I regularly receive emails from fellow caravan enthusiasts (from the UK, all the way to Australia) with questions about Dolly 1 and, more recently, Dolly 2. Very often, they’ve stumbled across my DIY caravan blog posts — or Pinterest pins — and ask for tips on decorating a caravan.
I’m asked what is the best paint for interior caravan walls. How to paint caravan cupboards. And what we used to hang the wallpaper. So finally, I’ve decided to make a little list of tips for decorating a caravan interior.
It’s super simple and the look that can be achieved is fabulous.
I’m going to split each DIY project into various posts. Painting and wallpapering the interior. Then all the fiddly bits like sinks and fittings, the upholstery.
And, finally, revamping the exterior.
There’s way too much content for one post — and there’s also a LOT of photos!!
Whether you have a vintage caravan that you’d like to freshen up or a static caravan that needs an overhaul, these tips should help you create the old ‘new caravan’ of your dreams!
Caravan renovation can seem daunting initially. But over the years, I’ve discovered that if you treat it in the same way that you would any other home DIY project, you can’t go far wrong.
Hopefully, my tips for decorating a caravan for beginners will help you on your way!
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Insider Caravan Inspiration
Whether you have a motorhome, a camper van, or a caravan, you can transform your recreational vehicle into the perfect tiny house on wheels. Ideal for family holidays and weekend getaways.
With a few simple updates (and a little bit of elbow grease) you can turn your van into a cozy place, to kick back and relax.
Keep reading to find out what caravan interior paint to use,
Decorating a Caravan » Part 1
Painting Woodwork and Veneer Covered Walls
The interior of most older caravans and travel trailers — even some new ones — seems to be a sea of brown. Or — worse — orange wood.
In some cases it’s real, in a lot of cases it’s chipboard; covered in a plastic wooden-look coating. The doors in both our vans have been solid wood but the surrounds have been constructed from a veneered MDF.
Either way, it can all easily be given a fresh, clean look with paint. Painting a caravan interior is one of the quickest ways to overhaul a tired-looking van.
How To Paint Caravan Cupboards
You can read my method for painting caravan cupboards plus all the woodwork here in this post.
You’ll find all kinds of info, including on what paint to use for painting caravan cupboards.
Annie Sloan chalk paint would also probably work well if you were after a flat, matt finish.
Especially as it seems to cover most surfaces without the need for priming. That said, although I’ve used it on furniture I’ve not tried it myself on a caravan, so don’t quote me on that!
Painting The Walls and Ceilings of a Caravan
We used the same cupboard makeover paint on the walls — and ceiling — of Dolly 1.
But for Dolly 2 we decided to try a different approach and although we used the cupboard makeover primer to undercoat the walls and ceiling — we did the second coat in standard white emulsion.
This was a triumph.
It saved us quite a lot of money and looks amazing — especially on the ceiling. It gives a lovely matt finish.
You’d expect it to flake or crack but a couple of years on and it still looks fabulous. I’m so delighted with the finish.
We painted all the plastic struts with the cupboard makeover paint first. Tthen went over the whole lot with the emulsion paint and a roller.
Decorating a Caravan
Now, there will be a point — probably when you’re half way though the renovation — that a sense of panic will begin to set in.
Don’t worry!!! This is perfectly normal!!!
Decorating a caravan is fun but can be a bit of a messy job. Particularly as you’ll be working in a very tight space.
Plus it doesn’t help matters if you’re a bit of a chaotic worker (like me). I don’t do things in order. I always start with the very best of intentions. But invariably things start to look like a total bombsite; as I don’t work in a logical sequence. It drives Mr D nuts.
Opening the door to chaos can be a bit overwhelming but — trust me — just work through it. Keep painting. It will look amazing eventually.
To give you a little spoiler alert — these are the kind of scenes that you may be faced with when you’re midway through decorating a caravan.
Not pretty.
And definitely alarming.
