Couple Remodel Tiny Home For Under £500 With Clever SHEIN Hack
- Stefano and Sasha wanted to remodel their tiny home on a budget
- They picked up bargain supplies from IKEA, Amazon and SHEIN
- By shopping smartly they picked up couch covers for a fraction of the price
If you’re in the market for a campervan, whether you want to use it for holiday travel or live full time on the road, it can be tempting to spend more on a model which is fully kitted out with the decor you want.
However, seeing potential in a cheaper model and performing the renovation yourself can save you lots of money in the long run - and this is what one savvy couple did when they bought a campervan and decked it out on a budget.
Stefano Desideri and Sasha Rebekah, aged 34 and 31 who work as a barista and pilates instructor and share their journey on Youtube as Gypseas On The Road, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘We are not new to renovation. Before we bought our 2010 Lance Truck Camper, we spent three months building out a shuttle bus and living in it in Mexico.
‘However we then decided bus life wasn’t for us. We didn't like the big size of it when driving around. So we sold the bus before moving on to this new chapter and downsizing to a camper.
‘After learning all of the building skills in our bus build, we knew that we wanted a camper that we could renovate and truly make our own.
‘Paying for a camper that was already renovated was out of our budget and we knew that we could purchase something cheaper and make it look nice with just a couple of weeks of work and a little bit of money.
‘Sasha always wanted a gold faucet in the bus build but it wasn't in our budget. She found an affordable one on Amazon and we based the renovation around it.
‘Before, the kitchen and dining area was all grey, monochrome and pretty dark. We wanted to keep the kitchen and dining area light with bright colours because it is a small space but we also wanted to add green because we love nature and wanted to have jungle vibes.
‘We incorporated gold features by adding this colour to the cabinet handles, curtain rods and the table leg.
‘We got most of the supplies from Home Depot, IKEA and Amazon. From Amazon we got a faucet for $69, a sink for $160, subway tile backsplash for $32, gold curtain rods which were $40 for 3 and waterproof vinyl for the countertop and tabletop priced at $15.
‘From Home Depot we got the paint for $30, silicone for $10, gold spray paint for $10, heat-proof black spray paint for the stovetop for $15, heat-proof white spray paint for the stovetop which was also $15 and plumbing fixtures for sink which totalled $25.
‘At IKEA we got a spice rack for $5, and we got the curtain fabric at a fabric store. Sasha's mum sewed it for us.
‘Our couch covers, which really transformed the dining area, cost us only $20 from SHEIN. The equivalent on Amazon would have been over $100 and we think this was the best $20 spent in the renovation!
‘The total was less than $500 and we think it was well worth it for the level of transformation we created!
‘First we had to remove everything that we didn't want: the vinyl countertop sticker, the sink and faucet, window blinds and old subway tiles. Then we removed all the drawers and cabinet fronts. After cleaning them we gave them two coats of bright green paint in the shade Sage Garden. We spray painted the cabinet handles and the dining table leg gold.
‘We got a new sink which is deeper than the old one. We also got a new faucet, and the old one had two taps so we filled the hole with gorilla tape and putty. Stefano installed the new faucet and new sink in a day, which was surprisingly easy!
‘Sasha laid the new vinyl countertop in the kitchen and on the dining table and installed our fake subway tile backsplash on the wall behind the kitchen. She saw a hack on a YouTube video about applying silicone to the tiles during the installation to make them look real.
‘We spray painted the stovetop because no amount of cleaning could freshen it up as much as we wanted with about 3 coats of paint. We added the spice rack and final details like our new plant and decor. After that we were done with the kitchen, so we moved on to the dining room.
‘We fitted this area with a new table top, new curtains, new curtain rods and new seat covers.
‘Previously the camper van was fitted with blinds, but we decided to fit curtains instead. This cost us nothing as we used leftover fabric from when we installed curtains in the bus.
‘We installed our new gold curtain rods, hung our new curtains and used the same peel and stick vinyl from the kitchen counter on the dining table. Once that was done we washed and fitted the new seat covers to the dining area.
‘If we were going to do this project again we would add a primer underneath the gold paint because some of it is starting to rub away with oil from our hands when we grab the handles.
‘We also wanted a slightly different colour countertop but we were pressed for time and it was difficult to find just the right shade for us. This is always something that we can easily remove and do again though - for only $15!
‘We have managed to turn a plain campervan interior into a bright and calming space with jungle vibes and a pop of gold. We love it and so do our family and friends!’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘The renovation that Stefano and Sasha have done on their camper van kitchen and dining area is truly impressive. By using their building skills and creativity, they were able to transform their camper into a beautiful and personalized space for a fraction of the cost of buying a pre-renovated model.
‘It's great to see that they were able to save money by shopping smartly for their supplies, and even found a great deal on cushion covers from SHEIN. This project is a great example of how a little bit of DIY and ingenuity can go a long way in creating a space that feels like home, no matter where you are in the world.’
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