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How to Decorate an Older Single-Wide Mobile Home

Diane Steinbach

When you decorate an older single-wide mobile home, you face a few challenges. Besides an update, you will also want to enhance the natural lighting inside the mobile and expand the visual size of the home both inside and out.

A single-wide mobile home is an affordable housing option for many.

Start with a clean slate by ridding the space of dirt and dust, then approach decorating with efforts to lighten and brighten the space throughout. If you are on a tight budget, you can re-purpose items in your home or purchase inexpensive items from garage sales or resale shops to get your project started.

Tip

Choose a color theme for the whole mobile home. A cohesive color theme that you carry from room to room will make the spaces flow naturally and make the single-wide feel more spacious. Control the clutter. Place some of your favorite collectibles on shelves to display but limit all paper clutter and keep everything organized to make your single-wide appear adequate for your needs.

Warning

Check town ordinances before purchasing new underpinning. Some towns forbid some types of underpinning such as brick or stone.

Exterior

    A clean exterior lets visitors know you care about your home.
  1. Brighten up siding on your mobile home by using a power washer and soapy detergent to clean off dirt and debris from the exterior of your single-wide. Work your way all the way around the home.

  2. Underpinning or
  3. Update your underpinning. Repair, paint or replace your existing mobile home skirting and make your single-wide look more substantial and modern.

  4. Plant colorful flowers of various heights to build your outdoor landscaping.
  5. Plant a curved garden in the front of the mobile to make your single-wide look larger. Add a few bushes and flowering plants to both the front and sides of the mobile to visually expand the size.

Interior

    A fresh coat of paint can refresh the look of paneling .
  1. Brighten up your walls with paint to make your single-wide mobile look larger. Use bright whites in the kitchen and paint wood-colored paneling a white or whitewash to visually expand the area.

  2. A large mirror can add depth and style to any room.
  3. Invest in one large mirror to place in a living room space or bedroom to add a focal point, reflect light and make the room feel larger.

  4. Updating to two-pane windows may be necessary in an older mobile home.
  5. Replace louvered windows with more modern two-pane windows to increase the natural light and modernize an older single-wide.

  6. Use pleated shades in a light oatmeal color over windows to brighten the interior and give the room a clean appearance.

  7. Stylish and colorful pillows can brighten your living room.
  8. Add color to your single-wide by using a neutral-colored slipcover over older furniture and add some colorful occasional pillows on the seating areas for an updated look.

  9. Area rugs are a good alternative to installing new wall-to-wall carpeting.
  10. Define seating areas and add comfort by placing thick area rugs on the floors to create a cozy feel to the space.

  11. Indirect lighting can soften the look of an older-styled living space.
  12. Add indirect lighting wherever you can. Install under-cabinet lights in the kitchen and place table lights throughout the living areas to soften the look of the home at night and create a warm glow throughout.

The Drip Cap

  • When you decorate an older single-wide mobile home, you face a few challenges.
  • Brighten up siding on your mobile home by using a power washer and soapy detergent to clean off dirt and debris from the exterior of your single-wide.
  • Add indirect lighting wherever you can.
  • Install under-cabinet lights in the kitchen and place table lights throughout the living areas to soften the look of the home at night and create a warm glow throughout.