After thirty-two years running a garden centre in the Cotswolds, Margaret and Geoff were ready for a different kind of growing season. They had toured in a caravan for years but wanted something self-contained that could handle narrow European roads and wild camping spots that caravans simply cannot reach. They gave themselves a generous budget and a clear brief: no compromises on comfort.
Artisan Van Co was recommended by friends who had commissioned a build two years earlier. The consultation process was thorough, involving three design sessions at the workshop and a home visit to measure furniture from their house that they wanted the van to match. Geoff is six foot three, so ceiling height was critical. The Crafter high roof gave 1.95 metres of internal headroom, and Artisan designed the bed platform at a height that let him sit up comfortably without hunching.
The build specification reads more like a country cottage than a van. The kitchen features a full-size Thetford oven alongside a four-burner hob, something Margaret insisted on after years of struggling with camping stoves. The oak cabinetry was built by a furniture maker who works alongside the conversion team, and the finish is genuinely comparable to bespoke kitchen joinery. The Alde heating system with underfloor heating elements was the single most expensive addition but, as Geoff puts it, there is no price you can put on warm feet in February.
The Holloways have since spent three months touring France and Spain, two weeks in the Scottish Highlands, and countless weekends at National Trust properties. Margaret does watercolour painting from the van and Geoff has taken up birdwatching. They describe the van as their favourite room in the house, even though it is technically parked on the drive.