Turning brown upside down

Working in the RV industry I hear a lot of complaints that so many RV interiors are just variations of brown. I’ve seen a lot of people do mild customizations of their RV interiors including my own wife, Peggy. But Brooke and Jon Seaman have truly gone to the next level of customizing a modern RV which has gotten the attention of friends of theirs who also contracted them to take the bland out of another RV. 

Brooke Seaman spoke with me recently about the project and making a 2010 Class C motorhome look like something other than a 2010 Class C motorhome. 

“We bought ours last summer and I redid it,” said Brooke. Then she redid it again. 

“I was hooked!” 

The process starts where so many home improvement projects start today - on Pinterest. But that’s just a foundation. “I also do a lot of recon” said Brooke. That’s code for shopping. Being a general contractor Jon steps in with plumbing and wiring while Brooke provides the inspiration and design and transforms the bland into grand. 

But she’s no stranger to the tool box having learned from her grandfather as well as from Jon. 

Another thing - she’s never gotten to do an house remodel as extensive as her RV transformations so this has been a fun series of projects for Brooke. 

Removing the dinette in an RV

For example, she had completely redone the dinette in her motorhome. It really looked great, but the couple realized they just never used it so out it went and in came a desk that matched the decor they had started. While some might see the dinette as a permanent fixture for Brooke and Jon it was just another impediment to enjoying their RV they way they wanted to. 

Other RV fixtures went out the door as well - there’s a vintage couch in their RV. But there’s also modern counter tops and very useful counter top extensions with current fixtures set in really nice cabinets. 

After seeing what Brooke did to her Class C motorhome a friend of theirs hired her to make over their travel trailer. That friend’s husband is a cowboy and so the theme just spoke to Brooke. 

Gone are all the typical things you’d find in an RV and, instead, there’s corrugated metal wall finishing and walnut floors. A bucket has been transformed into the sink and a rake into a wine glass holder. Cushions and upholstery have been transformed to fit the theme and the windows have been framed in antique wood. Wrought iron towel holders in the bathroom and even a boot holder are part of the unique decor of this trailer. 

The cowboy camper is less structural and more decorative so it’s more in line with what many people are able to do. 

So can you take inspiration from Brooke and make your own RV in the style that suits you? Well, it helps to have an understanding of what’s behind the walls and under the cabinets, first of all. RV manufacturers are good at compacting systems that make the RV work into spaces that might surprise you. 

But if brown isn’t your thing or you just don’t like RV brown, perhaps Brooke, Pinterest and a bit of unique style might be all you need to transform your modern RV into a rolling showcase of cool. Oh, and please share with us in the comments below.

Peggy has also written an article about upgrading your RV interior without affecting its value.