RV Interior Design

When we first purchased our 5th Wheel RV, I got with a friend and interior design expert, Katie, from Spencer-Carlson Unlimited in Kennewick, Washington and redecorated. (The store is fabulous, by the way.)  The original interior was done in gold “silk” with a Parisian/Traditional theme or something like that.  Seriously.  What are you thinking RV manufacturers?  It looked like a brothel.  Remember, we lived full-time in our RV and we would not decorate a home this way.

Wanting to minimize clutter and streamline our look, we redecorated with a modern theme of burgundy, black and tan and downsized the trimmings.  Taking down the gold “silk” window treatment side panels we reupholstered the cornice boards and the chair seats with our color scheme.  Got rid of the ornate sconces on the wall and replaced them with small paintings/photographs of our travels framed with simple wood/black frames.  The wimpy gold (again) bed comforter was replaced with a tailored black bedspread.  No more extra pillows…thank you.  Got rid of the extremely heavy gold (again) sleeper sofa and oversized recliner.   Replaced our seating with light and comfortable Ekornes Stressless recliners.  

Nice and neat.

I would love to redecorate more RVs using inspiration from Ralph Lauren’s redone vintage airstreams.  In the early 2000's, four vintage Airstream were designed by Ralph Lauren in various themes, including Adirondack, Western, Nautical and Army Surplus / Utility.  Although the Western and Adirondack themes look extremely cool, they would be a bit cluttered for us to live in.  My favorite is the Nautical theme.

Left to right:  Adirondack, Western, Nautical

They were sold through the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation (initially asking $150K each, later $100K) with proceeds donated to charity.

Wake up RV builders and get a clue!  At least create a truly neutral palette for a starting point.

Passing Time

Traveling from the far Northwest corner of the U.S. to the most Southeast corner means many miles.  The miles through Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas are wide open and the distance between stopping is long.  To make the trip interesting, we slip in a audio CD by Arizona State Historian, Marshall Trimble.  Marshall has a western twang to his voice and a wealth of knowledge of the Southwest.  As we travel, the history we hear makes the towns and historic locations come alive.  Before we know it, we are at our destination.  [Photo from www.MarshallTrimble.com]

Mike’s brother, John, loaned us his collection of Marshall Trimble last year.  Until this trip, we have not had the opportunity to listen.  Thanks, John, we love the stories!

If you are traveling through the Southwest or just enjoy listening to history, cowboy poetry or some good ‘ol cowboy music, highly recommend listening to Marshall Trimble.

Minimalist Lifestyle

As we are loading our RV to travel this winter, I am struck with how bare our home is after we move into the RV.  Seeing this really makes us realize how much we downsized our belongings over the last two years when we lived in our RV full-time.   And we like it.  Life is uncomplicated this way.

We kept the RV minimalist philosophy when we moved into our new home this past summer—only adding furniture we actually use—not just decoration.  In fact, after we got our remaining belongings out of storage, much of it was let go by either donating it, giving it away or trashing it.  And the purging process continues.  Living in the RV really made us realize how little we need to be comfortable, happy and still stylish.

I cannot say that my home (or RV) is completely minimalist, but it is not cluttered.  Clutter is distracting and stressful.  We find a minimalist approach is calming and makes our life easier.  Think about it—it is hard to clean a lot of knickknacks or to sweep/vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean.   There are still decorative items we enjoy on our tables and counters, but it is now kept to a minimum.

It is  important in the RV and it is important in our home that we find a convenient place for everything, and remember where those places are. Where does our toaster go? Give it a spot, and stick with it. We aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot—out of sight.

When we have simplified a space whether in our home or RV, we give it some time and then look at everything with a fresh eye again. What can be eliminated? Stored out of sight? What’s not essential?  We come back to each space every few months, and sometimes discover things we can simplify even more.  (I need to keep working on my wardrobe…)

It works for us, maybe it will work for you?  Keep calm and carry on.

