Photo: Studio Hardy (composite)
Every success story needs a memorable start, especially in the fickle industry of television and reality shows. The show got off to a most memorable start thanks to his one-off conversion of a travel trailer for Crusher into a stunning vacation home.
This is George Clarke's personal static caravan, the restoration process featured in the first episode of the long-running series. George Clark's wonderful space The revamped show began in 2012 and is still on the air as of this writing. This makes the series almost as successful for U.S. viewers as The Kardashians. Regardless of how you feel about the Kardashians, they are a rare example of longevity on reality TV.
This static caravan conversion is the project that started it all. So it had to be the best in every sense of the word. The least likely candidate, the most original layout, the most creative in terms of space-saving solutions, and the one with the most satisfying results. That was it, and more. It's still there because George still owns it, but I don't think he uses it with his kids anymore because his kids are grown now.
George and the producers chose a 1979 Ace Excellence Static Caravan, a tombstone, for the conversion. Please take this in the most literal sense. They purchased the vehicle from a company in Cumbria that specializes in the transport, disassembly and crushing of used vehicles, vehicles that are uneconomical to repair, touring vehicles and fixed caravan vehicles.
Photo: Channel 4
Before sending these travel trailers to the big farms in the sky, our experts here comb through every unit to see what can be salvaged, retested, and resold. But you get the idea. This is where old travel trailers go before they die.
As a result, George acquired his future vacation home very cheaply, for only 300 pounds ($374 at current exchange rates). He and his old friend and partner at Studio Hardy, Will Hardy, decided to work together to not only bring it back to life, but transform it into a modern holiday home suitable for both children and adults. .
Although both George and Hardy described the project as a restoration, it was technically a complete construction. Considering the condition of the caravan, Hardy decided to keep only the exterior with a vintage feel and create a completely new interior with a completely new layout.
Photo: Channel 4
When complete, the 30-foot (9.1-meter) trailer sleeps two adults and three children, each with their own bed, a large glass-enclosed living room, a full kitchen, and a wet bathroom. I am. . Its interior is vibrant and cheerful, but not visually overwhelming, but its strongest suit is that it's packed with incredible features.
For example, a U-shaped bench in the living room can also serve as a bed, wardrobe, and bathtub. It's not some kind of typo, and the eye isn't fooling you. Hidden under the red-orange bench is a movable bathtub for kids to enjoy while they run around. Another section is a drawer that transforms the space into a queen-sized bed, and a third section hides a mini wardrobe underneath.
When you press the button, the entire length of the trailer is lowered slowly and steadily. This opens up the interior space and extends it to the outdoors, including the kitchen. The main unit in the kitchen rotates outwards, so no bad odors fill the area while cooking.
Photo: Channel 4
Before moving to the sleeping area, just outside the door is a small wet bath with shower and toilet and drop down sink. Hardy's brief called for a modern family home with comfortable amenities, so we decided that being multi-functional was best.
Another way to achieve that was to free up living space by creating different layouts. Isolate sleeping areas at one end of the trailer and create a clear division between them for privacy. For example, children sleep in bunk beds in triple beds, while parents get a small bedroom with a queen bed and some shelves.
The bedroom, like the living room, is open to the outside and therefore has a less compact footprint. At least on good days.
Photo: Channel 4
George owns this villa “Big tin can” But today nothing justifies this comparison. The total cost of the conversion was to him £38,000 ($47,300), although George admits it wasn't cheap. “It's totally worth it.” It's easy to ignore this kind of investment when you're as famous as this architect-slash-TV host, but for context, he still calls it “My favorite place in the world”
Money issues aside, this transformation is truly amazing and everyone can enjoy it, at least visually.
