A Used Pop-Up Camper, a Tight Budget and Chic Scandinavian Style

A mother of 2 glams up her family’s cozy vacation home on wheels

Becky Harris August 6, 2017

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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This pop-up camper 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 camper was decorated by 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 vacation. Working within a tight budget, the Andersons created a dreamy little vacation home on wheels for themselves and their two young children.

Scandinavian A Used Pop Up Camper, a Tight Budget and Chic Scandinavian Style

Photos by Annie Anderson

“My husband is a big camper and grew up in a camping family,” says Anderson, the blogger behind 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 camper 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 home.

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 camper’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 $100 budget to work on it during the first summer. She used the money to buy paint for the cabinets and the countertop and for thrift 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 counter 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 mold inhibitor to deal with moisture,” she says.

Staying within that $100 budget, she made the curtains and upholstery herself, repurposing sheets, tablecloths and shower curtains she already had at home or found in thrift 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 thrifted tablecloths. “It’s so easy to throw it all in the wash when we get home,” she says.

Browse throw rugs

Before Photo

Before: For extra comfort, the family lays air mattresses on top of the thin mattresses that came with the camper.

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 only $1.36 per square foot. “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 covers are Beddy’s, which cover the air mattresses and base mattresses just like a fitted sheet would but with the look of a duvet. 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.

Flooring: Harmonics Silverleaf oak laminate flooring, Costco; find more bedding products

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 organized. We use plastic bins to pack everything up. It’s kind of like a Pack ’n Play,” 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 camper 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 camper is a spot visitors just might fight over.

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