One Couple's Compromise Leads to the Perfect Family Campervan
This pop-up campervan became an ideal solution for family holidays, with a bit of ingenuity and a whole lot of style
This pop-up campervan is so lovely that it could get even the most trepidatious camper out into the wild. Well, a reluctant camper out into the semi-wild with a parking spot anyway. The campervan was decorated by American blogger Annie Anderson, who had never been a big fan of camping, with help from husband and camping aficionado Tyler. It’s become a good compromise for the couple’s disparate visions of the ideal family holiday. Working within a tight budget, the Andersons created a dreamy little holiday home on wheels for themselves and their two young children.
Anderson loves to decorate on a budget, repurposing what she already has and thrifting, and the pop-up became a project where she could experiment. “My style is constantly evolving and I’ve been more eclectic lately, but three things that never change are my love of neutrals, of textures and of a bright space,” she says.
Before Photo
Before: Though Anderson isn’t sure of the campervan’s exact age, she knows it was made in the 1990s. And while it wasn’t winning any design awards in its former life, it was in great condition and had no leaks or rot.
Anderson wanted to lighten and update the style. She gave herself a US$100 budget to work on it during the first summer. She used the money to buy paint for the cabinets and the benchtop and for secondhand store textiles she repurposed into slipcovers and curtains.
The mini kitchenette has a pump sink for when hookups are available, but when it’s not in use, Anderson keeps it covered with a cutting board to create a little bench space. The family cooks most of its food outdoors, so this area is more about prep and storage.
Anderson wanted to lighten and update the style. She gave herself a US$100 budget to work on it during the first summer. She used the money to buy paint for the cabinets and the benchtop and for secondhand store textiles she repurposed into slipcovers and curtains.
The mini kitchenette has a pump sink for when hookups are available, but when it’s not in use, Anderson keeps it covered with a cutting board to create a little bench space. The family cooks most of its food outdoors, so this area is more about prep and storage.
The first thing Anderson did was apply fresh white paint. “I didn’t do it super properly, but I did use a high-quality paint with a mould inhibitor to deal with moisture,” she says.
Staying within that US$100 budget, she made the curtains and upholstery herself, repurposing sheets, tablecloths and shower curtains she already had at home or found in secondhand stores. The rugs are easy-to-wash bath mats.
Speaking of washing, Anderson swears that despite all the light neutrals and whites, she doesn’t care one speck about all the dirt that comes with camping. She made sofa slipcovers out of repurposed tablecloths. “It’s so easy to throw it all in the wash when we get home,” she says.
Staying within that US$100 budget, she made the curtains and upholstery herself, repurposing sheets, tablecloths and shower curtains she already had at home or found in secondhand stores. The rugs are easy-to-wash bath mats.
Speaking of washing, Anderson swears that despite all the light neutrals and whites, she doesn’t care one speck about all the dirt that comes with camping. She made sofa slipcovers out of repurposed tablecloths. “It’s so easy to throw it all in the wash when we get home,” she says.
Before Photo
Before: For extra comfort, the family lays air mattresses on top of the thin mattresses that came with the campervan.
The following summer, the budget expanded a little and Anderson’s husband installed a new floor. He used a simple Click-Lock laminate that has a bleached driftwood look and cost next to nothing. “The new floor changed the look in here so much; it just makes it feel bigger, cleaner and newer,” Anderson says.
She added new bedding in a mix of black-and-white patterns, as well as the brass table lamp. The large gingham sheets cover the air mattresses and base mattresses just like a fitted sheet would, but with the look of a doona. They’re easy to remove and can be thrown in the washing machine.
The pop-up has some built-in lighting but it’s not very bright, so the family supplements it with the table lamp, string lights and a few portable lanterns as needed.
She added new bedding in a mix of black-and-white patterns, as well as the brass table lamp. The large gingham sheets cover the air mattresses and base mattresses just like a fitted sheet would, but with the look of a doona. They’re easy to remove and can be thrown in the washing machine.
The pop-up has some built-in lighting but it’s not very bright, so the family supplements it with the table lamp, string lights and a few portable lanterns as needed.
A small folding table that stows under the bed is opened up for indoor meals or a board game.
When it’s time to pack up, the couple have a good system. “It’s a puzzle and you just have to be really organised. We use plastic bins to pack everything up,” Anderson says. The trailer has some storage spaces accessible from the exterior as well. The family also brings a portable toilet. “It’s great to have in case of emergencies,” Anderson says.
When it’s time to pack up, the couple have a good system. “It’s a puzzle and you just have to be really organised. We use plastic bins to pack everything up,” Anderson says. The trailer has some storage spaces accessible from the exterior as well. The family also brings a portable toilet. “It’s great to have in case of emergencies,” Anderson says.
The couple take a few weeklong trips each summer, and they also have fun keeping the campervan opened up in a private spot in the yard while they work on it. The family occasionally heads out here for dinner and board games just for fun. “We’ve also camped out in the driveway at our in-laws,” Anderson says. And while they’ve jokingly referred to it as ‘the guest house’, this charming little campervan is a spot visitors just might fight over.
Tell us
What do you love about this moveable holiday home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
Tell us
What do you love about this moveable holiday home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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“My husband is a big camper and grew up in a camping family,” says Anderson, the blogger behind US lifestyle blog Zevy Joy. “But for me, beaches were my outdoor activity. It was really a stretch for me to enjoy taking a family vacation in a tent, but buying a used pop-up campervan turned out to be a nice compromise for us.”
The family, which includes daughter Everly, 5, son Zealand, 7, and Wyatt, a King Charles Cavalier-cocker spaniel mix, has no trouble finding beautiful lakeside and forest destinations within a few hours of its Pacific Northwest USA home.