Our Renovated R-Pod!

After 2 months of sanding, priming, painting, sweating (those 90 degree humid days were killer!), nailing, building and basically completing advanced acrobatic moves to do all of the above, we are so so proud to provide a tour of our new 20 foot home on wheels!

So what exactly did we do to the pod? Everything! First we chose two colors to paint: a shade of white, called Snowbound by Sherwin Williams, to cover the brown walls, open up the space and create an illusion that it’s bigger than it truly is. We sorted through tons of gray paint and even started painting the cabinets before changing the shade to the color Nor’Easter, also by Sherwin Williams. Not sure how but unintentionally all the colors we chose had to do with winter weather...hmm...

Other updates: We swapped out hardware on the cabinets from silver to black. Sold the original couch cushions and replaced them with patio furniture cushions. Designed and created a new ottoman. Wrestled with peel and stick tile to add a backsplash in the kitchen. Added a shelf unit above the bed to create more storage space. Removed all of the original window details and added curtains. Replaced the flimsy mattress with 8 inch memory foam (so dreamy!). And of course added pillows and rugs to create a cozy atmosphere. We left the walls empty for now and decided to decorate more with souvenirs from our travels along the way. 

Alright alright, enough with the waiting...Let’s start with a few before and after photos:

All of the details in the R-Pod are what really make it feel like home. We couldn’t have done some of the renovations without the help of a few people we’d like to thank. Our curtains are hemmed and made to fit our windows perfectly by our dear friend and talented seamstress Tara Lanzarotta. Tara actually did the alterations for Jenn’s wedding dress and has known Brad for decades. We spent the afternoon with her in Clarion, PA watching her work her magic and perfect the size of our curtains. We appreciate you Tara!

The ottoman you see? What a story that has! You see, some of the R-Pods have electrical/plumbing within the floor and that particular ottoman is used to hide it. 

We (basically Jenn, who are we kidding) decided the ottoman was in the way and there HAD to be another option to replace it. After researching and trying to find anything else to cover the ugliness we realized the ottoman had to stay. To make the situation even more interesting, Jenn tossed the top of the ottoman to the trash and we were left with an incomplete piece of furniture. Luckily for us, we happened to show up at Lowe’s one afternoon when the lumber guys were bored and they kindly created a new wooden lid for the top of our ottoman. 

Jenn ordered fabric through Amazon and her two aunts, Trish and Nancy, pulled together their incredible gift of restoring furniture to create the coziest ottoman and accent piece in the camper. It ONLY took 6.5 hours...ouch! But honestly, we love this piece and it really gives the living area a unique look. We love you both for what you did for us!

Lastly, we thought it would be fun to share some of the space we have and the inside of cabinets. Many have expressed concern with the amount of space we have (or lack) but we have been in the process of removing all the excess from our lives and found we have more than enough space for our necessities. After all, it’s not about WHAT you have in your life, but WHO.