Happy Camper!!

Well, as I've stated before, we have invested in a new camper. We are pretty excited and I love not only the convenience of it, but the smallness of it...I feel as though I'm "playing house" in it and love puttering around in it, organizing, nesting, making it a home away from home. My sister, Wendy, has teased me saying that she just knows I won't be able to leave it as is... meaning I'll end up "redecorating" it. Well, initially I was determined to prove her wrong. However, the nutbar in me can't stop fantasizing about lightening things up with some paint, slipcovering the cushions, changing the cabinet hardware, etc. Why, oh why, can I not just let things be??!!

All camper photos from Berry Land Campers

Sure enough I headed off to the hardware/building store just to see what would jump out at me for prettying it up. Very quickly this snowballed into my making a list of things I could "renovate" and laying in bed with my mind planning and scheming on how to do so on a very small budget. I really dread painting it! The fumes will be great as I need to cover up some shiny fake wood and it needs to be durable (so, melamine paint it will likely be...). I was almost afraid to tell hubby about my "wicked thoughts" and I wrestled with the decision to just go ahead and make the changes or be up front and risk him being incredulous and making me feel guilty about being frivolous. However honesty, and the desire to be up front, won out so I came up with a plan: find and print off a picture of a similar camper with light coloured cabinetry and nice appliances to give him an idea as to what I wanted to do. Here it is: Then say, very quickly, that I was thinking of giving the camper a lick of paint just to brighten it up; but not to worry, I wouldn't be involving him AT ALL!!! Well, it went better than I thought. He did exclaim, "Linda, I wish you'd just leave it alone. Why do you have to do anything to a new camper??" He didn't, however, out and out put his foot down. Now before you think that I am a wimpy wife who lets her husband command over her, I'm not. But I have learned through the years that some battles are just not worth fighting and he has as well. We are both strong-minded people and we usually know just how far we can go on certain topics. So, inspired by his lack of fighting spirit on this matter, I continue to plan my renovation!!

Our camper is squeezed into our garage at the moment in the halfway-up position, so I decided to post some pictures of the identical camper from a camper sales site. I will explain my proposed changes as I go:

1. Paint the "wood" cream and add brushed nickel bin pulls to drawers. Then, it should look like so:

2.Slip cover the cushion in a sunbrella fabric (for durability and ease of cleaning) so I can hide the ugliness of this fabric:

3. I will leave the flooring alone, as hubby would pop a blood vessel if I suggested otherwise. However, when the day comes when it becomes damaged in some way, I will replace it with vinyl that looks like hardwood (did you know they make it with ridges that look like the wood joints?...really nice, for vinyl). ***See above photo with white cabinets***

4. I'm extra excited about what I'm planning for the fridge. I purchased one of those fake tin panel (in cream) to apply to the front of the mini-fridge. It will give it some character and be one less thing to paint. Also, I picked up some super thick wallpaper that looks like beadboard which I may use on the wood bases for the sofa area. It probably won't prove to be too durable, but, again, it will be less to paint for now.

5.For the exterior, I purchased navy indoor/outdoor carpet to help keep the grass out, nice antique-bronze solar lights to help us find our way in the night, lots of enamelware accessories/canisters for inside the camper, and I will take down the not so pretty valances above the curtains. Whew, I really am crazy!! I always say, a simple mind is a great thing to have and even better to lose...

For those of you who are thinking, "Doesn't she have anything better to do with her time?" I have this defence: I'll wait till the kids go back to school, and I have to have something new to blog about , don't I? Who knows, maybe I'll inspire those of you with campers to start decorating. It's always helpful to be inspirational, isn't it?? I'm always thinking of you...