If you’re planning to remodel your RV, I’m sure the kitchen is on the list. For most of us traveling in RVs and campers, the kitchen is basically in the same space as the living room so it is important for it to look nice. In this article, I’ll share the changes we made to the kitchen in our Fifth Wheel, as well as ideas from others.

Easy RV Kitchen Remodel Ideas

Backsplash

For most tiny RV kitchens, the backsplash becomes the focal point and ours was no exception. I had been considering what to do with mine for some time. One idea that was done really well by RV owner Barbara Rodriguez is using Smart Tiles.

My Backsplash

I was trying to decide which color to get when I saw my friend, Lisa Brown’s backsplash and fell in love! Click here to see it as well as a step-by-step guide on how she created it. I followed her lead and painted thermoplastic panels from Home Depot. Watch this video to see how it looks in the kitchen.

Countertops

I just love the cozy farmhouse style of Mountain Modern Life’s RV kitchen!

One of the things they did to achieve this look was to build custom countertops out of flooring. They completed this upgrade in 2016, so I recently asked Katie how the countertops held up over time. She replied, “We are still really happy with our kitchen counters! My only recommendation would be to go with a higher grade of flooring. We went with the cheapest and while it’s held up okay, it would have been easier when putting it together and I feel like the higher grade was smoother. Also, we do need to re-oil the counters every 6 months since we sealed them with Tung Oil. Of course, it can be sealed with something other than tung oil–it’s just important not to let water or condensation sit on the wood counters.” Watch the video below to learn more about this project.

And check out these faux marble countertops from Gypsy and A Pirate!

Paint

I painted over the wallpaper in my RV kitchen and painted the backsplash (as you can see in the video). Many folks also choose to paint their cabinets. If you decide to go that route, click here to read 9 Tips for Painting RV Walls and Cabinets from RV Inspiration. You can also get a free Quick Start Guide to Painting Your RV Interior using the same link.

Organization

We all know that one of the best ways to make your RV look good is to keep it organized. I was fortunate that my RV came with a built-in spice rack. To make it look a little more polished, I just purchased matching spice jars and put all my spices into them for a more uniform look.

If you don’t have a built-in spice rack, consider following this tutorial to make your own magnetic spice wall from RV Inspiration.  Here’s a photo of the finished product.

Need Help? No Problem!

I’ll be the first to admit that decorating is not my strong suit. That’s where friends and Pinterest come in handy.

I’m really fortunate that I was able to spend time at the same campground as my friend, Lisa Brown of Always on Liberty. She recently completed the most amazing Interior Makeover of her RV and agreed to be my design consultant.

Another great place to find inspiration for your RV remodeling efforts is Pinterest. I created an RV decor board to help me keep track of things I like. There are many great tutorials that provide step-by-step ins instructions on Pinterest as well.

Finally, another terrific resource is a website called RV Inspiration. It is full of ideas and projects to help organize, decorate, and renovate your RV (motorhome, Fifth Wheel, travel trailer).

Have You Seen The Rest Of Our Remodel?

Click the links below to watch our progress.

Planning An RV Remodel

Painting Your RV Interior

Updating Your RV Window Treatments

RV Organization & Storage Ideas

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In an effort to brighten up our RV and banish the brown, we’ve decided to give it an interior makeover. Painting, will obviously be a big part of our design plans. We’ve turned to a few friends for some guidance and have come up with these top 5 tips for painting your RV interior.

Top Tips For Paining Your RV Interior

Pick Your Palette

Choosing the color palette for your RV interior remodel can be tough. So many renovations shown on Pinterest are in white, but what if that’s not you thing? How do you choose colors you’ll love? How do you know if the colors you do love will work well together? Here are some design tips from Lisa Brown of Always on Liberty for choosing a color palette for your RV.

• Find a source of inspiration. Look to a colorful pattern in your room. It could be curtains, a rug, or even a colorful bowl. Take the colors you really love from that item to use throughout your room.
• Want bright, but not white? Consider a lighter shade of a color you love.
• Don’t fear the bold colors! Everything doesn’t have to be painted the same color. Select colors that add depth and texture to a room.

In the photo below, you can see my curtains. I’ve selected the light gray in them for the walls, and the teal for the trim.

