10 Ways to Make Your RV Feel Not So Small

RVs are intentionally small so you can take them anywhere. But the inside of your camper doesn’t have to feel small! You can make your RV feel bigger with these clever interior design tricks.

I often talk about my favorite small RVs like camper vans or lightweight travel trailers. For me, the smaller the RV, the better!

I want my home on wheels to take me anywhere I want to go but still feel comfortable inside. We learned these 10 tips from interior designers to transform our spaces from dark and cluttered to bright and homey.

10 Ways to Make Your RV Feel Bigger

1. Use light colors.

The absolute first thing to do is use lighter colors in your RV. Ditch the dark brown cabinets, faded walls, and dim fabrics, and go lighter. Lighter colors, particularly on your walls, make a room look bigger and brighter.

This is because light colors are more reflective, which helps maximize the natural light coming in the windows. If your RV feels small, this one trick alone will make it feel bigger. With lighter walls, floors, and ceiling, the above RV added dark black cabinets while still making the bedroom feel spacious and bright.

Put this in action:

• Paint your RV walls and/or cabinets
• Swap your bedding for something lighter
• Use white or light colored window coverings

2. Avoid hanging decor on the walls.

Along with lighter-colored walls in the RV, it’s important not to fill the walls with photos, art, knickknacks, or any other clutter. This can make the room feel crowded and smaller.

A better solution might be to use open shelves and fill them with only a few items.

3. Opt for minimalist window treatments.

One of the things I hate most about the way RVs are currently built is those giant valances around the windows! They block light, are bulky, and are often covered in bland, dark fabrics.

There seems to be enthusiasm in the RV industry for decorating windows as if to hide any edges of the windows.

There’d be the valance above, blinds, net curtains, insect screens, drapes, and drape tiebacks… sometimes all on the same window! It’s too much. Let us just enjoy the light!

Remove the existing valances and keep your window treatment simple with white roller shades and simple curtains.

Another interior design hack is to hang your curtains at ceiling height instead of at the window frame. This will make your ceilings appear higher and give the room a more spacious feel.

4. Add mirrors!

You won’t have a ton of open wall space in your RV. Using a mirror on the walls is a classic tip interior designers use to make a space look and feel more spacious.

Mirrored closet doors are a great way to make your RV bedroom feel bigger!

Read Next: 22 Gorgeous Mirrors Added to RV Renovations

5. Ditch the clutter.

Okay, this maybe should’ve been first! If you want more space, have less stuff!

Clear counters, use organizers to keep items in place, and take an inventory of everything you really need on board your rig.

Read Next: How to Downsize Your Life to Fit in an RV

6. Replace your RV couch.

RV furniture is often dark and bulky. Interior designers often opt for furniture with more openness, like this couch with exposed legs.

That little bit of extra space beneath the couch may not seem like much. That little space allows for more airflow and gives the couch the appearance of “floating.” This illusion creates more open space, making the living room feel larger.

7. Utilize and install storage systems.

Use clever and space-saving storage systems in your RV. There are many ideas online for organizing your small RV kitchen, making the most of the storage space in your tiny bathroom, and even organizing the large spaces under your RV. 

By organizing your storage, you’ll have somewhere to put all your stuff, and it will be easy to find those things when needed.

8. Limit your color scheme to just 3 colors.

Interior designers use a smart color hack called the 60-30-10 rule.

The main color is used in 60% of the room. This could be the light-colored walls, ceiling, and sofa, for example. These are all the same color or similar shades of the same color.

The secondary color is used in 30% of the room, for example some of the furniture and soft furnishings. And an accent color is used just 10%.

This doesn’t mean you can’t add color, and your RV should only be white! Take this colorful kitchen, for example.

60% of this renovation is white (walls, some cabinets, trim, fireplace, couches).

30% of this room is wood grain, including the countertops and some decor.

10% is green—even though that means an entire wall is green!

9. Use vertical lines.

Shiplap was all the rage a few years ago (Thank you Joanna Gaines), but it’s a great way to make your room feel larger. We’ve all heard that wearing horizontal lines makes you look wider and vertical lines make you look taller. The same is true for rooms.

Vertical lines make a room appear larger by making the ceiling appear higher. Shiplap is commonly used to create this effect, but wallpaper, slat walls, and board and batten can accomplish the same look.

I love these vertical slats added in this fifth wheel renovation for creating this visual effect.

10. Add more lighting.

Where possible, try and light up the corners of your RV. Those spaces that are kind of tucked away and dark can make your RV feel smaller.

By lighting them up, it makes the room feel a bit bigger. Plus, adding lights isn’t as hard as you think!

Read Next: How to Install Light Fixtures in Your RV Without Hiring an Electrician

Make Your RV Feel Bigger

You’ll notice that half these tips are about reducing the clutter in your space, and the other half are about tricking your eyes into thinking a space is bigger. Both. are key in making your RV feel bigger and more like home.

Do you think these will help you to create an RV interior that is both comfortable and relaxing? Share which tips you’ll use in your RV in the comments!