autoevolution
 

Adorable Vardo-Style Tiny House Reminisces the Age-Old Nomadic Way of Life

Many people choose to downsize their lives nowadays and embrace the tiny lifestyle, but the motivation behind this decision differs from one person to another. Some do it to reduce their carbon footprint, some to be able to enjoy a nomadic life, and others for financial reasons. And there are also people who just want to own a tiny mobile home for glamping and cross-country trips.
Vardo-style tiny house in the woods 16 photos
Photo: Brooke Whipple/ YouTube screenshot
Vardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woodsVardo-style tiny house in the woods
Regardless of the motivation and the type of small abode involved, living tiny means simplifying your life and forming a greater connection to your surroundings. Brooke Whipple, who is also known as the “Girl in the Woods” thanks to her YouTube channel, is one of those people for whom the tiny lifestyle comes naturally. She loves to spend time in the woods and build all kinds of teeny-tiny abodes that enable people to live with less and form an easy connection with nature.

One of her latest creations is this vardo-style caravan that looks like a work of art in its own right. Brooke built this amazing gypsy wagon tiny home all by herself and intends to use it for her camping adventures. It is built on a 10-foot by 5-foot (3 m x 1.5 m) utility trailer and has an overall vintage-inspired aesthetic reminiscing the age-old nomadic way of life.

Made almost entirely of wood, this modern vardo can easily blend right into the surrounding nature. It really takes craftsmanship and effort to build and decorate such a caravan, and the fine details the builder integrated into this build are incredible. Some of the retro details that pop up include a beautiful entrance door with stained glass, an adorable removable wood-burning stove, a foot-pump sink, and other vintage decor items Brooke found in antique stores.

Vardo\-style tiny house in the woods
Photo: Brooke Whipple/ YouTube screenshot
During the building process, she met some challenges, especially when working on the curved ceiling, but it was all worth it, as the final result really oozes the old-world vibe.

The exterior of the house is made of plywood boards, which she dry-cut to measurements, painted black, and then bolted together. This was a lengthy process because every crevice and crack had to be sealed and covered with paint. The jet black window frames help them blend seamlessly with the exterior walls and create a unified look.

The vardo has rigid foam sheathing insulation, which helps control indoor temperature. For the roof, she used three aluminum sheets because the material offered the flexibility she needed.

There are several smaller windows on the sides of the caravan and a large one on the back, which Brooke says is a tempered glass window from an RV store - perfect for a mobile application. Additionally, she incorporated three portholes with bubble glass, two of which flank the front door and add to the overall charm of the caravan. Plywood cutouts representing the Northern lights, wildlife, and a gypsy figurine adorn one side of the vardo, while the other side features an Arizona theme with a glowing sun, cactuses, and the Grand Canyon.

Vardo\-style tiny house in the woods
Photo: Brooke Whipple/ YouTube screenshot
A beautiful Dutch door with stained glass gives you access inside the caravan. Given the limited square footage of this build, it would have been absurd to separate it into rooms, but we can observe some dedicated areas for cooking, dining, and sleeping.

Fittingly, the interior features plenty of retro decor items that add to the vintage charm. The Birch plywood ceiling has a nice glow to it and fancy lighting all around, and along with the hardwood floor, it ties everything together.

As you step inside, on the left side, there is a large kitchen cabinet with pine wood counters. A retro-looking foot-pump sink is built into this cabinet, and a vintage lamp sits next to it. Inside the cabinet, there is enough space for some kitchen essentials, water tanks, and a portable stove.

On the right, you will find the dining area with a bench against the wall and a removable slab table made of a piece of walnut wood with live edges. It is one of the standout features in this gypsy wagon because Brooke covered it in transparent epoxy resin, which makes it look shiny and emphasizes the natural knots and holes that occur in the wood.

Vardo\-style tiny house in the woods
Photo: Brooke Whipple/ YouTube screenshot
At the back of the caravan is the sleeping area, and it includes a huge, very inviting bed with plenty of storage underneath where she plans to add a composting toilet.

Next to the bed, there is a custom-made unit with a pull-out shelf that accommodates a vintage record player and speakers. On top of it, there is an adorable removable wood-burning stove that keeps the place warm and cozy during colder days. The record player and the lights on the ceiling run on a power station fitted under the bed.

Brooke also installed some metal spacers on the wall and the bed frame adjacent to the wood stove to act as heat shields.

What started out as a 10x5-foot trailer is now a 10x7-foot (3x2.13-meter) abode, as she built out over the bump outs and thus widened the interior, which allowed her to fit that large, cozy bed inside.

This tiny house project took about two months to complete, but the crafty builder doesn’t mention the total cost of the build. Come to think of it, it doesn't even matter, as this is a one-off tiny home, and a very charming one at that. If you want to watch the entire building process from start to finish, hit play on the YouTube video below.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Ancuta Iosub
Ancuta Iosub profile photo

After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories