27-year-old Amy Butler and 33-year-old David Laws are living out their dream travelling around Europe in a converted luxury “beach bus”; they’re doing it with a 2005 Fiat Ducato mini bus they paid £5,500 for in April, which they have since renovated in order to use it for their travels across Europe.
They initially had a budget of £12,000 for the bus conversion and £5,000 for the travelling, but said that they ended up going about £6,000 over budget on the renovation.
“Our ambition had always been to make something that resembled the quality, finish and function of a small studio apartment, and we think that is what we achieved; with the slight ramshackle look of an old seaside beach hut,” the couple said.
The results are pretty impressive. The bus now resembles something closer to a plush — albeit cosy — holiday cottage rather than a mobile home, thanks to the attention to detail and luxurious soft furnishings. There’s a kitchenette, which is decorated with handmade turquoise tiles, and comes complete with a hob, ceramic sink, mixer tap, cupboards, and shelves for cookery books.
The couple wrote it was “(the) hardest part of the build, took us days to work out how to get the cupboard doors on, and we had to router out the solid wood counter top for the sink and stove. We also made all the tiles and the spice rack.”
The couple have made the most of the tight space. There’s also a stylish (mini) lounge area with a large window, presumably a good place to admire the surrounding landscape.
At the end of the sofa, which pulls out to make a double bed for guests, there’s a pull-out chair that doubles up as a laundry box, as well as baskets for storage underneath. Some of the luxury finishing touches include the copper light fixture and handmade art and cushions pictured below. The bedroom is fitted with a “comfy” double bed, as well as a projector, which the couple use to transform their room into a private cinema.
Source: http://uk.businessinsider.com