Dudes! We are overhauling a 1972 Bell Travel Trailer! Follow the entire series from the beginning here!
I am a firm believer that most things in life (especially projects!!) will cost you 1 of 2 things. Time or money. If you dont have money, then you put time in. If you dont have time then you pay with money. Looking at the project list for the Nugget there were a few things that I knew I didnt have the time/skills/equipment for. Most everything could be DIYed, but there were a few things that I left to the pros.
First thing on the list was powder coating the stove top. The green, while it is a great color, just wasnt what I was going for. It was just so heavy.
I have been itching to use cantaloupe somewhere and this just seemed like the best place. Now. Let me be super clear on this. You CAN DIY a new stove top color. ish. Rustoleum makes high heat spray paint that will absolutely work in this situation. The colors are limited but they do have white and a really good copper (this was my backup plan).
Talking to the powder coater on the phone I was feeling extremely confident that I would be able to find the color that I wanted. (“We have all of the colors!”) When I went in I was a lot less confident. Just a heads up, all of the colors are extremely saturated, light colors just dont really exist unless you custom match them ($$$$) so I picked the lightest yellow-y orange that they had (I wanted it to be more orange, but I left pretty convinced that it was just going to be yellow, like a yield sign. Fun.)
I was pleasantly suprised when I picked it up and it was the perfect shade of cantaloupe. When I put it in (with the old green tile) it was horrifying. But the problem wasnt the stove, it was the tile. Now that the tile is white I LOVE it. It has this charmingness that just makes the entire space.
We also had them powdercoat the new step. It was an awesome shade of boring and we painted it white. Which in and of itself isnt the most fun color, but it looks SO good with the outside paint job. Total cost for powder coating was $79.00
The second thing that we hired out was the cushion reupholstery. It was just not something that I could convince myself to do. Sewing box cushions with thick vinyl and leather would have done me and my sewing machine in.
I found the perfect shade of pink naugahyde from diyupholsterysupply.com.(they were a dream to work with!!) and had it piped with couch leather. (Because no Vintage Revivals project would be complete without it.)
So was it worth it? Absolutely on both accounts.
I’m so glad you kept the stove top the same.. I’ve loved it since I first saw it. Those cushions look spot on Mandi! Keep up the good work.
I LOVE the orange! What a fun color to liven up the space! I’m glad you found a solution to your cabinet face problem. Everything is looking so inentional and cohesive, like you’ve not hit a single speed bump.
Hi Mandi,
How did you find a professional powder coater? I’ve got two metal lockers that I need to be professionally powder coated. I called MAACO the car painting company, and have been ignored! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The Nugget is GOLDEN!!!!!! Fantastic job, btw 🙂
LOVE IT!! Looking so bright & fresh. And $79?! For that amazing stovetop?! Total steal. Just one thing… Please tell me you salvaged some of that awesome wallpaper & will feature it somewhere? Even just a piece of it framed…? It’s just sooooo GOOD. Can’t wait for the final look!!
Jeez, can’t wait to see the finished product! That is smart about out-sourcing things. It will make it look more professional and maintain your sanity. Can you imagine if you made the cushions and they started to come apart in a year or two?
I love it!
And I’m super glad you went the powder coating route…. we powder coat serving ware so it looks dipped and so many people think they can just spray paint them… not the same thing! (Trust me. I tried. It would have been cheaper not to buy an oven.)
I’ve loved following this journey. But have never commented…. thank you for being so inspiring! When I found your blog I felt like FINALLY found someone who got my style. BUT you take it to the next level.
Thank you for doing all this! I know you get paid, but it also has to be a passion. Just know it’s appreciated!
Oh my gosh!! Amazing… it looks new!! its incredible!! what an amazing transformation!!
oh my.. that’s just amazing. you chose the right stuff to outsource! nice to know you’re willing to let some things out of your control!
That is an awesome color for a stove top!
It looks SOOOOOO good!!
Who did you go to for the cushion reupholstery? I need to have that done as well.
OMG!!! Love the stove top ~ so cute!!
I am obsessed with the nugget! haha I’ve loved following along and I am dying over that stove top- too cute! Xo, D
Love the stove top! are you going to fix the tile around the window? or do a trim or something?
The color of that stove top is perf. I can see even more now that the tile color change was the way to go. Those cushions are gorgeous – can’t wait to see them in the space! Hope tomorrow is amazing!
Okay that stove top is so cute. Makes me want to take my whole kitchen to get powder coated. Good call sourcing out those cushions. That looked like a headache waiting to happen.
Holy crap. That stove top is the BEST. Your whole camper renovation is doing dangerous things to my summer plan of chicken coop and outdoor bread oven. Suddenly I’m dreaming of an outdoor campervan office. Argh. Anyway, fabulous – inspiring stuff.
You’re so inspiring, Mandi! I can’t wait to get started on my own projects – many of which have been languishing for years now – but you said it. Time and/or money (neither of which I have much of right now). I love coming here and seeing all that you’ve done, especially your wall tutorials!
I’m in love with your color choices on the cushions – the pink naugahyde and couch leather look fantastic together. I’m hoping for a future post that details these cushions – interested in hearing how you arrived at the color choice and hopefully seeing more pictures to get a better sense of the color itself. The pink color in your post looks so much softer and less lavender-y than the color I’m seeing on the supplier’s website.
I envy you for taking on this project! It looks so good! I dream of (mostly) DIY overhauling a camper someday but that will definitely be waiting until we are out of the military life!
I love that you are taking something old , that looked like a total loss… and breathed new life into it… amazing transformation … you found your calling.. for people who cant afford a big high end camper, can still have high end on a budget … If I had a camper you guys would be first on my list . My grandmother used to have a small buro camper wish this was out 2 years ago I wouldve been inspired by this to dress it up for her… love what you guys are doing keep up the good work.. I love the nod to the age and character of the year of camper with the wall paper and the tangerine stove top brilliant you guys rock….
Cant wait to see what else you guys have up your sleeve … you took risks on your unique and timeless choices , by far my favvvvv pinterest find yet.. im hooked lol.. we need more lol didnt think of lovin cmpers til now soo many possibilities , sometimes its hard to see something which is ugly or old into something beautiful new and original but some how you made it possible and unique and inspiring is this… me and my friends cant stop talking about it .. my friend said make one into a man cave , she said she is seriously thinking of running the idea past her husband so she can have the basment space lol
What was the cost of the cushions do you remember?
Hey Jena! They were around $800 for fabric+upholstery
Darling! Hope I don’t sound stupid, but did the orange color come from the powder coating?? Or, did you go in later with that? I am painting a stove and love the white burners.
Also, the galvanized pipe faucet?? Was that something put together or was it actually a faucet that happens to be cool? Faucets can be so EXPENSIVE, pipe can be pretty cheap — if this configuration exists, I will replace so many in my house!!
Hope to hear from someone!! So Cuuuute~
!
I’m in the middle of a camper reno myself and debating Naugahyde over canvas cushions. Do you find that they are uncomfortable to sleep on at all? I’m trying to figure out if it would be too hot and sweaty to sleep on!
Are the burners powder coated white? I also have an oven so not sure I can get them to match with out spray painting 🙁 Thank you