For some people, an RV is a home away fom home. For others, the RV is home, and where they live their lives full time. It has all of the amenities of home, of course, like a fridge, a bedroom, and a bathroom. It’s perfeclty livable, and ready for the road.
The interior design buffs and decor savvy among us might find that their RV looks too much, well, like an RV. If you find yourself browsing home design posts on Pinterest and wondering how you can recreate the look, you’re in luck. Between big modifications and small tweaks, your RV can be made to look like a house.
Adding textiles like rugs and pillows can make your RV look like a house. It creates a homey feeling, one you can drive home with plants or wall art as well. Bigger changes like painting the interior, swapping out the cabinets, and expanding with a deck will make the space feel -and look- like home.
How To Make An RV Look Like A House
Add Plants
A few potted plants can add greenery and life to the enclosed space of an RV interior. Plants come in a huge array of sizes, and you can add further customization with pots and planters. Even stashing a small succulent by your kitchen sink can make your RV look more ‘lived in’.
Adding plants freshens up what can sometimes be a stuffy, cramped space, and adds a bit of nature that is pleasing to the human eye. Are you a serial plant killer, cursed to fail your ficus within a week of setting it by your bedside table? Not to worry; faux plants are just as easy to find, and require no upkeep.
Add Throw Pillows And Blankets
The softened angles on throw pillows and blankets can help to contrast an otherwise mechanical interior. Your brain associates these textiles with comfort, and adding them to your RV can help drive home just that. The comforts of a home can sometimes be as simple as adding some decorative pillows.
If the interior of your RV is too dark for your tastes, white or brightly colored textiles will add vibrancy to the space. You can find these softer pieces at any price range, and in a stunning array of styles. Making your living space cozy is especially handy in winter; piling on an extra blanket to keep the chill off never hurt.
Add Wall Decor
They do say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that holds true in your RV. Everything from photographs to fine art can grace the walls of your RV and make it feel more like a space to live in. You can hang up inspiring quotes, a canvas by your favorite painter, or photos of your pets or loved ones.
Wall decor doesn’t stop at pictures, though. Shake things up with woven hangings, tapestries, or hanging planters. You can also try decorative storage solutions like hanging magazine racks. This is extra helpful in the small space of an RV.
No matter what you adorn the walls with, make sure it’s durable. It might not be in your best interest to mount your great-grandmother’s china plates in a moving vehicle. Whatever you’re decorating with should be able to withstand a few bumps, or even a possible fall.
If you don’t want to put holes in your walls, try using adhesive wall hangers, like Command Strips or similar products.
If you’re a fan of taking instant photos of your travels, try taping them to the walls with washi tape. This trendy method is totally wall-safe and can be moved and adjusted easily. Besides that, washi tape comes in a slew of colors and patterns, adding more personality to your walls.
Replace Valances With Curtains
Even in the most modern of RVs, a window valance can scream 1980s chic– and not in a complimentary way. A sure way to make your RV look more like a home is to swap the valance out for curtains.
It’s a simple process, and all it takes is loosening a few screws to remove the valance. You might need to find shorter curtains, since the windows in RVs tend to be smaller than standard home windows. If you’ve got a craving for a bit of DIY, you could also sew and hem them yourself. Doing so is fairly easy, even for a beginner.
Paint Your RV Interior
Sometimes, a big change is just what your RV needs to look and feel more like a house. It’s a simple revamp that can greatly elevate a space. It will make your living area feel much more customized and personal.
You can paint just the walls, or branch out and paint the cabinetry too. You might need to sand and prime your surfaces before you paint them, to ensure that the paint will adhere.
If you’re going to paint the interior of your RV, be sure to open the windows. Some house paints have a strong odor and will require ventilation. It’s best to give your RV plenty of time to dry before you begin setting it all back up again, or hitting the road.
The only limits are your budget and creativity. Just a coat of solid paint will make your interior feel new, but you can branch out even more. Consider adding accent walls, wallpaper, or even a mural if you’ve got the artistic inspiration for it.
Update Your Bed
Most RV’s come with a mattress already in place, though it might not always be ideal. RV mattresses can be stiff, unsupportive, or just not to your tastes. Especially if you’ve been sleeping on it for a while, it can be time to swap it out.
Upgrading your mattress will help the overall feel of your sleeping area. On that token, a great way to make it look like home is to get new bedding. New bedding will help the space in your RV look like a house as much as it feels like one.
Add Rugs
Following the theme of textiles, rugs can add softness and familiarity to the floors of your RV. If you’re driving somewhere where the temperatures tend to drop, a cozy rug can keep you warm underfoot. A rug can make a living area feel more comfortable, and can be easily washed. That means spills can be handled on the rug, instead of on your RV carpets or flooring.
Rugs are also perfect for pops of style and color. Small, dark spaces, such as in an RV, can feel bigger and brighter with a rug. Even a small one by the foot of your bed can help you wake up feeling comfortable in your vehicle.
Add New Furniture
If the interior of your RV is in need of a total refresh, brand new furniture might be the ticket. If anything in your RV is dated, uncomfortable, or just not your style, you can get them out with a bit of effort.
