Before & After: A Rotting Vintage Camper Gets a Stylish New Look for $4,000
If you need proof that tiny spaces can pack a big style punch, look no further than this trailer redo from Becky Morgan and her wife Sarah Wackett (@builtbywackett). The couple found this 1958 Glendale trailer on a farm, where it had been sitting out in the elements for years. “There was mold, the inside was rotting, and it was dark and cold,” Becky says. “The sweetest guy sold it to us because he just wanted it off his property but it was in pretty bad shape.”
Becky and Sarah — a pro renovator — knew they wanted to flip the trailer, but they also knew that it would need a lot of work.
They got started in the beginning of 2020, but were interrupted by heartbreak when first, Becky’s mom and then Sarah’s brother both unexpectedly passed away within a month of each other. “After a pandemic and two deaths we felt pretty defeated,” Becky says.
But in 2021, the couple decided to pick their project back up. Sarah started by taking the trailer down to the studs, then spray foam insulated the entire trailer before building everything back up.
Rather than the worn, dated wood interior, Sarah and Becky installed a new bright white interior with wood accents. The color scheme makes the tiny trailer feel bigger and brighter, without sacrificing the warmth of the old natural wood.
In the breakfast nook, they added a small table with two seats that they upholstered with leather cushions. “Next time I’d definitely have the cushions professionally upholstered — those were a pain in the butt,” Becky says of the project.
Over in the kitchenette area, Sarah and Becky installed caned wood cabinets and a slatted wood backsplash — two trendy materials that help this 1958 trailer feel very of-the-moment. “We love the rattan cupboards and the way that the wood slat backsplash looks against the epoxy counters,” Becky says. Both complement the only original aspect of the trailer that remains: the enamel under-mount sink.
All in, it took $4,000 to redo this trailer, which Becky and Sarah ended up selling once they were finished. But even though they don’t own the trailer anymore, they’re thrilled with the outcome of all their work.
“I’m most proud of us from turning something dark into a bright spot,” Becky says of the project. “We took a pretty horrible year and worked hard to make something beautiful from the grief.”
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This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: A Rotting Vintage Camper Gets a Stylish Second Life for $4,000