When you’ve spent a substantial amount of money on purchasing the van in the first place, it’s a slightly scary prospect to see looking like this.
But stick with it.
Give everything a couple of coats of paint and — bit by bit — the sea of orange wood will begin to diminish.
Eventually you’ll have painted every surface. Apart from the ones that you plan to wallpaper (if you’re going down that route).
Wallpapering a Caravan Interior
We’ve wallpapered both of our vans. Not sure what made me think that wallpapering a caravan was a good idea but it is.
It totally works.
I went for a shabby-chic feel for Dolly 1. It has been said (on more than one occasion) that it looked like Cath Kidston had thrown up on her. But I take that as a compliment.
Here’s how she looked before her makeover.
And after a little bit of elbow grease — a lot of paint — and one roll of wallpaper, she looked like this.
I went for a more graphic Orla Keily-esque look with Dolly 2 and used a range by Layla Faye from Wallpaper Direct.
Pop and have a look at the original post for more info.
What Tools Do You Need For Wallpapering a Caravan Interior
Wallpapering a caravan follows the same process as papering anything else to be honest.
I used standard tools — ruler, scalpel, brush, sponge and a papering table. And on both occasions I used a standard wallpaper paste; Polycell Maximum Strength, if memory serves.
The trickiest thing about wallpapering the interior of a caravan is trying to cut around tricky angles. But apart from that it’s no different from wallpapering a room in a house.
I wallpapered the ceiling in one of our bedrooms a couple of year’s ago so it’s something I’m quite confident doing.
I also quite like working on small surfaces — as opposed to large rooms. So in some respects I find it easier than wallpapering a house.
Some Tips For Decorating a Caravan
Here are my top tips for painting a caravan interior.
Make sure the walls are grease free.
Caravan walls can sometimes get a little greasy, due to cooking in such a tiny space. So making sure you give the surfaces a good wash down with sugar soap is always a good idea.
Paste both the wall and the paper. I always hang the paper from the top edge and trim the overhang at the bottom.
Make sure you smooth the paper down well and buff out with a dry wallpaper brush. This will get rid of any bubbles.
It can look a little bit alarming when the paper is wet. But the bubbles tend to settle down and disappear when the paste is dry.
I remember feeling so nervous when I wallpapered Dolly 1.
Would it be a waste of a £30 roll of paper? Will the paper stick? Would it last?
I had visions of the opening her up after the first winter to find the wallpaper hanging off the walls. Or peeling paint everywhere. But that never happened.
We had Dolly 1 for almost 6 years and the paper and paint looked as good when we sold her as the day it was put on.
So there we have it! A few tips on decorating a caravan. Next time I’ll talk about painting a caravan exterior.
Thanks so much to everyone who’s got in contact about Dolly 1 and Dolly 2. I love receiving your emails and would be thrilled to see how you get on with your own van makeovers.
Please do drop me a line with any before and after photos! Caro xx
Some More Posts on How To Decorate a Caravan
Looking for more tips on how to decorate a caravan? Check out these posts below.
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
Thank you so much for your posts. Love your Dolly makeovers. I am revamping a 1981 Windsor caravan that I live in at my daughters, so it’s The Castle…..
All the brown & orange has gone, now cream & green with red touches. Have recovered seats, made new curtains, remade roller blinds, but I am wondering what to do about the orange fridge door. Any suggestions? It is metallic.
Thanks so much for your lovely message Louise! Could you send me a pic of the fridge door?? I cant visualise what you mean — it would be easier to give advice if I could actually see it :)
I am renovating a 70 s sprite and as it’s going to be a glamping van on our site wether I could varnish over the paper to give a washable surface on changeover days. I would value you input.
I’d definitely give that a go Lizzie. I’ve varnished wallpaper before — but on a box not a wall! I used Polyvine Decorators Varnish — it’s great as it doesn’t yellow over time. If you’re nervous about painting directly on the wall, varnish a piece of spare paper first, to see if you’re happy with the finish. Let me know how you get on!
