Revamp Your Vintage Camper – Ideas to Inspire You

If you trawl the annals of interior design on Instagram, you’ve seen these spruced up vehicles. The formerly dorky convoys, once synonymous with long, stuffy family vacations and a lack of personal space, have officially made a comeback and they look better than ever.

Time, it appears, has been kind to the camper. Like other midcentury relics, it’s been reappropriated as vintage chic. That’s why more and more people are pulling these retro campers out of the junkyard and transforming them into designer tiny homes.

For some, it’s a switch to an alternative lifestyle, mortgage-free and complete with an ever-changing backyard. For others, it’s the ultimate glamping accessory. Whichever path tempts you most, let it be the inspiration for your next summer DIY project. Channel your wanderlust and use these ideas to get started on planning your retro camper renovation!

Choose a Theme

Campers are ideal for dressing up because it doesn’t take much to complete the look. Just a few simple touches and it’ll feel like you’re stepping into a whole new world. To get started, you should first come up with a vision for your camper. 

This is your chance to indulge your creativity. Choosing a theme, even as simple as a color scheme, serves as an important reference point. It’s the glue that holds your vision together while choosing furniture, decorations, and patterns. So what will your refuge from the great outdoors be like? Gypsy caravan, Italian rustic, 50’s retro?

Wood accents and Navajo print textiles help to recreate a Western US feel.

Source: Dwell

The yellow, floral accents you see in this interior evoke the trendy mid-century modern style, complete with clean lines and refined materials.

Source: Homes to Love

Give Your Kitchen Personality With a Fun Splashback

If your camper comes with a kitchenette, it’s probably something of a centerpiece. After all, in the limited space of a camping car, everything is on display. So, make it a centerpiece worth looking at! Colorful peel and stick splashbacks are a popular option for camper remodels since they’re easy to install, affordable, lightweight, and versatile. They’re also an easy way to invoke your chosen theme.

Quadrostyle has plenty of fun splashback pattern to choose from. Check out how people have used our tile stickers to vamp up their vans for inspiration.

For their family caravan makeover, @limitedheadspace chose Quadrostyle Moroccan Agadir wallpaper to liven up their kitchen.

Source: @limitedheadspace

 

Another family, @theramblingfam, opted for something more classic, but with a twist. This Diamond Indigo splashback has hints of wear and tear, perfect for a family home.

Source: @theramblingfam

Don’t Neglect the Bathroom

Ok, admittedly, there’s not much to love about camping car bathrooms. They’re cramped, damp, and void of the privacy your bathroom business demands. This is your chance to change that. Follow Tyler and Allison’s example and opt for clean white walls that reflect natural light, brightening and enlarging the space.

Source: @tylergoesplaces

Incorporating a colorful accent is a great way to create an uplifting vibe and soothing glow. The pink accents in the Italian Syracuse wallpaper that this couple chose make the bathroom a refreshing place and complement the camper’s retro vibe.

Copy the look with our Removable Wallpaper in Italian Syracuse in Rose.

Texturize

Color and decorations only go so far to make your box on wheels a habitable space, but incorporating texture will make your tiny house a tiny home. Wicker furniture and macramé wall hangings, for example, can add to the camper’s vintage charm, while an oriental area rug makes the atmosphere richer and more worldly.

Source: @autumnbailey

Cushions, blankets, and pillows will also go a long way to turn your camper into a cozy hygge haven. When winter comes, you’ll be happy to snuggle up inside your little cocoon.

Source: Mavis the Airstream

Opt for Wallpaper

Speaking of texture, let’s not overlook the magic of a little wallpaper! Wallpaper is the often forgotten shortcut to a building a dynamic environment, especially for the small wall area you’ll find in camping cars. Plus, interesting patterns and various colors make it the easiest way to bring your theme to life.

Quadrostyle vinyl wallpapers are durable, versatile, and feature original tile prints in a variety of styles. 

For example, go for a trendy, Berber-inspired look with Harlow Removable Wallpaper in Cream & Black.

 

Or add an art deco flair with the sharp Diamond Removable Wallpaper in Mustard.

Fix Up the Floors

Say goodbye the dated parquet floors that you’ll find in most vintage campers. Tear them out! Or, better yet, cover them up with floor stickers. Floor stickers are the simplest way to modernize your floors. They’re easy to measure, cut, and install, making them convenient for fitting any tricky angles.

Source: @beerwetow

Use them to cover up any and all existing smooth surfaces and they’ll last for up to two years, at which point you can change them and keep evolving your camper’s interior. Floor stickers come with the added benefit of being easy to clean and stain-resistant. Just vacuum and mop and your floors are sparkling clean.

Source: Homes to Love

Go Green

Adding houseplants to the interior of your camper not only livens up your tiny space, but also provides a healthy dose of O2 to keep the air in your home filtered and fresh. Hang trailing plants from the ceiling to make your living space more dynamic and to add lush, green accent to your home. Hang them over your bed, and you’ll feel like your sleeping in the jungle!

Source: @natashalawyer

Finally, build a miniature kitchen garden in the window to make your kitchen feel complete. The kitchen is the heart of any home, after all. Only once the kitchenette is well-stocked with fresh herbs can you finally say that your caravan remodel is complete!