'I turned an old caravan into the tiny-house cabin of my dreams'

When Erica Bracken is in her woodland 'carabin' she feels like she's on holiday. Here's how she created her garden retreat

Mon, 09 Aug, 2021 - 15:25

Eve Kelliher, Home Editor

Who has not had that childhood dream of moving lock, stock and barrel into a cabin close enough to home to be in a position to pop back in time for tea, should the mood take us?

Well, a Cork woman has blended that aspiration with the perennial grown-up real-estate fantasy of conjuring extra living space from the ether.

How? By creating a tiny-house retreat at the end of her garden.

Erica Bracken is the owner of what she terms a “carabin” — a combination of a caravan and a cabin.

Having lived in Dublin for six years, Erica returned to her native Glenville in County Cork, in the heart of the Irish countryside, in March 2020.

“I went back to live with my parents when Covid-19 struck in March 2020. I never expected to be living at home again, not least for such an extended period of time,” said Erica.

But she’s found it to be “a blessing in disguise”: “I’ve made lots of changes to my life between now and then."

Working as a freelance PR, writer and content consultant, she’s also trained to be a yoga teacher and is studying to be a skincare consultant.

Then, the ultimate caravan conversion beckoned — and stolen moments after work and at weekends together with the help of her parents meant that she has created the perfect hideaway. “It was another unexpected project that came about during that period,” she added.

“The main DIY squad were my parents Finola and Declan. They have the greatest work ethic of any people I know, and we all learned so many new skills along the way. It was a wonderful creative project to work on with my parents throughout the lockdown periods.

“My family and I had always wanted a cabin in the woods at the bottom of our garden, and when lockdowns hit we actively began researching these. It turned out that the ready-built versions and ready-to-assemble cabins were a lot pricier than the budget we had in mind, so while researching an alternative we came across a very affordable old caravan.

We knew as soon as we saw it that with a bit of imagination, creativity and hard work that we could transform it entirely into a luxury glamping-style cabin. The caravan is just like the ones we had holidayed in as kids in the 1990s. On a whim we bought it, drove down to Kerry to collect and just like that we were the proud owners of a caravan.

Erica at work at the start of the renovation.

The renovation involved gutting the interiors and creating a sanctuary both inside and out, with trees planted around the “carabin” — creating enviable indoor-outdoor living space.

They stripped it and ripped out the old table, shower room and bunk beds.

“For the interiors, we wanted to retain some of the original features (like the kitchen and overhead shelves) while also adding a bright, fresh and luxurious, yet cosy and comfortable, finish to it,” said Erica.

They introduced wood-effect lino, and installed benches and an oak counter and dining table in the kitchen area as well as adding a king-size bed to the sleeping area.

Running water and electricity and painting and decorating were next on the agenda, then it was on to fine-tuning the interiors.

“We started with a clean, fresh palette of whites and creams and from there took inspiration from the surrounding woodlands, adding in accents of green, brown and golden yellows. In regards to the exteriors, we definitely took inspiration from the black-clad Scandinavian cabins. Anything would have been an improvement from the dated beige it originally was!” said Erica.

Happy camper: Erica relaxing in her converted caravan.

Cushions from H&M and a pendant lamp from Ikea as well as crockery, cushions and blankets plundered from Erica's parents’ house helped keep costs down.

“From the time we bought it in May 2020 until l the end of July 2020 we worked weekends and after work to transform it from the sorry state it arrived into a liveable — even luxurious — condition,” said Erica.

“My brother and sister-in-law were visiting for a month at the beginning of August so that gave us the motivation to get make it into something really special in time for their stay.”

But it’s turned into a joyful work in progress. “While we thought we were finished at that stage, a year later we’re still tipping away, adding more facilities, enhancing the caravan itself and the area surrounding it,” said Erica.

“We’ve added a roof overhead and blocked off the area around the caravan to keep it sheltered from the elements. There’s now an outdoor toilet and tool-shed, and we’ve planted trees around it too.

“There’s also now a pathway leading down to the caravan through the woods. It makes the walk down there even more magical.”

Erica’s parents own a bakery and cafe in Cork city, Bracken’s Bakery, and pandemic restrictions meant it was closed for periods in 2020.

“While we were forced to close for large parts of last year my parents were able to dedicate so much more time to build on what we had already done. As a result, the (almost!) finished result has completely surpassed our expectations for what we initially set out to do,” said Erica.

The “carabin” is pretty much a staycation paradise.

“My brother, Sam, and sister-in-law, Natalie, live and work in the UK (as maths teachers), and always spend a few weeks during their summer holidays in Ireland, so, they (unfortunately) weren’t available to help out with the work — but they take full advantage of it when they are home!” said Erica.

It’s close to our house but feels like a world away — spending time there is like going on a mini-holiday every time.”

Others to enjoy the cushy pad are Erica’s pets, beagle Rafa and golden retriever Omar. “Both absolutely love spending time down at the caravan, and if we’re there you are guaranteed to see one or both of them snoozing on the decking,” she added.

While this is a sanctuary that was never intended to be a mobile, Erica’s delighted to see Instagram feed has been flooded with “van life” accounts since the renovation.

And she says while she loves “the idea of waking up on a different beach every morning along the Wild Atlantic Way” for now Erica is happy exactly where she is.

Even though it’s minutes’ walk from the family front door, Erica says: “I often just bring my laptop down to the carabin and work from there for a change of scenery. It’s close to our house but feels like a world away — spending time there is like going on a mini-holiday every time.”