Hello:) I’m so glad I came across this page!! I recently brought the same transfer as you and currently doing it up… while struggling ? can I ask you how you have your bathroom/ wardrobe room as mine is just a shell at the moment ?
Thank you:)
Hi Jess, I’ve wallpapered the loo/bathroom — we got rid of the shower and the horrible sink unit. But the wardrobe is very separate — they’re not integral? Has yours been knocked through? C
Looks fab ! Gave me the kick to do mine
Thanks so much Sonia!!! :)
I’ve cleaned the walls and used wallpaper however it’s come off after a few months. I’ve got 10 damp traps in various places and they are all dry…. What should I use to put the wallpaper back up with?
Hi Louise, for both of our caravan makeovers I washed the walls down first, then used wallpaper paste — and pasted both the paper and the walls, before putting up the paper. Both vans were kept outdoors during the winter months and the paper hasn’t peeled in either case. Is it peeling just at the edges? Or is it coming off in entire sheets?
Hi Caro, it’s coming off in entire sheets. I made the paste thicker than the instructions said. When I realised what was happening I tried using PVA and that’s come off too.
Thanks!
Oh bless you Louise!! What a nightmare! If this was me, I’d get the whole lot off and start again. I’d strip the paper off and clean the walls thoroughly; so they’re totally free of any glue or paste. Then I’d give the walls a light sand — wash them down again — and start again.
If you don’t want to waste money on another roll of wallpaper, it might be worth buying a roll of lining paper and trying a section with that, first.
Just to make sure that it adheres to the walls properly and you’re not going to have the same issue again.
Personally, if I was happy that the lining paper was firmly stuck down — after a couple of week’s or so — I’d then wallpaper over the top of it. If it began to peel then I’d probably just paint the walls instead.
I’m so sorry that you’re having such a nightmare!! That’s the exact scenario that I worried may happen, when I papered our first van, but happily, it’s not happened yet with any of the vans I’ve renovated.
Good luck Louise — please let me know how you get on!! xx
Hi Caro. I’ve just happened upon this blog and LOVE it!!! We’ve just bought a 30yr old 2 berth caravan very similar to Dolly 1. Its covered in orange pine everywhere so can’t wait to get painting…
I have 2 questions for you… we are leaving our basin and shower unit in the ensuite.. i was just wondering how you attached the metal corner unit in Dolly 2 that is holding loo rolls?
Also our caravan doesnt currently have a fridge in it… is there one you would recommend or do you think we should go to a caravan scrapyard/graveyard and see if we can pick one up there?
Youre post is such an inspiration!!! Can’t wait to start!!!
Dani x
Hi Danielle!
Aaah that’s so lovely of you! Thank you :) Re the corner unit, we attached it to the wall with screws and rawl plugs.
As far as the fridge goes, if you want a second hand one, there are various caravan breaker companies all over the UK — probably best to Google for one nearest you. Or eBay is always great for caravan spares!
For miscellaneous items — vents and covers etc — Venture Caravans have a great range (plus an eBay shop) and they have brilliant knowledge too. They’ve been really helpful for us over the years!! Good luck!!! XX
Hi, loving your work and it’s making me so excited for our project! Can I ask did you reupholster yourself? I can sew but it looks like a huge task!
Hello!! Yes — I did do the upholstery. It’s not a professional job by any stretch but looks WAY better than the horrible old floral cushions! I’ll put together a blog post showing how I did it… watch this space!!
So I’ve just bought an old caravan that looks gross and found this wonderful blog thank you for your pictures and ideas I can’t wait to give it a make over. ??
Aaah thanks so much for your lovely message!! Good luck with your van makeover — send me some pics when you’re done! :)
Hi! Your lovely blog has given me the balls to start upcycling my van ? Can I just ask what you did with the inside of the door to the caravan?x
Hi Kirsty, I used acrylic paint for the inside of the door! It gave a great finish, and meant that I could mix just the right colour up too.