A Day in the Life of a Full-Time RV Nomad

Not everyone feels comfortable moving into less than 300 square feet and relocating their home every one to four weeks. But that is the life we chose in May 2010, one year ago, when our home became a 32-foot recreational vehicle—a fifth wheel—pulled by a one-ton Ford truck.  The transition wasn’t without effort—including a major downsizing of belongings—but when you can select the scenery, climate, and pace of the day, it was worth the trouble to make it happen.  Each day, we can open all the windows and be pleasantly overwhelmed by the scents unique to each area—the salty sea, the rich loam of the forest, the spicy desert sage after an unexpected rain or the freshly cut hay from the field down the road.

Our typical day includes:

7:00 a.m. – Morning Coffee

Daily morning coffee is enjoyed with views out our large living room windows.  Mike says he cannot remember where he is until he opens the shades each morning.  And each morning is a delight—whether it is a foggy mountain view of the redwoods or the vast vistas of the desert.

8:30 a.m. – Planning Our Day

Our daily plans are dictated by our mood, the weather, local scheduled events or sights or people we want to visit (new friends, familiar friends or family),  or simply daily housekeeping.  And plans can easily change throughout the day.

10:30 a.m. – Daily Walk

Walking provides our daily exercise, but it also allows a thorough look about of the region.   Nothing feels better than getting your blood flowing by hiking in the crisp, fresh air; and mentally nothing sends your spirits higher.

12 noon – Executing the Plan of the Day

[Insert Here] 

2:30  p.m. – Errands

A weekly visit to grocery store or a farmer’s market has become a ritual.  Maintaining a location in a warm climate allows access to fresh vegetables and fruit; and each region has a ‘protein’ specialty--salmon, cod, oysters, lobster, beef, bison, or wild game.  Without much effort, we are now eating healthy and living green.

4:30 p.m. – Dinner at Home

A super-efficient kitchen means meals run smoothly.  Honestly, a tight kitchen is a huge advantage. We are not running back and forth all the time from the fridge to the counter to the stove.  We are fortunate to have a brilliantly designed kitchen with a large Corian-topped island and lots of storage (wonderful pantry).  We rarely eat our meals out.

6:00 p.m. – Evening Reflection

Warm evenings allow us to sit and talk and enjoy the night and relive the day.  Most likely, a bottle of wine will be opened and savored slowly.  Because we usually stay away from the nearest city, you can really see the stars and the occasional shooting star.  Nature’s fireworks.

I think we hitched on to a lucky star, don’t you think so too?

A Little Off the Top

Getting a good haircut in a new, unfamiliar town requires an unusual new skill set.  First, you search for a gal in the store, the bank, or a waitress in the restaurant with a cute hairstyle.  Next, how to find out where she got the cut.  You compliment her haircut in a way that does not seem like you are hitting on her or you want something “special”.  People are suspicious of strangers fawning over them (probably, for good reason).  We had one odd moment in a bank when I complimented the teller, she giggled, and the other bank employee glared at me.  Clearly, the one I complimented was flattered and the other figured I wanted something unethical.  Oh well, they will never see me again.

Finally, I get their hair salon name, stylist, and call to make an appointment.  It is amazing how easy it is to get an appointment when you explain you are passing through town and you spied “so and so’s” striking haircut at the bank…”Do you happen to have an opening today?”  “Why, yes of course!”

So far, so good.  BTW, this is a little trickier for Mike.

RV Quality of Life - Top 10 Products (not Technology related)

Efficiency has become our middle name, and we have adapted well to our RV lifestyle.   The following items have made life that much easier for us.

1.  The original RV furniture with our 5th wheel really was not our style, plus it was not comfortable.  We purchased two Ekorne Stressless recliners (http://www.ekornes.com/) with the fold-away laptop table and gave away the big original recliner and sleeper sofa.   The picture to the right is from the website; our chairs are actually black leather.  The chairs are a little pricey, but the quality and comfort of the chair and the function of the laptop desk sold us.

