How To Create The Cozy Feeling of Hygge In Your RV

Last updated on January 21st, 2023 at 03:10 pm

If your RV has the same blah interior it left the lot with, don’t worry–a few simple changes can give your camper the cozy feeling of Hygge. And the changes do not have to be permanent, just in case you are worried about affecting the resale value. Although if you ask me, I would rather buy a travel trailer that has a warm and cozy interior than one with a cookie-cutter interior.

How To Create The Cozy Feeling of Hygge In Your RV

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Hygge, by definition, means “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).”

And just in case you were wondering what conviviality means, it is “the quality of being friendly and lively; friendliness.”

So how do you give not just the interior of your RV a cozy, friendly feeling, but also your campsite? By adding these seven elements listed below.

7 Elements Of Decor To Add To Your RV To Give It That Hygge Feeling

1. Lighting

Add some mood lighting to the interior of your RV by stringing some fairy lights in the bedroom areas (this set is rechargeable and offers three different lighting settings).

Or consider purchasing a rechargeable set of tea lights with frosted sleeves that you could place on tables and countertops–perfect in the bathroom as well to act as a night-light.

Outside, string a set of solar-powered string lights around your awning. Place solar-powered mason jars full of fairy lights on the picnic table. You can even light the pathway from your car to your RV with solar-powered stake lights.

2. Wall Coverings

RV’s usually have very blah walls. Make the interior feel cozier by creating a few feature walls.  You can do this without making permanent changes to your camper by doing the following:

• Use peel and stick wallpaper as a headboard feature.
• Hang pictures that evoke memories of travels taken with Command picture hanging strips. We used these in our travel trailer and then took a 5 1/2 month trip in it and the pictures, for the most part, stayed securely on the walls, and the one that did fall caused no damage to the wall when it did.
• Use peel and stick wall decals instead of framed art. This “Adventure Awaits” quote would look great in the living area of a travel trailer.
• Warm-up the kitchen area with a lightweight peel and stick backsplash tile.

3. Fire

With camping obviously, there is a campfire but you can also add the cozy feeling of fire inside your camper as well. If you camp in fall or spring, you might want to consider purchasing a small electric fireplace. This one is just 14 inches, can heat up to 500 square feet, and has a real flame look.

4. Blankets And Pillows

Don’t cheap out and put the throw pillows from your old couch and the old ones from your bed in your travel trailer. Go ahead and purchase the camper couch its own throw pillows (here are some great camping themed covers for them), and while you are at it buy a few for each bed and a lightweight throw blanket for the couch and for the end of each bed too.

For outside purchase a waterproof camping blanket that can be left on a comfortable camping chair and an outdoor throw cushion too!

5. Seating

Inside the RV, make sure that the cushions in your dinette are in good shape–if not, consider replacing them. Add more seating to the end of your dinette with collapsable ottomans like this one that can be collapsed and stored away when not in use.

These ottomans can also be pulled up in front of the couch in your camper and used as a footstool or place a tray on top and use it as a coffee table.

Speaking of RV couches…if yours is in lousy shape, consider replacing it with a sofa made for a sticks and bricks home. You will need to measure your existing couch as well as the doorway into your travel trailer. You want the boxes the couch comes in before it is assembled to fit in your rigs doorway.

For a replacement, consider a futon style couch as they tend to be lightweight, come unassembled, and will provide another sleeping area. This looks like a solid yet lightweight, inexpensive futon frame, that when paired with this 8-inch futon mattress will make a cozy sitting and sleep area.

If your family is the type that sits around the picnic table, bring a bit of comfort to it with a cushioned seat pad. You could add even more comfort by splurging on a few stadium seats with back rests.

Purchase comfortable camp chairs to place around the campsite. We have a set of gravity loungers similar to these that we put a camp table in between. We also bring along travel neck pillows to make snoozing in these chairs more comfortable.

6. Sleeping

Make sleeping areas more comfortable in your RV by adding:

• A mattress topper (you can buy a regular “house” sized one and trim it to fit to save a bit of money)
• Good quality sheets
• Nighttime lighting (we place one of these one either side of our bed for nighttime trips to the bathroom)
• A good quality comforter
• Extra blankets (fold up one of these soft and cozy blankets and place it at the end of the bed should you be cold at night or want a nap during the day)
• Firm throw pillows to allow for daytime seating
• Personal touches (like a throw pillow with a saying you love or a soft rug placed beside the bed to avoid cold floors)

Allow for outdoor napping by adding the following around your campsite:

• Hammocks (this one comes with a mosquito net so you can nap without worrying about bug bites)
• Gravity loungers
• Outdoor-friendly blankets (this one has a waterproof side and a fleece side)
• Outdoor-friendly pillows

7. Make Several Of These

An essential element of hygge is cozy nooks. Nooks that fit one or two people at most. These are places where people can curl up with a good book, a sketch pad, or a journal. Places where couples cuddle up together and rest in each other’s arms.

RV’s are little homes that might not seem to lend themselves to private nooks, but it is possible. Perhaps you can curtain off a sleeping area, add a bed wedge pillow, a throw blanket for warmth, a bed tray for beverages, wall-hung storage for books, magazines, and journals,  plus an LED push light overhead to act as a reading light.

Outside in the campsite, add a set of two cozy chairs with a table in between, hang a waterproof bag off the back of each chair with a blanket and a pillow stuffed inside. Set a solar or battery-operated lantern on the table or put a headlamp or two inside a basket just inside the door of the RV so that people can grab one for reading in the low light of the morning or evening.

How To Create A Hygge Camping Experience

The feeling of hygge goes beyond decor into what you see, taste, feel, and experience.

Food

Nothing says warm and cozy more than a cup of steaming something or other in a good mug. Put a stovetop or electric kettle in the kitchen area of your camper. Stock your cupboards with tea, coffee, and cocoa and a few travel mugs with lids (this is our favorite brand, beverages stay hot for hours in them). Make these supplies easier for everyone to grab by placing them all together in a cupboard or in a basket on a shelf.

Clothing

Camping is the place for your comfy clothes. Pack the yoga pants or comfy leggings. Bring the hoody that is a bit on the large side but oh so warm. For warmer camping days, pack dry-wick fabrics and a pair of your favorite sandals (I like this brand for hiking and this brand for the beach).

Activities

Get out there in nature. Go for a hike, a bike ride, or a paddle (splurge on an inflatable paddle board).

Invite others to join you, but also make time for solitude. Find a cozy spot in the afternoon and take a nap. Bring a book and make time to read every single page of it. Pack a sketchbook and an artist pencil and hike out to spot worth of sketching. Do whatever fills your soul.

People

If you are an introvert, make it a goal to talk to at least one stranger in the campground. Perhaps even go as far as inviting them to your campsite for s’mores.

Make time to cuddle up with your spouse. Play board games with your kids. Go on a hike with your best friend.

Attitude

Attitude is everything! Be grateful and embrace a spirit of relaxation.

Don’t spend your entire weekend cleaning up and taking care of everyone else–make sure you use those nooks you created for your benefit too. Soak up the scenery, breathe in the morning air, cuddle up by the campfire and do nothing but stare at the flame of the fire.

Camping is a time to recharge and refresh; bringing Hygge into your camper decor can help you do just that.

Are you looking for an alternative to busy and expensive campgrounds and one-night Walmart stops on the way to your destination? Check out our post about our first time using Boondockers Welcome.