RV: Where Design and Adventure Meet

The Sunseeker as it looked before we got our hands on it.

and now!!!

(In an imaginary interview, I discuss the meaning, materials, and manpower behind the project)

IF: Have you ever been RV-ing?

JD: No, but ask me again next week and I will answer resoundingly, “YES!”

IF: Do you have any personal connection to RV-ing?

JD: I have a longstanding emotional and intellectual attraction to mobile homes that runs the gamut from luxurious adobe style doublewides to the vintage variety resembling campers, trailers, and today’s RV. It got stronger when I moved to Florida and then two years ago I wrote a feature about the history of mobile homes for BobVila.com, and that made me ever more appreciative.

IF: Go on.

JD: If you think about it, the RV is like a luxurious resort for some and a last resort for shelter for others. This vehicle sits on the crossroads of luxury and necessity and I find that incredibly dramatic and deep. For my story, I interviewed the fascinating resident historian at the RV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana and I also quoted passages from the book “Wheel Estate.” What really begs thought is author Allan D. Wallis’ assertion that, “The mobile home may well be the single most significant and unique housing innovation in twentieth-century America.”  Needless to say, when I was asked to participate in the PR RV project by re-vamping the interior of a 2007 Forest River Sunseeker, I leapt at the opportunity to transform an American icon.

IF: Tell us about the design inspiration.

JD: Absolutely! Durability, functionality, and comfort were as important to me as creating an aesthetically unique RV environment. The foundation of the redesign is comprised of performance products that should look good for years to come. We’ve got wood laminate floors throughout the main cabin with touches of carpet here and there. We’ve resurfaced all of the cabinetry with Benjamin Moore Advance which is a water-based enamel. The hardware from Rocky Mountain has a brushed finish that won’t show fingerprints and we’re using a lot of Crypton and Sunbrella fabrics and also mohair.

IF: Mohair?

JD: Yes, in a beautiful shade of indigo. I wanted to bring in unexpected textures. I asked the manager at my local Calico Corners about the durability of mohair, and he reminded me that it covered most theater seats.

Flavor Paper Meteor Shower, Benjamin Moore's Washington Blue,  and Mohawk's Toasted Chestnut wood laminate: some of the materials making major RV mojo
Photo courtesy: VPC Partners

IF: How did you arrive at the dark blue/hot pink palette?

JD: The initial design vibe came from VP+C, the marketing, p.r., and events company that hired me. They wanted a mix of preppy and boho and enough variety to show off their client’s products off. The actual color inspiration started with a ikat fabric in indigo and off white that I am using for floor to ceiling curtains that divide the main cabin from the bedroom and cockpit. When I fell in love with that Ikat, navy (quintessentially preppy) became the power color for the project. Pink became the pop!

IF: Niiice! Did you ever think dark blue would be too dark?

JD: I had a few moments of trepidation, but then just knew it was the right way to go especially after I had a date with a new guy whose house had a whole dark blue thing going on. I love signs!!! That was the weekend I was making my color selects and so I just went for it. I think dark colors are often misunderstood, but I love the cozy cocoon-like feel they supply. Welcome to our haute hippie lounge!

IF: Any design surprises?

JD: I gave the loft space over the cab a tree house spin, outfitting that hideaway in a loden green Crypton corduroy, hot pink velvet, and a beautiful Ralph Lauren plaid. Flavor Paper’s Meteor Shower is a refreshing jolt of color and pattern as soon as you walk in. The glass tile backsplash adds the right amount of sparkle and chalkboard paint on the fridge makes for impromptu art as well as shopping lists.

IF: What are you looking forward to on this adventure?

JD: Well first off, I cannot wait to see the RV in person! Up till now, I’ve worked on it remotely. The actual physical transformation is in the hands of Jimmy DiResta who can make anything well and in record time and Nanette Zube who is doing all the upholstery and fabrications. As for the actual road trip, I am looking forward to making friends, travelling to parts of the country I have yet to see, staying in an RV camp, decompressing, and of course, sharing a bathroom with 4 people.

IF: Is this project exciting?

JD: That’s the understatement of the year.