2.  Upper cabinets in your RV can become a miserable mess without any thought to organization.  We found a great website http://www.organization.com/ selling boxes fitting perfectly in our cabinet.  We are able to fit about 12 labeled burgundy boxes trimmed in black (happens to be our color scheme—RV redecoration—will explain in another blog).  Fantastic!  For example, one box holds our cameras/camera accessories, another box contains office supplies, another software, and you get the idea.  Can you imagine the jumble without the boxes?

3.  Why use the original RV end tables with no storage when you can have so much more?  When you need a table but have little space, our No-Room-for-a-Table Table made by http://www.levenger.com/ fits perfectly next to my recliner. Hidden hinges allow the top to lift from either side to reveal an oblong storage compartment, and there's a shelf below. Two of the leather baskets fit snugly within the table's storage compartment and the shelf basket holds our frequently used files (bills, RV park reservations/information, medical records, miscellaneous, and magazines).

4.  Storing heavy pots and pans can be a real challenge in a RV.  You do not want to put them in a deep drawer since the jostling occurring as your travel will break the bottom.  Under the sink and the upper cabinets are usually too small and awkward.  Our solution was to install a roomy, deep sliding  basket in our kitchen “garage”.  Rails attach to the insides of the cabinet so you can simply slide the basket in and out with one hand, bringing anything you need right to your fingertips. Basket is made of heavy duty steel with chrome finish.  We bought ours at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/, but I see them at Home Depot and Lowes, too.

5.  Since we pitched the sleeper sofa, we had plenty of room for a larger “end table” with some extra storage.  Pottery Barn had a great solution for a table, storage (we use it for Mike’s shoes), and it is sturdy enough to use as extra seating.  http://www.potterybarn.com/  The black “box” in the picture is our solution for extra storage and a table.

6.  Our Britta water pitcher is our answer to reliable clean drinking water on the road.  You really do not know what condition an RV Park water system is in; so why chance it?  We love our Britta and use it constantly.

7.  A portable ice maker can be considered a luxury, but I want ice in my drink and lots of it.  I hate dealing with the little plastic ice cube trays—I am short and every time I tried to put the trays in the freezer I spilled water all over me.  Ughh!!  I really like love our portable ice maker.

8.  Washer and Dryer—cannot live without it.  See blog posted on July 19, 2010.

9.  After traveling down the road with your RV, I can guarantee you that the contents of the medicine cabinet will come tumbling out when you open the door.  Simple solution—we purchased little bamboo trays (again from Bed, Bath and Beyond) fitting perfectly on the shelves.  Works like a charm.

10.  Simple Human makes great products and we are sold on their garbage can.  Yep, you read correctly.  The garbage can made it on the list.  Instead of using valuable cabinet space (which I now use for MY shoes) our garbage can is located conveniently at the end of the counter.  The lid seals up nice and tight; the stainless steel blends perfectly with our stainless steel appliances.  http://www.simplehuman.com/

So, there you have it.  From the expensive to the cheap.  They are our solutions to-date and we are always trying to improve.  Let me know if you have more ideas!

She Sells Seashells by the Seaside

That's right, Seaside, Oregon. The oldest seaside resort in Oregon. Today, we walked the boardwalk, through the gift shops, and by the Necanicum river. Seaside has a large beach, great for kite flying (I didn't see any today, but I love the Nemo fish kites) with a view of Tillamook Head, but I think the interior river three blocks from the beach is just as wonderful. The little town of Seaside invested in wide walkways (wooden and asphalt) and plantings along this river. A path less traveled.

Not only did we buy local huckleberry jam at one of the kitchen gift shops, but we also stopped at a glass blowing studio at Gearhart, Oregon. Their main attraction is a water glass that looks like a fish--John Cook Studios. They can also make the fish glass into a hanging downlight. Unique and fun. A feature to consider for our next home (also perfect for my sister's home--hint, hint).

We cooked up cod with lemon on the BarBQ, fresh snap peas, and toasted pine nut couscous tonight with a nice glass of Oregon Willamette Valley chardonnay (Cooper Mountain). Great to have the time to buy and cook fresh now. Astoria has a Farmers' Market every Sunday. Looking forward to buying something fresh from the local farms.