Vanlife is often pictures of vans with fairy lighting, boho blankets, and wood-lined cabinets all with a beautiful background of mountains or a stunning beach landscape. Pictures that give you a wondrous feeling all inside of 60 square feet. How do they manage to pack so much into such a small space? In reality, living in a campervan means there isn’t a ton of room for fun vanlife decorations or ways to make your van feel more like a home rather than a delivery van.
Personally I have always had trouble with decorating and it has taken years to learn how small touches can all add up to making a space feel homey and reflect your personality. There are great items out there that can add up to a beautiful space even inside of 60 square feet. To help make your campervan much homier here are my favorite vanlife decorations.
1. Throw Blanket
No matter your layout, whether you have a fixed bed or a convertible couch, a stunning throw blanket is a must. It’s a great addition to toss in some extra color when your taking photos and frankly who doesn’t need a blanket? When picking out a blanket make sure it will work with your bedding when you are in bed mode and match your cushions when you are sitting or relaxing.
2. Decorative Pillow
Space is limited in a van, we know this, however, there is always room for a throw pillow or two. Frankly throw pillows add an extra comfort level to the van and are great for that extra pop of color in photos. Try adding in pillows that are different shapes and colors so you have more dimension and character in your space.
3. Unique Backsplash
One of my favorite things about our van is our kitchen backsplash. It is bright and the first thing you notice about the inside. If your kitchen is across from the sliding door it will be one of the first things people notice as they approach your van. It’s also important that you really love it and it matches your theme. Although standard tile is great, we decided to use sticky tile from Hobby Lobby so we could change it out later down the road.
Looking for a full list of everything you will need in your van? Checkout my Vanlife Packing List!
4. Hanging Plant
One of the top issues with trying to decorate your van is that you really can’t have anything on your counter as the moment you decide to drive you have to put it somewhere it won’t fall. Hanging plants, air plants, and succulents are great ways to enjoy plants inside your van that you won’t have to stress about falling off your counter.
5. Fruit Hammock
Are you even a vanlifer if you don’t have a fruit hammock? Kidding but a fruit hammock seems to be a staple in the vanlife community. They are a great way to break up your kitchen and an item that is useful as well. Fruit hammocks give you a way to store your fruit and veggies that don’t need to be refrigerated without taking up valuable counter space.
6. Fairy Lights
My favorite addition to the van was when we added fairy lights to the cabinets and ceiling of our van. They are absolutely magical when you turn them on at night and make your view seem even more romantic. I recommend simply getting ones that take AA batteries and buying rechargeable batteries so you don’t have to contribute to waste and you save money.
7. Polaroid Pictures
Polaroid pictures are timeless and this fact doesn’t change inside of a van. In fact, I would argue it is even more so inside of a campervan. If you have space then purchase a polaroid camera and take pictures of your travels, new friends that you meet, old friends that you visit, beautiful places you visit and hang these up in your van somewhere. It makes your van become a place not only to be in the moment but also reminds you to be grateful for all the memories that you’ve made along the way.
8. Local Made Art
Try adding a beautiful piece of artwork that you purchase along the way to add personality to your van. You can also consider purchasing from vanlifers in the community that sell their artwork. The majority of the van community always tries to support each other this also allows you to decorate your van and support other vanlifers at the same time!
Drawn.there hand draws artwork either in person or you can send him a photo that you want him to draw.
- Hand Lettered From Anywhere – I am absolutely in love with Lindsey’s artwork and highly recommend looking at all she has to offer. My favorite piece that she sells is a leaf hand-pressed into a frame with
- Jitterbug – LaTasha is another artist in the vanlife community that creates unique and beautiful artwork you can hang in your campervan. She takes her surroundings and brings them to life on paper. DM her on her Instagram for more information!
- Drawn to High places – If you love watercolors then you must check out Nikki’s artwork. She paints mountaintops with watercolors and honestly, they are magical. Not to mention most of them are from $17 and up, which is so unbelievably affordable.
- Ira Wolf – One of my favorite musicians, Ira Wolf also makes beautiful weaves. These weaves can easily hang anywhere in your van and you know you are supporting a local artist.
- JR – If you love old barn wood houses then these pictures and frames might be perfect for your campervan. He personally gets the wood from an old house and takes photos he has taken on his Instagram and creates a piece of art perfect for a campervan. To purchase head to his Instagram and pick out your favorite photo then DM him for more information.
9. Spice Rack
An easy and cheap update that you can add to your van is a spice rack. The spice rack that we purchased is actually from IKEA and was less than $10. It is a wooden rack and is easily screwed on to the wall. You could also paint it yourself or even stain it to add some flare. It is one of the easiest and cheapest vanlife decorations available.
10. Mason Jars
Mason jars are a multi-use item that allows you to buy in bulk and decorate your van at the same time. Many vanlifers keep their jars visible so that it has a farmhouse vibe to the area. There are a few ways to showcase the jars, in an open cabinet above your kitchen or some even build the jars into the bottom of the upper cabinets so they are hanging from above.
Vanlife decorations can truly range from the shiplap walls you choose to the pictures you hang. Do you have any other vanlife decorations that I missed?
