Learning to Live in a Space Before Making Changes

We used to move into a new space and rush to make changes, adding to or taking away what we thought would make things better.  Correcting mistakes further down the line that would end up costing us money and be, well just annoying. 

 So this time we didn't. 

We bought our static caravan brand new, although at the time of purchase it was a two year old design and model (hence us getting a really good deal on it, including a years site fees thrown in).  With this in mind we didn't want to change anything immediately so throughout our first year we used the van exactly as it came

I decided for once to take the time and learn to live in my new surroundings.  And while Alan, like most men, would have been more than happy to leave it exactly as it was permanently, I spent my time watching how we moved around the space, cooked in the kitchen, relaxed in the living room etc. with a view to the changes we would make. 

  I took a mental note of how we used it, what fitted in with how we live, what we loved about it, what annoyed me ... but mostly I noted what would make life easier on a day to day basis.

This was the first change, or addition, that I thought was necessary and that we have just implemented.

The worktop on the left hand side of the cooker was crying out to be more cooking friendly.  We don't eat many ready meals as we like to cook from scratch, and when you're cooking simple foods it's nice to have your ingredients and cooking implements to hand.

And a bit of space to use them.

So we made this.

Or rather I designed it and got the component parts, and Alan made sure it worked and would fit, taking measurements, cutting, trimming and painting wood.

Yes it's simply a piece of wood cut to size, edged with a nice trim then glued on top of a bought wooden cube, both of which were painted white with spray paint.  At the other side ... sitting slightly further back to give maximum preparation room nearer the cooker ... the shelf rests on a simple little drawer unit which cost me £8 from Asda.

It may not seem much but raising some things off the worktop while still being able to utilise ALL the space beneath the shelf will make a world of difference.

The plan is that the toaster will sit underneath the shelf, being pulled out when in use, a jar of something will sit in the open cube and a few more jars of dried goods will be on top of the shelf, providing inspiration for meals and releasing storage space inside the cupboards.

At the moment I'm waiting for the glue to dry so I can't start arranging and rearranging  ... there will be time to play very soon though 😀

Sue xx

The Outside Space

Today I am introducing you to the outside of my new home.  

We've done a lot of work to the little patch of land that sits to the right of my new home.  With some help from my son Simon, Alan has completely changed the outside space around the van.

Excited to get stuck in.

We took it from this, originally a bare concrete walled garden area.

 The first job was to cover the concrete fencing slabs with trellis panels to soften the look.  Then we were left with the lumpy, bumpy grass and a few paving slabs hastily put in place for the temporarily borrowed steps.

Then Alan and Simon put in a level paved area ready for the installation of decking.  The outline of a corner planting area was planned and a level surface for the siting of a shed was also installed at the back of the grassed area.

Shortly after that the shed was assembled and put in place.  The flower beds to the right of it started to take shape and then the decking was professionally installed.

The grass was levelled and re-turfed, initially a mat was put down to be under the car, but this proved unsuccessful, so it was time to scrap Plan A and put in place Plan B.  

Also, as you can see in this photo, we made use of some left over trellis to soften the outline of the shed and make it blend into the garden in a less obtrusive way.  Plants from home and from the local garden centre were put into the corner flower bed and some metal bits and bobs were hung from the trellis.  Planters were filled with flowering climbers to eventually grow and soften the trellised areas even more and a lovely new bench was made by Alan from oak slats and antique bench ends and was sited on a couple of the leftover paving slabs.

This is the same as the photo at the top of yesterday's post showing the final exterior layout, with all the skirting in place around the base of the van and the decking.  And this is what shows a bit of Plan B,  which was to put up a trellis fence to cut the garden space in half !! 

 The front area is the right size for my car to neatly slot into and the back area is a nice self-contained, much smaller, but nicely secure for the dogs garden space.  The dividing trellis is cleverly held up by the main trellis on the concrete wall panels on one side and is fixed to the decking with simple cable ties at the other.  For stability it is also supported along it's length by planters, made by Alan and painted  by me in our favourite shade of green.  You can perhaps just see it at the right hand side of my car.  I'll take more photos when I show you the actual garden area on another post.

It shrunk the size of the garden to less than half but it gave us good parking for both cars.  Alan's truck fits neatly across the front of my Fiat when we are both in residence.  The decking was altered by the company that installed it originally to give us a set of steps down into the garden as well as  the steps at the front, this means that the dogs can safely go outside whenever the door to the van is open.

And happy dogs mean happy humans.

Sue xx

Home

So this is it - home.

Truly a smaller and simpler life. 

Just a girl, a Pug dog, a small car, a tiny garden and a van ... a caravan ... but she will always be 'the van' for short.
Four hundred and thirty two square feet of living space, plus a small outside decking area.  

Tiny living ... something I have always, always wanted :-)

Set out something like this.

Well almost exactly the same as this except for the en-suite in the main bedroom ... which in my vans case is in the opposite corner. With the tiny en-suite being in the top left corner (as you look into the bedroom from the doorway) and the fitted wardrobe adjacent to it.   I will show you photos of the actual rooms as they are now on a future post.  But I have some changes in mind and things may not stay exactly as they are pictured for long.

I gave a massive clue away almost a year ago, when I published THIS post shortly after starting this blog.  The photo actually showed the brochure photo of the kitchen area of our new second home.  Over the last year we have worked hard remodelling the outside space to make it work for us and the dogs.

And now this is to become my home for the majority of the time. 

 I'll be growing herbs and planting some edibles in the tiny garden, along with the flowers and shrubs we have already put in.  Shopping in the nearby village and nearest towns, and generally taking a step back and away from the hustle, stress and hard work of the last few years.  Self sufficiency on a large scale is not for me.  I don't want to own land, raise animals or hatch birds, I don't want to have so much relying on me ... I feel the weight of the responsibility of all that far too much.

And that I think is it, I don't need much and I don't want much.  I don't want a life of striving to make things work.  I want to take what I've learnt about me, my life over these last few intensive years, about my relationships with others and I want to make things better for me and the people I love.  And when I'm a happier and calmer person that works so much better for everyone.  And most of all I do realise completely that I am married to the most special of men that is willing to allow me to do just that.

And to make things crystal clear, we are not splitting up, we are not divorcing and we are not having a trial separation ... we are simply living the lives we each want to live for a few days each week and getting back together every weekend.  Exactly as we used to do when we first met and for the first few years of our marriage.  To enjoy each others company when we are not busy working at our individual choices and jobs.  Most of the time Suky will be with me and Mavis will be with Alan, as sometimes Mavis and Ginger like to snuggle up at bedtime and it would be cruel to separate them.  And of course we will all be together at weekends.

So come with me through a country gate, to a calmer, smaller and much simpler life.


Sue xx

Things They Are a Changing

Things they are a changing

The photo could be a clue

The words they say it all

A truly Smaller Life

Is mine in March

See you then

🖤

The First Step

It's another year

Another year of sorting

Purging 

Jettisoning stuff

There's always too much stuff

It  has to go

Before I do

🖤

Same As Every Other Year

So

 We're five days into a brand new year

My mind is still racing with possibilities

With new ideas

With plans I need bravery to see through

I need to be real

To be me

To be sassy as f*ck

Same as every other year really

But more so

💛

Very Quiet

Just that

💙