After a multitude of home renovations, the season one champions have hit the road in their most creative project to date.
Since appearing on our screens in the very first series of House Rules, Carly and Leighton have barely stopped renovating, even when their first child, baby Bruce arrived last year.
But after completing what was intended to be their forever home, the adventurous family needed a new challenge and were looking to get away. They began scouring the internet for a motorhome with 4×4 capabilities so they could travel around Australia without restrictions, but when nothing was up to scratch for Leighton, he decided to take things into his own hands. “I started looking for a blank canvas so I could be creative and build exactly what we wanted,” he says. “The day he took me truck shopping with our then 5-month-old son, it certainly took a lot of convincing,” Carly says.
Her approval came with a few terms and conditions though:
- a built-in bath for Bruce
- a queen size bed
- a television with reception wherever they travelled (so she could watch her beloved Adelaide Crows play football every weekend)
Leighton began the process by building a prototype out of chipboard to get an idea of the exact space he’d have to work with. “We knew we needed adequate bench space and as much storage as possible,” he says. After living in a caravan during their last renovation, they knew just what they needed to consider – and having a made-up bed at all times was at the top of the list.
“He did win me over when he said I can have stone bench tops…”
Carly
“To keep it neat and tidy we included lots of hooks and pouches, essential for organisation”
Carly
The table is on a telescopic leg, so it conveniently converts to become Bruce’s change table when it’s extended up high and his play area when its retracted to its lowest, with an extra clip-on, clip-off leather infill for his comfort.
“Leighton made the most of every square millimetre of space we had, whether it was storage for clothes or storage for water tanks,” says Carly. The walls were lined with white vinyl and Leighton custom made the overhead cabinetry in a timber-look material.
Carly installed wall dots from Pony Rider above the bed to make sure the truck had a homely appeal while sticking to the couple’s signature monochrome and timber palette. Caroma’s Liano Nexus tapware in matte black in the kitchen and bathroom add a stylish modern touch.
With their journey now well underway, follow Carly & Leighton’s journey on Instagram to see the fun unfold:
Pick up the June issue of Home Beautiful to see the couple’s stunning Adelaide renovation, or for more motorhome inspiration click here.
