I am so excited to share this next makeover with you. I love a good themed makeover–especially when the theme incorporates something special to the owners, and this makeover definitely fits the bill. Kelsa and Michael took their love for their sports teams in their hometown of Detroit and worked the entire makeover around it.
Kelsa grew up camping in Michigan, but her husband, Michael, was never a camper. Kelsa was eager to share her love of camping with Michael, so they began tent camping often during the early years of their marriage. Kelsa says that tent camping was fun, but after a while, they noticed that it rained in Arizona based on their camping schedule. If they were camping, it was most definitely going to rain! 😛
Fed up with getting rained on, Kelsa and Michael decided to go shopping for a pop up camper. They knew that they didn’t mind cosmetic changes, but neither of them wanted to have a huge structural overhaul or electrical work, etc. The very weekend they went to buy their pop up camper, they found out Kelsa was pregnant with their first (and only) baby. This meant that they didn’t want to take on a huge project, so they opted to purchase a used a 2007 Starcraft 2406 from an RV dealer for around $5,000. Kelsa and Michael realized that they probably could have found a PUP cheaper, but this one was in fabulous shape. It was really clean and structurally sound, albeit ugly, and they could have taken it out that same day had they want to. That was exactly what they needed with a new baby on the way.
Michael and Kelsa met when they were going to Central Michigan University. Although they had moved to Arizona years ago, they still follow all the Detroit teams – Lions, Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons. So naturally, they chose to use their love for Detroit teams as the theme for their camper.
Their first step was to paint the cabinets. Kelsa loves the look of white cabinets in campers, but she had this fear of how dirty it would look. She wanted something they could “rough it” in and not worry about scuff marks. They chose the Detroit Tigers blue paint for the cabinets. They painted the countertops white with an orange stripe down the center. Kelsa added a clear coat of polyurethane to the counters so they are super easy to wipe down. The heater grate also got a coat of orange spray paint.
Kelsa found the blue and white patterned fabric at JoAnn’s. Luckily for her, Michael’s mom can sew, and she recovered all the cushions for the camper. She also made a valance with the matching fabric. Kelsa’s original curtains were a neutral tan and in fabulous condition. She was able to re-use those curtains, but added coordinating tiebacks to bring in some extra color.
For the finishing touches, Kelsa bought coordinating bedding and throw pillows, along with towels and even napkins. They used orange accents to make the blue pop. Kelsa says she has purchased other Detroit accessories (like camp chairs, a patio rug, and a Detroit license plate) since they took these pictures, so they are really loving their theme. She and Michael love working on their pop up camper, and the next project on the list is adding a cool light fixture.They absolutely love the sporty look of their camper. To them, it feels glamorous, yet they are not too worried about bringing dirt into it while they’re enjoying the outdoors. It is a perfect compromise.And I have to agree! What a great space! They did such a great job incorporating their favorite things into the camper to make it a place they love hanging out in. Fabulous job, Kelsa and Michael. I hope you make many happy memories in your PUP with your new little one. 🙂
Happy Camping!
Happy Camping!
Sarah says
Hey I just saw this on Craigslist :). I love, love, love those blue cabinets, although I wish I hadn’t seen this because now I’m completely rethinking my white cabinet color scheme….I really think I’m going to do blue now! GREAT job, Kelsa!!!
Todd says
Very job, great pattern and combo choices.
Caroline says
This looks great! What kind of paint did you use for the countertop? And what did you do about the edges? I don’t think I see T-molding in the “after” picture…. Thanks!
Laurie says
Great work!! You’re going to have so much fun camping with your baby and what a fun space to be together. I love that you spent a bit more for a camper in great shape. We bought our Starcraft 2407 for $4500 this last fall. Sometimes I cringe when I see how little some people pay, questioning whether we paid too much. But, we love ours!! If the torrential rains in Northern CA would just subside a bit, we’re anxious to go camping!
Hope says
Hi Laurie,
I live in Canada (Alberta just north of Montana) and it is hard to find those fabulous prices here too. The used popups seem to hold their value in our area too. The cheapest we could find was about $2500 for a basic mid 90s model. I drove 3 hours to buy a ’96 model with a bathroom and it needs a fair bit of TLC for $3300.
Anything nicer or newer was a lot more. My neighbour just sold his in the $5K price range via Kijiji in one day. That said, I anticipate being able to sell my renovated unit in 2-3 years for the full purchase price plus all the materials. I like the idea that it will only cost me the sweat equity to use it for 2-3 years when we move up to a bigger unit.
Jess says
That turned out lovely! What kind of paint was used for the countertops? We are looking to paint ours white and those look perfect!
Carol says
WOW!!! LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! You did a fantastic job, The perfect amount of Sport and Class!! counters are Awesome!!! Who am I kidding the whole thing is Awesome!