A 1950S SHOWMAN’S VAN

This vintage van made the owner want to run away and join the circus!

Baileys Home is a rustic home and garden emporium housed in a series of old barns and situated on a farm in Ross-on-Wye. It’s run by a dynamic designer/maker husband-and-wife team, Sally and Mark Bailey. You may recognise their names, as this creative couple have authored lots of lovely interiors books – take a look at their Instagram account @baileyshome to find out more. I’m a big fan of Mark and Sally’s work, and although the store is a six-hour round trip from my home in Surrey, it’s always a treat to visit – their recycled homewares, eco ranges and gorgeous collection of gardenalia are all on my wish list. It’s a real delight to include their glorious 1950s showman’s van here.

Sally and Mark acquired Molly, as they call their vintage van, in a dilapidated state after spotting an advertisement in the window of a local newsagents. The task of restoring it took not far off three years to complete. It is built mainly from wood with an aluminium exterior, and the couple’s first task was to repair the roof and make the van watertight. They then fabricated tongue-and-groove boarding in their workshop and completely panelled the interior. Finally, a cast-iron Esse Ironheart woodburning stove and range cooker was installed.

The van is a real home from home, with interior styling in keeping with the Baileys brand, combining rustic details and recycled materials with beautiful artisan wares.

COUNTRY STYLE

Wooden steps painted to match the duck-egg blue exterior lead up to a reclaimed stable door, which has been adapted to include a vintage stained-glass window panel. The hut has generous windows to make the most of the glorious views of the country-style garden