susie q: before & in-progress


one month ago, our 1997 13ft shadow cruiser camper lovingly named susie q joined our family! see the first blog post HERE. 

we've slowly made small changes inside over the last few weeks to better fit our family & our own aesthetic. today i thought i'd share some before & in-progress photos!  

BEFORE:



& NOW:


it's amazing what a can of paint, some fabric & pops of color will do!


with the exception of the floor & carpet insulation around the top bunk, i painted every square inch of susie q. in total, it took me about 20 hours. i coated the laminate cabinets & faux wallpaper walls with this primer first. once it was dry, i painted two coats of white primer + paint all-in-one from the hardware store. it's holding up very well & stains wipe off easily with a magic eraser!

i also painted the front of our mini fridge in chalkboard paint & love doodling cute quotes & phrases to the front!


my biggest splurge inside the camper was having the cushions professionally reupholstered. i was able to find a great coupon to joann's fabric store for the gray linen blend fabric, which cost about $125 in the end. the trim fabric was found at hobby lobby for just a few bucks. it cost $200 to have the cushions reupholstered so i spent about $350 on this project. 

it was well worth the expense, though! the new cushions zip off for easy cleaning & i love how much the new cushion colors brighten the space!


i was able to shop our home for most of our accessories & artwork. it's so fun what you'll find when you start shopping your closets & drawers! 

above - i cut a piece of cork board to size for the side of our nightstand & added postcards, fun photos & more of places we love & adventures we've been on. we plan to add to the board as we travel to different places!


my sweet cousin gifted me the cute tea towel when she heard about our camper! i was able to find a cheap hook at walmart to hang it near our sink.


i also added fresh flowers & candles throughout our space. woven baskets & cute plastic plates are great for corralling like-items together. 


i am always on the lookout for extra camper storage solutions. i found this great wire bin at walmart on sale for just $6. it hangs over the door of our closet for storing books, magazines, coloring books & color pencils.


most everything else came from inside our home. the mugs are from 1canoe2 & the globe print is from meg's shop.

we still have a handful of changes to make, including curtains, but it's always so nice to see a little progress & lots of hard work!

what do you think, friends?

love,
natalie

15 comments:

stellaonline said...

I'm absolutely smitten! I just love the idea of adding light layers, and pops of color to a camper.

Whoever was in charge of interior design of these older campers just confuses me - the fabrics and colors are so odd...brightening them is wonderful!

Well done!!

<3

Unknown said...

Hi Natalie, it looks fabulous. You have such an eye for details :). Could you please let me know what primer you used on the cabinets? The link appears to be broken. I have laminate cabinets in my kitchen that I want to paint white and based on your results, I trust you. Thanks so much.

CaSandra said...

Wahoooo! I've been waiting on this post since you announced you purchased a camper - like usual, your style and design is PERFECT!!!

Laura said...

Your vision and resourcefulness just blows my mind! What a welcoming, fun space!! :D

Roots Out West said...

Yay! I love seeing this progress. You're creating an adorable space.

Heidi Joe said...

Your little camper is so adorable! You are the queen of creating sweet and comfy spaces. Great job!

Amy said...

So cute! The power of white paint never ceases to inspire me. And such cute decor you've added. What a fun space!

Anonymous said...

Your transformation of the little camper is FABULOUS!!!!!! What inspiration for others who might want to purchase a similar "home away from home." The power of paint! Love, love the decision to cover all the brown with white. I would have never thought of reupholstering those seat. Brilliant! Can't wait to see further changes.

Anonymous said...

PS In regard to curtains, you might look at tea towels (going on sale at end of summer) to hang on rods with clips. A fast no-sew project. World Market has some super cute ones.

jSarie said...

Love how much brighter it is now!

Anonymous said...

What an exciting project. You've done such a great job !
Nice and bright, cozy and colorful.

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

I love the colors!!

Junque Rethunque said...

The cushions are PERFECT!! Let me know where you had them done, I have a sofa and some chairs with loose cushions like that I want done. :)

Melodie said...

OMG That is one major renovation/makeover and definitely the prettiest one i've ever seen!!
Congratulations, it's basically perfect!
xo
http://www.sevenlivesandmore.com/

amanda june said...

cannot believe how you've transformed that space in just a month! it's amazing! it's adorable! so you!

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