Someone searching for excitement discovered an old American bus on eBay near the commencement of the first lockdown. It would fundamentally alter the way people lived. After nine months, the ancient, broken-down 70-seater bus has arrived in the woods of west Wales. It has been entirely transformed into a little house that appears like it came straight from a glossy home magazine.
It appears to be a modest cottage on a distant beach, rather than a converted bus. It includes a full-size bathroom, a comfortable bed, and a small, sparkling coffee machine on one of the polished hardwood worktops. Talib Saleh and Chloe Massey, the owners of the bus, fondly known as “Bluebird,” worked hard on it out of love. They know a lot about the globe because they are talented photographers who enjoy traveling. They would not exchange this one for anything in the world.
Talib (28), and Chloe (26), can live in a luxury property without a mortgage since they are both photographers and own their own camper van conversion company. Their reason for doing so is straightforward: “We are inspired by the romantic but utterly achievable goal of living a sustainable and creative lifestyle whilst nurturing the different projects we are passionate about,” said the couple.
The nicest part is that they can just start Bluebird’s engines and drive away when they are ready for their next excursion. That, plus the small but perfectly enough wood stove that keeps them warm in the winter. The brilliant orange bus is now a more muted off-white tint, but it is still parked on a rented plot of land near the River Cleddau and fields. This is located just outside the little village of Lawrenny.
Due to the rainy weather in Wales, they needed to figure out how to generate adequate solar electricity. Their patience has also been challenged as they build their modest dwelling. Chloe stated, “We’ve learnt the true meaning of hard work,” but they have transformed “the carcass of a giant whale” into a pleasant and attractive tiny home. They met while both studying photography at Middlesex University.
Talib, from Norfolk, and Chloe, from Somerset, were both unimpressed by the photography class. Both quit and went their separate ways. Talib and Chloe fell in love when he flew to London to witness her graduation presentation at the University of West England a few years later. The pair began their mobile lifestyle by traveling throughout Australia in a converted van. They rapidly recognized that this was a method for them to survive.
According to Chloe, they were hooked on the concept of living in a camping van to “live and get lost in nature”. “Just three and a half years ago myself and Talib where working in Sri Lanka, driven by photographic story telling and an ambition to travel [and] to learn,” according to her. “As professional photographers on the road, we supplemented our income by photography for hotels, work-aways, and cafes. We lived modestly on a small budget.
“We created portraits of the people and landscapes we encountered, particularly in India and the Himalayas. When we landed in Australia, we built a small camper to reside in. Even then, we had no idea how this philosophy and manner of life would play such an important role in our story. The pair has a wonderful story. Their Instagram feed is filled with photos of stunning, uninhabited beaches, lush, green jungles, and the exhausted faces of people they met along the journey.
You may be wondering why they chose a Welsh woodland after visiting so many other gorgeous areas. “We really did fall in love with Australia [and] we think about trying to settle there one day,” Chloe tells me. “I believe we returned primarily because of our mutual curiosity in the rest of the globe, and as photographers, traveling and working on projects will always be an important part of our lives.
“We’ve always had aspirations and ambitions, but in retrospect, it’s clear that we needed to return back to build a successful business – our camper van conversion firm, Indigo and Olive, which will now help us in a variety of ways. “When we began our school bus conversion at the start of lockdown, we knew that while in the UK, we wanted to be by the sea, and Pembrokeshire has such a gorgeous shore.
We’re grateful to have been greeted so warmly here and can’t fathom living anywhere else in the UK right now.” The finished result of their tiny house is incredibly stunning, and it’s incredible that they learned how to do everything themselves. However, the style is not inexpensive. “We knew we wanted to make a tiny home so we saved and paused the build to work at times,” Chloe shares.
“Our project was fairly pricey because we intended to have it for a long time and invested in high-quality materials and appliances. Having said that, we probably spent as much as we would have on a housing deposit, and we don’t have a large mortgage to pay off. “I think if you have access to certain resources you could build a tiny home cheaply- for example land, reclaimed or free materials and time to figure it all out.”
They are so adept at what they do that they now make a profession by converting tiny houses into homes using Indigo and Olive. Chloe stated, “We are fully self-taught; each project has presented new obstacles and demanded new talents, particularly the bus. “We learned by watching videos and practicing a lot, and my father, Mike, has been quite helpful because he’s a handyman.
Fortunately, we’ve taken to it and know that these skills will allow us to do things we never thought possible.” To work on a variety of tiny home tasks around the world. They’ll get back to photography when they have time. “We’ve definitely dedicated the last few years to our conversions- so this is our job at the moment,” remarks Chloe.
“We still create work for fun and select clients but we really can’t wait to have some time for personal photographic work, it’s such a huge part of us both and we strive to find this balance soon.” So, is living off the grid, without a paycheck or a place to reside, as appealing as it sounds and appears? Chloe explains that it is still a work in progress: “I believe the most accurate statement is that we are living ‘our’ dreams while manifesting even bigger ones; being able to say we had this massive aim and achieved it will be something we’ll be forever proud of.