Try swapping the old, default couch with something cozy and family friendly. Or, take a modern approach and look for sleek lines and bold design choices. Your dinette set can be replaced with a cute table, or a functional desk for the work-from-home crowd.
Furniture that you can disassemble and fit through the door of your RV is ideal. Look for units that have storage options too, since that can be hard to come by in an RV. For example, some couches or bed frames have drawers underneath that can store seasonal decor or tools. You could also use them to stash books, snacks, or board games to help the vehicle feel like a home.
Add A Backsplash
Nothing will make your kitchen or bathroom feel luxurious quite like a backsplash. It’s the perfect pop of color that can match the theme of your kitchen or bathroom. A backsplash will easily make your RV look like a house.
This is also a fairly easy trick to transform your kitchen. Many hardware stores will sell peel-and-stick backsplashes that can be on your wall in minutes. Especially in an older vehicle, a fresh tile backsplash will make the space seem new and high-end.
Utilize Mirrors
Using mirrors to make a space look bigger is a classic bit of small-space decorating advice. This advice works just as perfectly in an RV as it does in a dorm room or apartment. Large mirrors will trick your brain into feeling like your RV is more spacious.
This trick of the eye will make the RV look more like a house. Mirrors are also excellent for decor, as they can be simple or highly decorative. If you’re hanging pictures on the walls, try incorporating a mirror or other hangings to create a gallery wall.
Bring The Indoors Out
If you want to make the most of your RV space, why not make the best of the space where your RV is parked? Outdoor rugs and furniture can extend the space you occupy and add variety to your day-to-day routine. If you live in the RV full time, this can be a much-needed increase in the square footage of your living area.
If you’re feeling up for DIY, why not build a deck? A deck can be a simple project with wooden pallets, or complex and more permanent. Most RV decks are portable, too, and can be packed up the next time you hit the road.
Use An Oil Diffuser Or Air Purifier
Scents can build up in an RV. It’s a tight, enclosed space where you go about all of the processes of daily life. Having an air purifier can not only decrease the odors of RV life, but it can also clear the air of pet dander and other particulates. While it isn’t a visual improvement, better air quality in the RV will make it much more comfortable.
An oil diffuser will help the RV space feel more like a home by filling it with fresh, comfortable scents. A lot of oil diffusers are decorative, as well, and some have colored lights. Choosing one with a warm light setting can help curate a more homey feeling.
Let Kids Decorate Their Space
If you’ve got kids along for the RV life, don’t leave them out of the decorating process. Let them customize their spaces, just as you’ve done with yours. Besides that it will make them more comfortable, the end result will feel more like a proper home, since everyone has their own customized space.
If they’re artists, let them adorn the walls of their space with their artwork. You can also let them pick small posters or knickknacks to help the spot feel like home.
Swap Light Fixtures
If the lighting fixtures that come pre-loaded into your RV feel too impersonal, swap them out for something that feels more unique to you. Wall sconces or hanging lamps can bring a lot of personality to an area.
Be sure to find fixtures that will work with your RV’s electrical components. You may need to reference your RV’s manual to find out what kinds of bulbs you need, if you’re thinking of retooling the lighting completely.
The integration of smart bulbs can also help an RV feel like a home. They can be controlled by your mobile phone, and many have color and brightness settings.
Change Out The Fridge
Most RV’s come with a compression style fridge that is smaller than a traditional home fridge. It also might not have as large a capacity, and might not cool as effectively. If you want to make your RV look like a house, why not hook it up with a fridge that’s meant for one?
It’s amazing how much one visual change can help an RV feel like a house. Not only does it look more updated, but you will enjoy the benefits of a home fridge’s accuracy. Switching out your RV fridge for a home refrigerator is a fairly simple process.
Keep It Neat And Organized
This is true for any home, but keeping the space neat will go a long way in improving the way you feel. There are a few simple ways you can keep your RV organized and looking like home.
- Get creative with your storage solutions. Find storage that lays flat and can be slid underneath furniture like beds or sofas. Look for bins and jars that you might use to keep your cupboards organized.
- Do a quick cleanup once a day to ensure that nothing piles up or gets disorganized. This will also keep odors from building up in the RV. You can work this into your daily routine.
- Make sure everyone there has their own area that they’re responsible for. If you’re living solo, make a list of different areas to give special attention to on different days of the week.
When your RV interior is clean and neat, it will look more like a full living space. Having excess clutter or mess will make it look smaller, and really drive home that you’re in a vehicle. When the RV is clean, you will be much more comfortable and secure in your home space.
Conclusion
Your RV can house all of the comforts of home with the benefit of being mobile. If you’ve embraced full-time RV living, or are just looking to enhance your home away from home, you can make your RV look like a house.
Adding textiles like rugs, pillows, blankets, or new curtains are a quick, inexpensive way to transform the space. For bigger projects, a new coat of paint or a backsplash will really bring the feelings of home into an RV. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, try building a deck outside of your RV to maximize your living space.
