Here is where we left you yesterday, remember?! Dixies walls, roof and doors were carefully painted with 2 coats of sealant and left to dry overnight. All the problem areas, the damp and dark wood you saw yesterday drank at least 3-4 coats and some of the cream metalwork on the door got a little touch up too. This is definitely a bigger job than merely sealing the ceiling!
Maybe it was the bright morning light, maybe it was our delight and pride in our handiwork or maybe it was complete delirium brought on by inhaling fumes all night but stepping inside the freshly painted habitation cab on Day 2 felt like walking into a completely different room. Echoing and sterile, empty except for the big metal beds, Dixie looked like a disused hospital ward! It was definitely time to bring a little colour into the equation.
We will spare you the many thought processes involved and the many hours we spent contemplating the subtle nuances of the colour wheel, suffice to say that we are not the first couple to argue loudly about irrelevant household intricacies in the hardware shop, nor will we be the last. We left (in relative peace and relative agreement) an hour later with Antique Cream for the walls and Mr Bluesky for the roof. We are a little concerned that the cream won’t wear well, it will have to be easily washable to withstand the daily scruffiness of vanlife, especially that nightmare area around the sliding door which attracts dirt like a magnet but we’re willing to take that risk, we have bought enough to ensure we can mend any future issues quickly 😉
Bluesky gets the thumbs up from us so far! The first coat went on quite faintly over the washy white sealant. While that was drying we tried out the roller brush and the cream paint on the huge wooden wall panels, again an instant brightness was added to the small room and both colours work really well together. The awesome power of compromise 😉
We contemplated painting the moulding and roof beams a dark wood colour but once the cream was rolled on we realised it would be too dark in contrast, imposing even, the moulding is too small and thin to recreate that kind of ‘country kitchen’ look anyway and we want to keep everything light and airy instead. Plan B- the moulding got a couple of coats of cream.
Now, the walls look so clean the floor tiles needs replacing 🤣 We would like to mount a board of some description behind the bed to protect our soft heads and to separate the space, to differentiate between the kitchen and the living/sleeping area. We also need to think about replacing the back door curtains too, where a chunk of carpet hangs, waiting to be fixed back into place….
Night had fallen fast at this stage and the decision was made to finish up out here and get some sleep. The roof looks darker and shinier in this last photo than it really is, we can’t wait to show you what how bright (and matte) it really is in the morning 😊
the backwards van 