instead of under-i will do "over" :-) 2. Multipurpose table on wheels. Not crazy about having a full-time dining table taking up floor space, Richard and Linnaea Bursch in Portland, Oregon, tapped designer Pangaea to come up with a better solution. She delivered with a table on wheels that can be tucked under the large island to create a breakfast bar, and rolled out to accommodate more formal occasions when needed.
8. Pick drawers, not doors. The best part about drawers is that they display all your flatware and utensils at once, which allows for easy grabbing. You don’t have to get on your knees and peer into the back of the cabinet to see what’s available. Large drawers don’t skimp on storage space. Any set wider than 30 inches can stow plenty of pots and pans.
he 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
windows below upper cabinets, alternate location for A/C
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