Making an RV a Home: Sprucing Up the Place
Lauren GrijalvaWho says a home on wheels can’t look more like your permanent home? Just because your RV came with standard decor doesn’t mean you have to keep it. There are all sorts of easy and inexpensive ways to dress up the inside of your RV to make it feel much more comfortable and lived-in. In this free lesson, Lauren Grijalva teaches you simple tips for making an RV a home.
The first method for making an RV a home costs very little, but will make a huge difference for the atmosphere of your rig, whether it be a small trailer or a roomier coach. Lauren recommends whipping out the paint cans and redoing the walls of your vehicle’s interior. A lighter shade of paint can brighten any room and give the appearance of more space. And while you’re at it, consider adding shiplap above the bed or in the bathroom and stickers that serve as wallpaper for nice little accents to otherwise plain walls.
Another easy tip for making an RV a home is to swap the standard light fixtures and cabinet hardware for sleeker, more modern alternatives. Manufacturers have released more attractive models specifically for RVs, which is great because RV light fixtures often require different voltages and bulbs. Similarly, you can take down the basic shades on your RV’s windows and replace them with decorative curtains that give a homier appearance to your living spaces.
As for the kitchen, Lauren suggests swapping out the rather plain table and chairs that typically come equipped in your rig. You can find great alternatives that don’t cost a ton, but will definitely make your dining space feel more like a cozy eating area. Last, Lauren shows you how to add pops of color to the inside of your RV in the form of simple decor, such as wall hangings, plants, and rugs. Making an RV a home doesn’t have to be an expensive overhaul of everything inside. Just a few small touches here and there make a big difference!
Hi, my name is Lauren, and I'm going to share with you a few things that we did to our RV when we first moved in to make it feel a little more like home. The thing that we did that made the biggest impact, in my opinion, was paint our RV walls. They were brown to start off with. The cabinets were brown. The walls were brown.
And I don't have anything against brown but it was a little dark in the RV for my taste. So we painted all the walls white. This wasn't an easy task. RV walls are different than walls in a house. Even though it took some time and some patience, it was really worth it because the lighter walls just really brightened up the space a lot.
It just makes it feel more open and more homey in here. The next thing that I wanted to change about the RV were some of the light fixtures. The RV that we bought was only a few years old, so they weren't super outdated. They just weren't exactly what I would have chosen in my home. When you decide to switch out RV lighting, something that's important to remember is that RV lights aren't the same as lights in your home most of the time.
You need to figure out what voltage your lights are and what type of light bulb you need. We needed 12 volt LED lights. We had to find those type of light bulbs. And we also had to find the light fixtures that would work with those light bulbs. Now that more people are buying RVs and also tiny homes, more and more options for lights like this are becoming available.
When we were shopping for RVs, one thing that I noticed in a lot of the RVs that we looked at was that they all had the same silver hardware on the cabinets. It wasn't an ugly hardware, but once I had seen it over and over I just decided that I wanted something different for my RV cabinet hardware. I was able to find something on Amazon that was darker, sleeker, and just a look that I liked better. This is a simple, easy change that you can do to put your special touch on your RV. Our RV came with shades and curtain balances that I just wasn't crazy about.
We got the screwdriver out, took out the screws, removed all the hardware and the valances and the shades from all the windows and decided to start from scratch with things that we really liked. We really like the look of shiplap, so we decided to make our own. We bought sheets of plywood at Home Depot, cut them into strips, and painted them white. We kind of made a headboard type look behind the master bed in the master bedroom, and we also made a shiplap wall in our little RV bathroom. That was a little decorating touch that just added interest to those spaces.
And we really love the way it looks. I wanted the kids' bedroom to be fun and a place that they really enjoyed, and they have a slide-out in their room where their beds are. I was able to find removable stickers on Amazon that looks just like wallpaper. I found some little black triangles that I applied to the walls very easily, and it looks just like wallpaper. It's a fun little pattern and everyone who sees it really loves it.
I added a few pops of color in different places around the room just to make it feel fun. The dining table and chairs that came in the RV were not something that we were crazy about. So, we easily found a replacement table and four little cute stools to replace them. We measured the table to get about the same measurements and was able to find that easily at Ikea. And we ordered the stools off Amazon.
I chose a white table once again to just make the space brighter and more open. And the table is a place that the kids do schoolwork, we gather to eat meals. It's kind of a focal point of the RV. And I really wanted a piece that I really loved for that space. The last piece of advice I would have is just to find decor pieces that you really find beautiful or that really speak to you.
I really love plants. So I bought several plants and placed them around the RV. I bought a bold, beautiful rug that sits right in the middle of the living room. That just brings a lot of life to the RV. Since you are living in a small space you don't need too many decor items or the space can start to feel cluttered but just choosing a few pieces that are special to you or that you love can go a long way.
Make sure any changes you make don't add weight to your RV - that could affect the safety of your unit.
What kind of paint is recommended for that vinyl wall covering?
It looks like you hated everything about your RV so why didn’t you buy one you liked to start with?