A Vintage Camper is Reimagined as a Cozy Guest Suite

Designer and entrepreneur David Kowalski transformed a 1974 Argosy camper into a cozy, comfortable guest suite.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

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Photo By: Rustic White Photography

Ready for Guests

Designer and entrepreneur David Kowalski transformed this vintage 1974 Argosy camper into a cozy, comfortable guest suite. Plus, it doubles as income property.

Designer Digs

David has made the most of this 80-square-foot vintage camper by creating an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. During the warmer months, guests can enjoy meals outside and snuggle up indoors after dark.

Grounded With Gravel

To delineate the backyard from the guest area, David covers the surrounding ground with large-scale pea gravel.

Little Touches of Life

Rather than fully landscaping the space around the camper, it has been outfitted with potted leafy plants. Some of the greenery is simply for decorative purposes, and others can be grown as edible herbs and greens.

Easy Entertaining

David adds a single strand of festival lights between two wooden posts and furnishes the spot with a collapsible table and chairs made of teak, a material which holds up well in both warm and cold weather.

Stylish Scents

Guests staying in the camper are surrounded by a beautiful, soothing scent thanks to a bed planted with rosemary. While the rosemary smells great, it can also be used as a garnish for cocktails or freshly prepared meals.

Go With Globes

Give any outdoor space more of an industrial look by choosing festival or party lights with globe bulbs. These are less seasonal or formal than flame-style bulbs.

Inspirational Signage

An inspirational message greets guests the moment they open the door. This is also a great idea for reminding yourself or others not to forget things before they leave.

Cozy + Comfy

The interior of the camper is kept casual thanks to David's classic palette of glossy white, faded denim and neutral sand tones.

Natural Light

By placing the lounge area along a wall of windows, guests can spend mornings watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee. And at the end of the day, this spot is excellent for enjoying wine or cocktails.

Practical Privacy

David provides privacy by suspending wire and clip rings above the interior windows. He then adds simple strips of burlap as makeshift cafe curtains.

Prep Space

Although there's not enough square footage to account for dining space inside of the camper, David maximizes a single wall as an efficient yet tiny kitchen. The butcher block countertop is easy to clean, and the open space below houses a mini fridge and plenty of storage.

Tucked Away

The back of the camper's interior includes a full-size mattress. A sliding plywood door conceals the nine-square-foot bathroom.

Sneaky Storage

Below the bed, there's lots of hidden storage to keep things, like luggage and bins of clothes, easily accessible yet hidden from view.

Durable Design

The flooring of the camper is covered in a resilient vinyl plank that's easy to keep clean. And thanks to its neutral shades of grey and off-white, dirt and dust are camouflaged during active days in and out of the space.

Scale + Proportion

Known for his amazing eye for all things vintage, David scored the perfect midcentury armchair to turn an empty corner into a quaint reading space. The size of this retro chair fits perfectly with the tight constraints of the camper.

Fresh Scents

From fresh herbs grown in the garden to organic candles David makes himself, the camper's scents create an extra comfortable vibe for guests.