Sheen Is Important

The finish of your paint, or sheen, will have a major impact on your walls. Gloss, satin, egg shell – with these options comes many considerations. High-traffic areas do well with gloss or satin as they hold up better to touching and can be cleaned more easily. But, they can make wall imperfections (wavy drywall, patched areas) much more pronounced. A more matte-like finish, such as flat, will not clean as well or endure touches as well, but you won’t see imperfections as much. We went with an eggshell finish. 

Try Samples First

No need to guess how good (or bad) a color will look on your wall. Grab a handful of the color card swatches and post them up around your RV. Take it a step further and purchase sample pints of your favorites and try them out. For a fraction of the cost of a gallon of paint, you can judge how a color will look in your space. It’s better to spend just a few dollars on a sample than big bucks on gallons only to find out the color won’t work.

Take Time to Prepare

Preparing for the actual painting of the RV interior can be time consuming. You’ll need to tape off areas for sharp lines, move furniture, repair and patch any imperfections, protect the floors, and remove things like switch plates. If you’re anything like me, you’ll spend 1/2 of your time doing these tasks. I promise you though, it will save you in the end.

Check out these tips for painting RV cabinets from Janae at Adventures with Tucknae. 

Don’t Forget the Primer

It is very important to prime your walls, particularly if you are drastically changing the wall color or painting over wallpaper. Gripper primer works really well for the latter. Primer will not only cover up colors and stains, it add a layer to allow the top coat of paint to better adhere, giving you a much better result. We chose the Glidden Gripper Primer because Lisa used it with great success. 

Mistakes to Avoid

Click here for a great read about 12 Common Painting Mistakes Made by RV Owners (and How to Avoid Them).

Other Uses For Paint

Don’t forget that there are other uses for paint in your RV décor. Breathe new life into your furniture and cabinets with paint. Paint jars and cannisters in coordinating colors.  They can be both decoration and useful if you use them to help organize your small space. I’m painting the wood trim on my valances in a bright color. 

Read Our Other RV Renovation Articles

Planning an RV Remodel 

Updating Your RV Window Treatments

RV Organization and Storage Ideas

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One of the first considerations in an RV remodel is what to do with the windows? Whether you have outdated cornices and valances or just plain brown faux leather ones like ours, something has got to give. Updating your RV window treatments is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to personalize your camper and make it yours! I’ve spent a lot of time on Pinterest and Facebook looking for inspiration and will share some of my favorites here.

Fabric First

A designer told me when working on my RV remodel I need to consider fabric first. She advised, “It’s easier to match paint color to fabric than it is to match fabric to paint color.” I had a basic idea of what I liked, but don’t know much about fabrics. Lucky for me, she was staying at the same campground and took me shopping!

                     Click here to see my RV Remodeling Plan.

Here are some things to consider before you start looking at fabrics. The most important is where you plan to use it. Are you planning to cover outdated cornices or valances? Maybe add curtains for your living room or bedroom?

Updating Your RV Window Treatments

Cornices or Valances

There are two simple fixes to outdated or dark cornices and valances: cover them or remove them. I absolutely love the bright colors that Stacy from You, Me & The RV used to cover hers.

Check out this tutorial to see how easy it is to do it yourself!

The other option, as shown by Mountain Modern Life below, is to remove them all together.

Here’s their video tutorial on how to do it yourself:

Curtains

Depending on the room, consider how much light you want to filter in or out. For example, if you’re goal is to lighten up the living room, you may want to opt for sheer curtains to allow more light into the space. Ashley Mann of RV Inspiration made the curtains below from bedsheets.

Or try a splash of color with coordinating throw pillows like these.

Consider a heavier fabric in a room where you want more privacy like the bedroom.

I opted for no-sew cafe curtains made out of fabric shower curtains.

Need Help? More Ideas? No Problem!

I’ll be the first to admit that decorating is not my strong suit. That’s where friends and Pinterest come in handy.

If you need more ideas for updating your RV window treatments, head over to RV Inspiration, a great website devoted to helping you make your RV feel more like home. Be sure to read this terrific article with several RV Window Makeover Ideas!

Another great place to find design solutions for your RV remodeling efforts is Pinterest. I created an RV decor board to help me keep track of things I like. There are many great tutorials that provide step-by-step ins instructions on Pinterest as well.

Have You Seen The Rest Of Our Remodel?

Click the links below to watch our progress.

Planning An RV Remodel

Painting Your RV Interior

Updating Your RV Window Treatments

RV Organization & Storage Ideas

Sharing is Caring! Save this image to Pinterest! 

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