Making Your RV Interior Look and Feel Bigger
Hello fellow Sojourners. I’m your host Dave Laton and welcome to Travel With A Purpose, a podcast designed to keep sojourners and friends informed, entertained, and inspired.
In today’s episode we will be looking at some ideas to help our RVs look and feel more spacious. These are also some good ideas for being more comfortable in our rig.
Let’s get started.
It is a good question to ask why we want to make the RV interior look and feel bigger?
We know that in any RV, space is a premium. But we get quite creative with our storage and use of all the spaces we can find. Sometimes, we've maxed out our physical space and the rig seems (or really is) cramped. Cabin fever can be a real thing. Several of us remember being quarantined in our rigs due to covid.
By the way, if you are remodeling or renovating your rig, you could easily incorporate some of these ideas now. But if you’re not, you can still utilize some of these tips.
Also, I talk to some of these ideas in episode 12, "Ideas for Remodeling and Updating Your RV."
With these ideas, you’ll be able to make your RV interior look and feel bigger. That also gives the illusion of more space for you to enjoy.
Let's start with the first idea - Less is more
Being in an RV naturally forces us to downsize our stuff. We just can’t fit as much in an RV as you would fit into your house. Related to this is to consider replacing large furniture items with smaller items. I replaced one of my swivel rockers with an office chair. It works better in the area I converted to a desk and takes up much less space.
Speaking of downsizing, it can be a difficult activity. I had a conversation in Episode 14 with Guy and Vicki Wood about downsizing into a small space. Although they transitioned from a large traditional home to living in a relatively small boat, (Yes, boat), you will find some of their ideas and insights helpful and entertaining for downsizing to an RV.
But even in our rigs, it’s very easy to acquire extra things and not realize that we’re starting to clutter up our rig. Look around and ask yourself if you really need the item or if you've not used an item for a long time. Do you need more cooking items? Can you purchase the kinds of cooking pots and pans that nest inside each other? Can you use a smaller air fryer than the large one with lots of features you probably don't use that much?
Anyway, you get the idea. Also, I like to ask myself if I'll need something for this specific sojourn. As a bonus, going with less items not only helps open up space, but it also helps reduce weight and improve gas milage.
In an RV (whether you’re living in your RV full-time, or it’s just your vacation home on wheels) it’s important to keep the ‘stuff’ to a minimum.
I heard of one couple that had a rule that if they added something to their rig, something already in the rig had to go. That might be a really tough choice.
It’s amazing how spacious and big an RV feels if there is not too much stuff cluttering up the space.
OK…Now for idea number two…Use lighter colors.
The colors of paint in a rig make a difference. Dark colors absorb light and make the room feel smaller. Lighter colors reflect light and give the feeling of open space. Also, solid colors give the impression of space more than patterned wallpaper. I'm not a fan of wallpaper anyway. I will concede that a small amount of wallpaper might work, but heavy and complex patterned wallpaper gives the feeling of a smaller space.
When most people renovate their rig, they change the paint and color scheme to a lighter color. It doesn't have to be white. Any lighter color will work. When we renovated our rig we went with a very light shade of gray as a base color. It was the traditional dark wood paneling that most rigs have.
As a decorating tip, you can paint trim with any contrasting color. We used a burgundy trim and some blues that bring in the color of the chairs and window trim.
Here's a tip. Some paint supply stores will sell you a small container of paint to experiment with. We also found that these smaller containers are handy to have for touchups when the paint is chipped or scraped while traveling. I keep my paint color numbers for future reference.
OK…suggestion number three - Use mirrors to help give the appearance of an open room.
This is an old trick used by interior decorators and many department stores. It helps give the illusion of depth to a space.
There isn't a lot of space in an RV to hang a mirror, but you can keep it in mind as a suggestion.
Suggestion four – Use minimal window treatments.
Most rigs come with pull down privacy shades. Ours were getting worn so when we renovated, I replaced them with inexpensive white mini blinds. They are easy to open and raise. If you can keep them open during the day, more light comes in and more depth is added to the room.
Then my wife sewed some window valences of a dark gingham material that matches the colors in the rig. They provide an attractive trim and soften the blinds.
Here's suggestion number 5 - Don’t overcrowd the walls with decorations or a lot of plants.
Along the same lines as the minimal window treatments that we mentioned, try to keep wall decorations to a minimum. Certainly make your rig personal to you, but don't over do it.
When you think about all the windows, cabinets, and furniture, there isn't a lot of space left for an abundance of pictures or other decorative items.
So keeping the walls and areas uncluttered will help to make the space feel more calm and spacious.
On to suggestion number 6 - Brighten up the corners.
Corners are naturally a bit darker due to shade. This can add to the overall feeling of small space. If you can, add some light. You can use small table lamps, floor lighting, or spot lights aimed into the corner.
The final suggestion for this episode is it get organized!
Since our physical space is limited, everything in the rig needs an assigned place. Once the item is used, put it back where it belongs. An organized rig, cleared table and floors not only give more space, but it looks like there's more space. And, as a bonus, you know where things are when they are needed.
Well friends, that's it for this episode. I'm sure you have more suggestions but these are easy fixes that give the feeling of more space, and may in fact actually give more space.
If you are interested in being a guest on our podcast or know someone we should have as a guest, or if there is a topic you would like us to explore, please email me at: sojournersevangelize@gmail.com. Also, please follow our podcast to keep updated when new episodes are published.
I’m your host Dave Laton and remember we glorify God as together we, “Travel With A Purpose”!