A little over a year ago, we decided that our RV was too dark, and we needed a new look. We needed an RV makeover.
Our motorhome came with the typical RV color palette that is supposed to make you feel like you are in a cabin in the woods but ends up just managing to look like an RV color scheme that hasn’t been changed since the ’70s, maybe 80’s.
I’m not an interior decorator historian; the point is it was just too dark. If we camped in it on weekends, it would be fine. But we lived in our RV and wanted it to be a little brighter.
Our RV is a Ship…Kind of
We decided that the best way to give our motorhome a facelift was to paint it. We have always thought of our rig as a ship because it has a lot in common with a ship.
Except it doesn’t float…
And has wheels…
And it’s made to travel roadways…
And is pretty much useless in a completely remote environment and no road to travel on…
Ok, it’s really not like a ship, but we like nautical themed stuff.
Before and After Painting the RV
We made a short video showing the before and after look of the interior. It really brightened things up. The only thing we didn’t like was the table you see in the photo. It was really too big for that space, and we wanted something that provided storage while still relaxing.
Completing Our RV Makeover with a Seating Area and Storage
This past December, we had an opportunity to quarantine with my parents in Washington. After our initial self-quarantine period, we were able to help them with projects in their new home. Plus they helped us with our little RV makeover project.
My parents were in the final stages of building the house, and my dad graciously offered the unused lumber he had. With some advice from my dad, who is way better at building stuff than I am, I sketched out how I wanted to build my nautical themed storage bench.
I wrote the measurements I needed on the sketch and cut the wood I would need for the frame. After assembling the precut pieces, I realized I had measured several parts incorrectly. Fortunately, I had cut them too long, which is easy to remedy.
The second issue I ran into was the large bolts sticking up from the floor of my slide out (where the seating area would be placed). Those bolts hold my slide together, so removing them was not possible. Originally, a booth was in that section. The manufacturers probably weren’t worried about the bolts because the area was covered.
The solution: I drilled holes in the boards where the bolts would be located and fit each board snuggly over the bolts.
Once the frame was done, I cut a piece of OSB board for the top.
Natalie and my mother had gone out to pick up some nautical themed fabric, and we picked up several mattress toppers that we folded in half to make the top. Putting the fabric on is easy. Stretch the fabric over and staple it to the board on the bottom.
We picked up some premade wood siding for the from and nailed them on with a nail gun.
Next, we needed pillows. After finding the perfect material, we took them to my mother. She is talented with a sewing machine and helped us make some pillowcases. We think it all turned out great.
Last but not least, the valance above the window did not quite fit the theme. We had enough material left over to use the same stretch and staple method to tie it all in.
Check out our video on this project below.
We love how it turned out, and it has increased our storage space while also being a comfortable area to work in. Our cat Lily seems to agree.
If you don’t like the way your RV looks, it’s amazing what a gallon or two of paint, some two-by-fours, and fabric can do to give your RV a makeover.
What do you think about our changes? Have you made any updates to your RV? Share in the comments below!
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