2010 19’ Decor Updates and Painting

[BajaZephyr]

For anyone who’s considering painting their interior or other updates, thought we would share our experience....

We love our 2010 19’ Escape and spend a significant part of the year in it, primarily winters in Baja. But we never felt really “at home” with its decor. The trailer was bought used and the original owners had went with the standard finishes, which are functional and coordinate nicely. However, no disrespect to Escape, it’s just not my personal taste.

The main thing was the oak cabinetry. Never been a fan of golden-coloured wood and I feel it makes the space feel more closed-in than it needs to. So we painted all the uppers and the bathroom-to-refrigerator side a cream to match the vinyl ceiling and walls.

It was a lot of work! We sanded all the wood, then did two coats of cabinet primer, followed by three coats of high-quality kitchen cabinet semi-gloss paint. I LOVE how much it brightens the space! We’ve now been living with it for almost three months and it seems to be holding up well. It takes being scrubbed to wash off any dirt and the only part that’s peeled is a small section of the floor moulding. We might tackle the lower cabinets next summer, or leave them as contrast.

Then we wanted to add some bright pops of colour. We found the lime/blue/brown plaid at Fabricland and decided to just create slip-covers for the upholstered seating rather than having them professionally recovered. We also like to sit higher to see out of the windows so we cut and added 4” styrofoam to the base of the seats. Happy with the results, but it’s clear the drapery fabric I chose is not heavy duty enough for seating...it’s already pilling quite heavily and will likely only last this season. But now we know what we like and can invest in better quality fabric and professional sewing next year.

With the table we considered getting a new piece of laminate, but I didn’t really want to choose another pattern to compete with the fabric and kitchen countertop...I just wanted a solid pop colour. So instead thought we’d just try painting over the current laminate, and so far it’s working great! I know bright lime is not to everyone’s taste but it works for us. We peeled off the trim, sanded the laminate, painted two coats of cabinet primer, sprayed on several coats of lime Rustoleum, and finished with several coats of clear varnish and re-installed the trim (after sanding off most of its faux wood look).

Our older model fridge had the oak panelling on it, and we decided to cover it with faux chrome diamond plate to add some shine. It’s a product called Fascade - they also make faux pressed tin ceiling panels - and we had some leftover from a home reno project. It’s thin plastic and just needs to be installed with industrial adhesive. Added it to the cabinets above and below to balance the look.

The other thing that we needed to tackle was organization. Extra hooks, plastic file holders, a few boxes adhered to the table with museum putty, a spice rack, and everything that we reach for on a daily basis is close at hand. A whiteboard on the bathroom door makes it easy to create shopping lists or reminders. And some wall art and pillows in matching colours completes the look!

[KarenH]

WOW...nice job!

[MyronL]

I share your thoughts and opinion about the oak look and have given much thought to doing something about it. Finally decided it was too big a job for me to tackle and I dropped the idea. Decided it was too much masking, too much risk it would peel or wear off when cleaned, too much of a chance I would create errors that would drive me nuts, or that I would later hate the new look but would be stuck with it, etc. Now I see what you have done and I'm blown away.

[Greg A]

Very nice work! I used the cabinet paint process on kitchen cabinets in a condo I redid 2years ago and they have held up very well. I think you’ll be pleased with the durability.

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by MyronL

I share your thoughts and opinion about the oak look and have given much thought to doing something about it. Finally decided it was too big a job for me to tackle and I dropped the idea. Decided it was too much masking, too much risk it would peel or wear off when cleaned, too much of a chance I would create errors that would drive me nuts, or that I would later hate the new look but would be stuck with it, etc. Now I see what you have done and I'm blown away.

Thanks MyronL! Yes, it was a big job but very much worth it. Of course it helps that the hubby is retired and has a garage so time & space weren’t issues. We took off the doors and did them in the garage on a table assembly-line style, and then with the doors gone all the walls were smooth and easy to do.

It really wasn’t too much masking, really only around the blind tops and floor. Along the ceiling and walls, we just used a 6-inch plastic drywall knife tucked between the beading and the vinyl.

Of course there’s also the option of getting a professional painter to do it if cost isn’t a factor! :-)

[float5]

Love the lime table!

[Patandlinda]

Really opened up your trailer ! Very cool ! Pat

[rubicon327]

That looks fantastic. Nice work.

Just out of curiosity how does your bathroom door latch and operate with that type of handle?

[Old Fulica]

Wow! Very nice transformation. We also put 4 inches of foam on the benches and made a couple of small 4 inch high boxes decorated with sticky carpet tiles, to put our feet on as they wouldn't touch the floor without them. Like you, we got some fabric at Fabricland and wrapped the foam and the bench as one unit. (We didn't cover the bench back). We only used big safety pins to attach the fabric. They are not visible and after one season of use, worked very well. We may go look for a different fabric this year and do the back as well, now that we know it can be done.

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

That looks fantastic. Nice work.

Just out of curiosity how does your bathroom door latch and operate with that type of handle?

Thank you! Funny you noticed that....that was an “oops”! As I was taking the door latch apart in prep for painting, my husband warned me “Make sure you keep all the parts and remember how they all fit”. Of course that didn’t happen and I broke some parts trying to re-install it. So we just got two plaques of wood from a hobby store and handles to cover the holes from the orginal latch, and then installed a - forget the name of it...the same ones that close the cupboard doors - those two little wheels and tension mount. Here is a picture from the inside. It doesn’t lock anymore but with just the two of us, who worries about locking!?!?

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by BajaZephyr

(snip) We also like to sit higher to see out of the windows so we cut and added 4” styrofoam to the base of the seats.

(snip) I know bright lime is not to everyone’s taste but it works for us.

