Tips For Decorating a Caravan | Painting and Wallpapering a Caravan Interior

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!

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.

Some tips on painting a caravan interior, including the best paint for caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Some tips on painting inside caravan interior, including the best paint for caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Some tips on painting a caravan interior, including the best paint for caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

How To Paint Caravan Cupboards
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Tips on decorating a caravan, including how to paint a caravan ceiling and the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including how to paint a caravan ceiling and the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including how to paint a caravan ceiling and the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Painting a caravan interior
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Pictures of our first caravan makeover — the before pictures!
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

And after a little bit of elbow grease — a lot of paint — and one roll of wallpaper, she looked like this.

Small caravan interior ideas — kitchen inspiration.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Small caravan interior ideas — kitchen inspiration.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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 wallpaper to use in a a caravan.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Tips on decorating a caravan, including the best paint to use.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Inspiration for a small caravan interior
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Inspiration for a small caravan interior
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Yellow colour scheme for a small caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Yellow colour scheme for a small caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.
Yellow colour scheme for a small caravan interior.
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Painting the interior of our touring caravan Dolly — the finishing touches to my second caravan makeover
Photo Credit: The Listed Home.

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.

Website | + posts

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.

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132 thoughts on “Tips For Decorating a Caravan | Painting and Wallpapering a Caravan Interior”

  1. Love your blog! Great job on Dolly 1 and Dolly 2!

    Question: everyone seems to paint with a brush. Has anyone tried just taping off the windows and using a paint sprayer?

    Reply
    • Hi Patricia, thank you! And yes — I’m sure lots of people have used spray. I don’t have a driveway and wouldn’t be able to do that on the roadside, hence the reason I always use a paintbrush. But there’s no reason you couldn’t :)

  2. Thank you for your tips
    Due to rotting wood I have stripped my caravan down and now have a fresh new interior to start rebuilding, never done anything like this before so hopefully it will go ok🙈

    Reply

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