £100.  It runs in the family this money saving mentality, he's a chip off the old block 😉

 We also have a Freeview Play box to give us a wide selection of programmes, and of course a DVD player for me to watch my huge collection of films and boxed sets on rainy days and cosy nights in.


The seating area is in an L shape.

There is a spare fold out double bed under the seats to the left of the picture and lots of storage space under all the others.  The little coffee table matches everything else in the van ... but might be going in the near future when I find something more logical and useful.  There's no rush though, it serves its purpose, it's just annoying walking round it all the time.


One of Suky and Mavis' favourite areas,  the bed they share in front of the full length windows.  They watch the world go by and growl at passing dogs ... it passes the time between snoozes, meals and doggy walks.


My television watching and cosy reading corner, with Suky's little doggy mat for her to snuggle up on when Mum finally sits still in one place and it's time to relax.  Her little mat comes through to the bedroom at bedtime when it's just the two of us here and she sleeps on it on the bed with me.


And finally the little lady herself waiting to go out.  

She loves it here, mostly because virtually all the local shops, businesses and cafes allow dogs in ... it's a Pugs idea of heaven going out and about with Mum. 

Sue xx





20 comments:

  1. It all looks do cosy - glad to see Suky approves.

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    1. Oh she loves it, and Mavis does too when she's here ♥️

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  2. I think it is absolutely amazing that it is effectively a two bed house in a different shape. It's a fabulous space and I love that you're inviting us in to each little area. It's as good as a housewarming party! Is that a little bay window behind the TV?
    xx

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    1. Exactly, it's just an oblong box with a pitched roof 🙂 No, it's not a bay, just one window on each side of the corner. If you go back to one of the first Van posts you can see it from the outside.

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  3. I agree with the comment above, loving seeing each "room".

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    1. In effect you've nearly seen all of one 'room' very well, but it's well zoned to feel like three rooms. Tomorrow it's the 'Dining Room' 😀

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  4. The 'Van' looks so cosy and inviting. I am sure you will spend many happy days there. I can't stop wondering though if you will miss your gorgeous home on the windy hillside of Wales. I know that you intend to go back, but doesn't it mean you will have two homes to clean and tend to, therefore making more work for you. Sorry if I appear to be nosy, but I have always loved your Welsh property and have always been envious of all the space you have there. This has obviously been a very well thought our plan and I really do hope that you will be very happy and the arrangement works out well for you. Thank you for still taking us on your journey - I love to catch up with you as I have always enjoyed your writing and was gutted when 'Our New Life In The Country' came to an end. All the very best - I will look forward to the next instalment.

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    1. I think you're seeing our 'gorgeous home' in Wales through rose tinted spectacles!! It leaks, lets in the rain every Winter, which has damaged the rooms we had decorated. There is a missing ceiling, an unmanageable and neglected woodland, more to do than I have ever blogged about and lots of responsibility. You don't own 5 acres and have calm, dreamy lives. An old Welsh cottage requires consistent and regular maintenance.

      Don't worry I won't have two homes to clean and tend to, I will have this one and Alan is in charge of the other. We sorted this out a long time ago and agreed on our roles at each home. Our New Life in the Country came to an end as it was no longer 'a new life' and it was partly when I started to see the same things happening year after year, without the end in sight that had been promised that I realised that this was NOT the life I wanted, or the one originally planned for.

      This is me!!

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  5. I love this new home of yours and can imagine how snud it will be during the colder weather we seem to be having.

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    1. Oh it's lovely and cosy, and at night when I don't like the heating on I have my hot water bottles to keep me and Suky snuggly and warm.

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  6. I kept visualizing what we call a van here in North America and until you started posting your pictures could not for the life of me figure out how you could live comfortably in one. Now I understand..."van" is pretty much equal to a fairly large camper trailer here.

    Love the way you are managing to get extra storage space.

    God bless.

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    1. Yes, 'van' is short for a caravan as we call it here in the UK. In my homes case a 'static' ... one that is sited, attached to mains water and electricity. We also have a 'tourer', one that is much smaller and can be pulled by a largish family car and temporarily attached to power when parked on a site. I think in the USA they are both called RV's, well according to a TV programme that I watch about restoring vintage versions they are.

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  7. Super cool!!! The dogs look super comfy! Annster's Domain

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    1. Yes, Suky loves it here, especially having me all to herself and coming out and about everywhere with me 🙂

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  8. Sue, I'm loving that you are giving us a slow reveal of the zones. I'm so glad that you're settled and are getting a feel for what you want rather than rushing in and that way we can make mistakes. I've always lived in my surroundings before deciding and I like to make sure my ideas will works. Suky looks very pleased with herself, xx

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    1. I was actually wondering if it was too slow a reveal!!

      Glad you're enjoying it 😄

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  9. I love today's tour. It looks like you have lots of room, even when both you and Alan are there. I would imagine a coffee table with a shelf, cupboard or drawers would be more useful, if you even want a coffee table there. It sounds like the 'old Welsh cottages' days might be numbered. It's sad that it didn't turn out to be what you hoped it would be. I had visions of Alan making his worm tea again and doing woodwork in his big shop and you selling all the wares at the gate or car boot sales. Take care.

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    1. Yes there's more than enough space thanks to the layout being planned out so well.

      No, Alan lives in the Welsh cottage ... it would be a bit naughty if I sold it 😉🙂

      Worm Tea was a big investment that although it recouped its cost before we moved on, was time consuming and wasn't financially viable to repeat. The plan WAS to do his woodwork and sell his wares, but when you work a 40 hours office week ... even from home ... there's not much time left to make wares!!

      When life changes in a way you didn't plan for you either plod along with it, or strike out and do something more interesting ... I am not a plodder.

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  10. It looks lovely. My dad and stepmom lived in what we call a mobile home for a number of years. They had a "double-wide" so lots of space. I think you are very wise to have realized what you can and cannot cope with. I know what it takes to keep a house let alone a huge garden and all those acres - I could not believe all that you had to do, especially during the growing season. Can't wait to see the rest of the tour.

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    1. I've seen and been in the double width 'park homes' as we call them and they really are not for me. Although Alan would probably love living in one full time. I like cosiness and individuality, the new park hones are very spacious and 'show-homey' ... not my style.

      The rest of the tour will be coming soon 🙂

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