Interior design tips to make your RV feel bigger
When your home is on wheels it goes without saying that your living space is going to be much smaller than you’re used to.
On this website I often talk about my favourite small RVs like camper vans or lightweight travel trailers. So this post is particularly important for those of us that opt for the smallest RV than we can still be comfortable in.
But even the largest RVs on the market, are still smaller than most houses so in order to make your RV feel not so small, we need to adopt some of the tricks used by interior designers who are used to designing spaces for small apartments and tiny houses.
So let’s have a look at 9 ways to make your RV feel not so small.
Light colored interior decor
It’s well known in the interior design world, that light wall colors make a room look bigger and brighter.
This is because light colors are more reflective which helps maximize the natural light coming in the windows, as well as any other lighting going on in the room.
Don’t put too much stuff on the walls
As well as having lighter colored walls in the RV, it’s important not to fill the walls with photos, art, knickknacks or any other clutter.
This can make the room feel crowded and smaller.
Minimal window treatments
Still on the theme of walls, keeping the window treatments to a minimum also helps.
There was (and to an extent, still is) an enthusiasm in the RV industry for decorating windows as if to hide any edges of the windows.
There’d be the valance above, blinds, net curtains, insect screens, drapes and drape tiebacks… sometimes all on the same window!
Not only does this clutter up the wall, but it also reduces the amount of actual window space meaning less light, and outside views, coming in.
So keep the window treatments to a minimum.
Use mirrors
You won’t have a ton of wall space in your RV, but the use of a mirror or 2 on the walls is a classic tip interior designers use to make a space look and feel more spacious.
Declutter and downsize
I probably should have started with this one, as it’s super important to do an inventory of all your stuff, and only take what you actually need (with a few wants… but only a few).
Decluttering and downsizing is not a quick process for most people, so allow yourself time to do this.
Everything must have a place
When your house is on wheels, you figure out pretty quickly that everything needs to have a place… and the more bumpy the road, the more secure that place needs to be!
When everything has a spot, it makes it easy to tidy up and not have a cluttered space.
Storage systems
Use clever and space saving storage systems in your RV.
There are lots of ideas online for organizing your small RV kitchen, making the most of storage space in your tiny bathroom, and even organizing the large spaces under your RV.
By getting your storage organized, you’ll have somewhere to put all your stuff and it will be easy to find those things when you need them.
Limit your color scheme to just 3 colors
Interior designers use that smart color hack of the 60-30-10 rule.
This is where the main color is used 60% in the room. This would be the light colored walls, ceiling and sofa.
The secondary color is used 30% in say some of the furniture and soft furnishings.
And an accent color is used just 10%.
Lights in the corners
Where possible, try and light up the corners of your RV; those spaces that are kinda tucked away and dark.
By lighting them up it makes the room feel a bit bigger.
You’ll notice that half these tips are about reducing the clutter in your space, and the other half are about tricking your eyes into thinking a space is bigger.
Do you think these will help you to create an RV interior that is both comfortable and relaxing?
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