An Englishman's caravan is his castle - 10 tips for decorating your static caravan to make a holiday palace

Chuck the discount wallpaper

Wall space is at a premium in a caravan, and by that we mean there isn’t much of it. With less wall space to decorate you can splash out on some really fancy wallpaper to set your caravans look off with a bang. 

Unlike wallpapering a whole room or house (which can be pretty expensive by the way) you can probably wallpaper a whole caravan with a couple of rolls. With less paper to buy you can buy a whole house worth for the 3 rooms in your caravan. 

Using luxury wallpaper for decorating a caravan will give your static home an instant feeling of class and help turn your holiday-get-away into a real palace.

Angle that light!

Static caravans can get a bit pokey. Even the larger models can feel cramped and oppressive with too much furniture in them or dark walls and drapes. 

Clever use of mirrors in your static home can really help illuminate the darker recesses of your caravan and breathe more light into the place. Light gives the illusion of space and being in a bright environment is generally better for your mood and disposition. 

If you’re going to add some extra mirrors when decorating your static caravan first make sure whatever mirrors you choose match the design theme you’re going for. 

Secondly, don’t get mirrors that are too big (size will be a continued theme during this article), you don’t want a mirror that’s jutting out from a corner or covering a window, that’d be counter-intuitive.   

And thirdly, look at where your windows are positioned and what time the light comes through them. If your caravan is static it's much easier to place mirrors as your windows will alway be facing the same directions.  By figuring out when the sun is shining through each window and placing mirrors appropriately you can make sure sunlight hits every part of your home. 

Research a style - and stick to it

Minimalist, rustic, bauhaus or maybe… Elizabethan? 

Whichever style you choose for your static home make sure you still to it completely. The style you choose will depend on a number of factors like, what appliances and furniture you already have in your home, how big your caravan is and your personal tastes. 

What really well decorated static caravan apart from the rest is an owner that has picked a style and committed to it fully. When guests walk into your holiday home they don’t see a miss-match of ideas, they see a completed vision. 

If you’re struggling for ideas for your caravans theme or need inspiration Pinterest is a great place to start. You can check out some lovely looking caravan interiors and start planning your own grand design.

Less is more, be selective about what you display

A great caravan is designed to maximise space but even with all the space saving ideas and gadgets in the world if you fill your caravan up with clobber it’s going to get messy. 

Mess and good design don’t mix. When you’re decorating a static caravan also be mindful of what you’ll be bringing to it once the paint has dried. By thinking about ornaments and pictures at this stage you can make allowances for them in your renovations. This will mean anything you do display will be part of the overall design of your caravan and not something that sits on top of it.

Space, space space - Can you hang it?

Hanging pans on the wall is all the rage at the moment. Not to mention it looks really cool too. When it comes to decorating your caravan think about what space saving ideas like this you could incorporate into your overall theme.

If you’re going for a modern chic look to your caravan then a pan rack would fit that theme perfectly and free up valuable cupboard space to store other, less hangable, items (Just remember to pack them up when driving).

Focus on what you can see at eye level

You’re going to view your caravan from a certain perspective, standing up most of the time. This means you’re going to spend a lot of time looking at walls, cupboard tops and the ceiling. 

Because the space in your caravan is limited and you’re never going to be more than one or two meters from a wall and this eye line is where you want to spend the bulk of your time decorating. By planning your decorating efforts from this point downwards you’ll make sure you give the right amount of time and energy to the things you’ll see the most. 

Bring the outside in

Depending on how comfortable you are with structural work you could open up your caravan to the great outdoors with some sliding doors or a foldable wall. Big projects like this aren’t for the faint hearted and if you’re unsure about doing the work yourself it might be wise to hire a professional. 

But renovating your caravan to have a wall that completely opens give you a whole other angle to design and decorate a caravan around. Imagine having a static home with decking and on a sunny day just folding back the glass wall to connect your kitchen to the decking area outside.

Jazz up your woodwork with a lick of paint

Many people, when they buy a static caravan, think the fixtures and fittings can’t be changed. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The cabinets, fixtures, tables and work surfaces can be disassembled and changed at the owners pleasure. 

They can also be spruced up and painted whenever the owner wants them to be. Most of the interior can be taken apart for easy painting and since the fittings and work surfaces are a key part of the caravans design painting them just be an integral part of your decorating project.  

Miniaturise your free standing furniture

Furniture that seems small and compact in a home can take up loads of space in a static caravan. Even if your static home's floor plan appears large once you factor in all the rooms and appliances, finding a free square metre can be really tough.

When decorating your static caravan think about what furniture you’d like it in and try to find the smallest stuff you can. Large bulky sofas and chairs take up space and can ruin the whole feel of your static home.

Finding furniture that’s sympathetic to your caravans design and theme that doesn’t swallow up space or stand out is the key to making a well thought out caravan aesthetic.  

Go in with the pastels

Heavy dark colours will make small spaces feel cramped and oppressive. You want to breathe as much life and space into your static home as possible. To do that you can use our mirror tip from earlier in the article but also be mindful of the colours and tones you are decorating your caravan in. 

Dark greens, purples, and reds can make your caravan feel claustrophobic. So unless you’re angling for a boudoir themed caravan we’d suggest sticking with pastel tones and whites. These colours are good in themselves for reflecting light and they create a feeling of more space in your caravan.

Are you looking for a caravan to make your own?

At Lifestyle Homes we have a range of static caravans for sale all waiting for you to move in and put your personal stamp on them. We’re located on the coast of Northern Ireland and our holiday parks are the perfect summer getaway for those looking to holiday in a place they can call their home away from home. You can see our available caravans here or contact us for a viewing.