Pimping My Ride - In Neo-Classical Style

Before I get to the main story here, I have to announce that I (MIT MOMMY!!!) has been nominated for an actual prize. I am very excited about this. So excited, that I am going to put out a shameless plug. Please, pretty, pretty please vote for me, okay? You can vote every day. Please.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks/cleveland-oh-usa/best-cleveland-local-blog

Thanks!!

Friday, when we took delivery of our camper, I had no intention of redecorating. After all, it is a camper. What can you expect? I was given about 10 minutes and two color choices – blue or tan.
I picked blue. I guess that is blue?

I have a weakness for fabric. I love texture and color and feeling how a nice fabric falls. I own fabric that I have purchased in many countries because, even when I did not have time to sew, but plenty of time to travel, I always bought fabric on trips.

I still did not plan on redecorating the camper.

I considered all of the hotel rooms at which I have lodged. Never once did an upholstery pattern negatively impact a vacation. Never. I am NOT going to worry about the fabric in the camper.

Sunday morning, my children begged us to eat breakfast in the camper.

“Pleeeeeeasse, Mom!”

“We’ll spend plenty of time in there this summer. We don’t need to do that today,” I replied in a usual motherly way. All I could think about was dragging everything out there. Yes, we eat on the deck frequently, but we had SO much to do on Sunday.

“Come on, Mommy. We should see if we all FIT.”

I laughed. Friday when we took our first tour of the camper, the children all climbed in the bed to check if they would ‘fit.’ Indeed, we need to ‘try it on.’

They are so excited. “Okay,” I said, “let’s practice.”

Consider for a moment the upholstered sofa in your living room. How many times have three small children sat on it eating bacon? Syrup? Never? Good plan.

A quick inspection found that the upholstery is not truly removable. Those clever zippers are part of the production process. They don’t come off. I am not sure what an upholstered bench would look and smell like after three weeks of eating on it (or worse), but I have no plans to find out.

Immediately after breakfast, I set out for some fabric – something practical, "campy," in blue and sage - hopefully a classic pattern. Something with a real zipper – that could be scrubbed and Febrezed and hung outside in the sun, or even thrown away if necessary.

I found exactly what I sought in a blue, cream and tan plaid. The tan pulls out the sage perfectly. I loved it. It was on sale. I needed six yards. They had a yard and a half.

After a little searching, I realized that I liked the plaid enough that nothing else would do, so my little brain started redesigning my seats. I bought some navy blue that compliments it and came up with new design.

I realized very quickly that my new design seemed very car-like. I felt like it was the right design for a long-distance car trip. It took me a little longer, though why this design felt so very comfortable.

And then I remembered.

The early 80’s AMC Hornet my family owned.

Plaid seats. Brown trim. Fast food grease.

There it was, my neo-classic design.

If that poor old Hornet hadn’t died a “death-by-teenagers,” today it would be considered a classic car.

It may be hard to tell in this picture, but the blue fabric comes up over the top of the cushion trimming it on the bottom. That is the detail I recall from the Hornet. The link above shows a 1973 Hornet, that had a smaller scale plaid and less leather around it than the 80's version.