(snip) a few boxes adhered to the table with museum putty,

Styrofoam? Doesn't that make an awful lot of noise? Like sitting on a foam cooler? I'm assuming you mean cushion foam.

Nope, I would not pick lime green in a million (okay, bazillion) years, but it is very eye catching and looks great with your fabric. (course many wouldn't pick the purple that I did for our fabric.)

Do be careful with the Museum Putty (aka Quake Hold). I've used it for years with my animal figurines (used to sell it through a business I had many years ago). Over time it can create an oily finish on either/both surfaces. I've had it happen with both the white putty and the clear gel. I don't use it any longer.

If you're wanting to keep things in place while in transit, maybe that rubbery stuff you put under rugs would work for you. You know, the stuff with padding and openings in it? Yeah, that stuff. A friend uses that under stuff on her table in her motorhome and it keeps everything in place while she's driving. Me, I just shove stuff on either the bed or in cabinets.

Love what you did with the trailer. And how you painted the furnace cover.

Next up - change the formica?

Thanks for sharing.

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by Old Fulica

Wow! Very nice transformation. We also put 4 inches of foam on the benches and made a couple of small 4 inch high boxes decorated with sticky carpet tiles, to put our feet on as they wouldn't touch the floor without them. Like you, we got some fabric at Fabricland and wrapped the foam and the bench as one unit. (We didn't cover the bench back). We only used big safety pins to attach the fabric. They are not visible and after one season of use, worked very well. We may go look for a different fabric this year and do the back as well, now that we know it can be done.

Cool - interesting to hear how you did this too! Smart idea about the safety pins! We just used some thin rope to pull the fabric taut in the back.

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Styrofoam? Doesn't that make an awful lot of noise? Like sitting on a foam cooler? I'm assuming you mean cushion foam.

Nope, I would not pick lime green in a million (okay, bazillion) years, but it is very eye catching and looks great with your fabric. (course many wouldn't pick the purple that I did for our fabric.)

Do be careful with the Museum Putty (aka Quake Hold). I've used it for years with my animal figurines (used to sell it through a business I had many years ago). Over time it can create an oily finish on either/both surfaces. I've had it happen with both the white putty and the clear gel. I don't use it any longer.

If you're wanting to keep things in place while in transit, maybe that rubbery stuff you put under rugs would work for you. You know, the stuff with padding and openings in it? Yeah, that stuff. A friend uses that under stuff on her table in her motorhome and it keeps everything in place while she's driving. Me, I just shove stuff on either the bed or in cabinets.

Love what you did with the trailer. And how you painted the furnace cover.

Next up - change the formica?

Thanks for sharing.

Nope, really styrofoam. The kind used to insulate concrete walls, so very firm. Much cheaper than firm foam. But the original Escape cushions are on top, and the whole thing is wrapped with quilted fabric pulled taut underneath so there has been no noise or shifting at all!

Thanks for the tip about Musuem Putty...will keep monitoring it. I did read about the potential for staining in the instructions, but since neither the table finish or the boxes we are using are “precious” thought we’d give it a go. We go over some very bumpy dirt roads in Baja so I don’t think that foam underlay would stop everything from spilling all over the place! You’re right...we could just store it all properly away during transit, but I gotta say it’s so handy to just have all those little things close at hand without having to worry about packing/unpacking them...things like reading glasses, hand sanitizer, hairbrushes, nail clippers, lip balm, etc.

Purple - I love purple! And it goes great with lime green

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by BajaZephyr

Purple - I love purple! And it goes great with lime green

I've used the combination in some cards I've made, but not really in the trailer. Although I know some of the pillow (and fleece blanket) fabric has lime green in it, so I guess that counts. This isn't all of the pillows as I made more after this was taken. And I just got through making napkins with the leftover fabric from the pillow covers. (Yeah, got a cat theme going in the trailer.)

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

I've used the combination in some cards I've made, but not really in the trailer. Although I know some of the pillow (and fleece blanket) fabric has lime green in it, so I guess that counts. This isn't all of the pillows as I made more after this was taken. And I just got through making napkins with the leftover fabric from the pillow covers. (Yeah, got a cat theme going in the trailer.)

Love it! And love cats but hubby is allergic :-(

[Jon & Adrienne]

I love your white cabinetry! I like the contrast with the wood cabinetry on the bottom. It really opens your trailer up and makes it look very modern. Beautiful transformation!

[Viajante]

Great look for the cabinets. And a solid color table brightens the dining area. Congratulations on the courage to make the changes and to share the results! Question... How did you prep the stick on oak look material on the face of the cabinet?

[BajaZephyr]

Originally Posted by Viajante

Great look for the cabinets. And a solid color table brightens the dining area. Congratulations on the courage to make the changes and to share the results! Question... How did you prep the stick on oak look material on the face of the cabinet?

Hi there Viajante! Sorry I’m so late getting back to you...haven’t been on this forum forever! Not exactly sure what area you are referring to, but with all the walls/cabinetry/edges, we did the same thing - light sand, 2 coats of high quality primer, and 3 coats of cabinet paint. It’s all held up spendidly.

Only problem is now we are thinking of upgrading to a 5.0T and would have to do the whole thing over again!

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by BajaZephyr

Hi there Viajante! Sorry I’m so late getting back to you...haven’t been on this forum forever! Not exactly sure what area you are referring to, but with all the walls/cabinetry/edges, we did the same thing - light sand, 2 coats of high quality primer, and 3 coats of cabinet paint. It’s all held up spendidly.

Only problem is now we are thinking of upgrading to a 5.0T and would have to do the whole thing over again!

Well now that you have told us, you have to post pictures......

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Well now that you have told us, you have to post pictures......

Post #1 this thread??