Before and After: This Travel Trailer’s $1K Redo Will Knock Your Boho Socks Off

published Jun 22, 2018
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This vintage trailer had been sitting neglected for years, but was finally rescued and restored by someone with a dream. It’s now as darling as you could ever hope a vintage trailer would be, with a sassy twist.

Here’s a bit more about what the trailer was like before its makeover:

The trailer is a vintage Layton travel trailer. This trailer had been sitting on a family member’s property for as long as I can remember. It was a mess but it had “good bones.” We pretty much gutted the whole trailer.

It was just sitting around, waiting for its moment! Let’s see how it looks now…

So cute! Minty hues are so perfect for vintage trailers—see another recent Before & After for further proof—and that black lightning bolt stripe adds some space age zest. Brianna Dubinski of @diyinspiredhouse is responsible for this charming makeover, and it’s so fun that she finally got a chance to tackle a project like this:

I love the idea of having a vintage trailer, it had been a dream of mine for a long time! I love a fresh clean slate to work with. It was so much fun decorating and designing the set up of the trailer.

Don’t give up on your dreams!

Brianna shares what it takes to get a trailer from neglected to downright adorable:

From the time we picked up the trailer till the first time we used it was about a year and a half. It was a slow project, we kinda just worked on it when we had time and money. My husband and I did all the work ourselves. The only setbacks we had was getting it all watertight. We thought it was all good but we ended up having to redo part of the wall because we were still getting leaks. I honestly can’t tell you what the whole renovation cost but a rough ballpark would be close to $1000 probably.

That seems like a low, low price for such a dramatic transformation—impressive.

This is so fun! In a small space like this, I think the best two options are go minimal or go big; Brianna clearly chose the latter, with a hint of the former. The abundance of patterns is fun and festive, but the restrained black-and-white palette keeps the look from being overwhelming. And if Brianna wants a change in a few years, the wallpaper on the ceiling would look amazing with pale pink or rich emerald-green bedding and accessories.

The shiplap walls have a charming cabin-like feel that’s perfectly suited to a travel trailer, and the spaces between the boards add yet another black-and-white pattern to the mix. The globe and wall text do a good job of bringing a bit of the minty goodness of the exterior inside.

I love everything about the after! I feel like the original vision I had for the trailer really came to life. I love the fun boho vibes and the open wall space. The Coloray wallpaper on the ceiling is on of my favorite features.

Here’s a link to the Coloray Under A Palm Tree wallpaper; it’s removable and costs $269 for a 98.5″x 98.5″ roll.

Here’s another process shot—this project was clearly a lot of work.

In such a small space, it can be easy for any accessories to feel like clutter, but these groupings escape that fate, probably because they’re all at the same height, are in a limited palette, and are arranged thoughtfully. There’s not too much extra stuff, but just enough for the space to feel cozy and personal—all while offering extra storage too.

Now that this sweet trailer’s makeover is complete, Brianna has advice for anyone facing a similar undertaking:

Do it but as with any project just expect it to cost more and take longer than you think! Pinterest and blogs really helped me, they were an inspiration as well as a great source of information.

(Image credit: Kaitlin Flannery)

Thank you, Brianna Dubinski and @diyinspiredhouse!