We had planned to be living in our camper for 6 months (ended up being well over a year and a half), so we wanted to make sure we liked our living space. One of the first things we did was have the cushions recovered from the typical RV fabric into a nice, plain dark grey and have custom curtains made. Beyond that, here are some of the things that made our camper feel more like a home.
Allsop Home and Garden Soji Stella Solar Lantern in Silver: Looks like a punched tin can but it’s really silver fabric! This solar lantern glows beautifully at night, we used it indoors on the counter and outdoors hanging from the middle of our awning, and best of all it folds up easily for travel days. I’d love to have a bunch of these hanging in our garden one day.
Artwork! We brought and hung as much artwork as possible in our tiny home on wheels. We used a combination of command strips, velcro, or nails to hang up our art, so as not to damage the camper when it is time to move out. We chose small, lightweight items, both framed and non-framed, to add a little color to our home. A great source of affordable art is etsy.com.
Bright Yellow Massimo Vinelli for Heller Stackable Dinnerware: We could have brought traditional camping plates but why do boring when you can add a touch of glam with stackable vintage place settings? Vignelli designed the now iconic 1966–70 subway map and sign system for the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, and his plates are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art. We brought 4 dinner plates, 4 lunch plates, 4 salad bowls, a large salad bowl with lid, and a serving tray. Ours are vintage, which you can find on Esty or Ebay, or buy them brand new from MoMA.
Doormat: So obvious but we didn’t pick one of these up until we had already tramped a ton of dirt and sand into the camper. We ended up using first a large bamboo rug and layering our plastic doormat on top of it. This worked well for us, as we haven’t figured out how to train the dogs to wipe their feet, and we found by walking on the bamboo mat and then on the doormat, most of the dirt/sand/grass stays outside. Plus, it looks super cute.
Koozies: We brought a bunch of our Aviator Nation can-koozies and picked up a couple of bottle-koozies along the way. There is nothing worse than your beer or cocktail getting warm on a hot day. You could drink faster, or just use a koozie to ensure your drink stays cold ;). We brought more than two just in case we needed to share, and boy did we! Bring koozies, people!
Hot Pink Outdoor Pillow Covers: We chose these awesome pillow covers from MaziMuse for the pop of color (perfect for when you are stuck inside on a rainy day) as well as for their outdoor fabric. We used them inside for lounging and took them outside all the time if we wanted to lay on the ground. Handmade with Sunbrella Indoor/Outdoor fabric.
Mad Mats Recycled Plastic Rug in Rainbow: Made from 100% recycled plastic, we had this plastic rug in our back patio in Venice before we left on the trip. It seemed like a great thing to bring with us and it sure was! Anytime we set up camp and rolled out the awning, we threw down our plastic rug, set up our camp chairs and cooler (think side table) and just like that, we had an instant outdoor living room.
Pendleton Wool Blanket (Full): We brought our trusty Pendleton Wool blanket with us because even though we were headed for mostly hot, humid climates, we knew there would be some time in the mountains where we would need an extra blanket. Made from 100% wool, this blanket is durable and folds up easily for days and nights when you don’t need it on the bed.
Target Room Essential 30 Light Solar Globe String Lights: The Big Adventure Team loves solar and these are no exception. We hang them from the awning when set up at camp and even set them up on the balcony of the apartment we rented in San Miguel de Allende. They charge easily and quickly and give off the perfect amount of light at night. We LOVE these.
White and Aqua Blue Stag Pillow Cover: Another touch of home. We chose this awesome guy because we love anything animal, especially if it has antlers. The aqua blue was a nice match with our custom curtains as well. In retrospect, taking a white throw pillow on an overloading trip is not a great idea, especially if you have dogs… Next time I’d do a light grey, it would probably hold up to the dirt a little better.
