Mobile homes are generally affordable alternatives to regular houses. They usually possess several features and sometimes these features can pose a challenge to decorations. Although not all mobile home are created equally-in fact most mobile home has different features-they traditionally have small rooms but that doesn’t stop you from decorating it to fit your taste, style and preferences. No matter what size or shape your mobile home is currently in, it’s always possible to put your own stamp on the overall style of the space.
Things You Must Know Before You Start Decorating
1. Ceilings Aren’t As High As That of Regular Homes
While the ceilings are high enough to for adequate standings and a generally living, the relatively low height a mobile home makes the room seem even smaller and can prevent you from using larger, taller pieces of furniture. The height of a mobile home’s ceiling varies from about 6-feet 6-inches in foyers and hallways to approximately 7-feet in the living areas and bathrooms.
In this case, you’ll have to go with longer, lower pieces of furniture, rather than taller pieces. This will draw the eye around the perimeter of the room, rather than drawing it up toward the ceiling. Also, use cool-tones on the walls and ceilings; cool colors recede from the eye can make the rooms and ceiling look larger than they really are and you can install a low chair rail or wainscoting panels around the perimeter of the room. Lowering the chair rail and wainscot height slightly will make the walls appear taller above.
2. Dimensions of the Rooms
The hallways in mobile homes are usually narrow and although not every mobile home is built with the same dimensions, many rooms that are longer than they are wide. This factors can make the home cramped, thus leaving precious space inadequate. In this space from Enuotek Lighting, lamps like the LED desk lamp or LED table reading light with energy saving is a perfect suit for use in mobile homes.
3. Kitchens and Bathroom Layouts
Kitchen and bathroom layouts in many mobile homes have nearly the same layout. The reason for this is that there is limited space so a design that is deemed the best use of space has to be utilized. There are a few tricks that can help you create more space and stamp your taste on the mobile home.
Decorating Your Home
4. Paintings
Some mobile homes often come with paneled interior walls that are somewhat dark. Paint the strips of molding between each panel of wallboard. White works well in most homes, giving a crisp, spacious appearance. Use warm reds or greens in the living room, or simply apply a coat of primer and some semi-gloss finish to the panel to give it a rich look. You can always remove the paneling, but doing so is time-consuming and might ruin the walls.
Remember to paint the ceiling as well, which may have become dingy or water-stained. Simple white paint on the ceiling will brighten the appearance of the room and make it look fresh and clean.
#5. Floor
Remove the dull brown carpeting that came with your mobile home and Install tile, laminate or hardwood flooring at a diagonal in all the narrow areas of the home.
Diagonal lines draw the eye out to the corners of the room, which will visually widen and enlarge the space. You can use rugs to create a cozy setting. You can highlight your stove area with a neutral rug. Throw rugs enhance the appeal of tiny spaces, so keep a few around. Just take care not to create clutter.
#6. Furnishings and Upholstery
Here, you’ll need to arrange the furniture into clusters to better make use of the space and match the size of your furniture to the size of the wall it’s on. For instance, put a long table or couch on the longer walls – even if it will fit the shorter one. Put an arch chair or end table on the shorter wall to help make the wall appear larger. Opt for longer, lower pieces of furniture, rather than taller pieces – this will draw the eye around the perimeter of the room, rather than drawing it up toward the ceiling.
It is advisable not to clutter your rooms; one large piece of furniture is better than a few pieces placed in a room. When choosing upholstery, opt for plain colors over prints to make the area look spacious. Do not use drapes or heavy curtains on your windows; lighter materials are better. You can either purchase blinds to match the color them or tint your windows to prevent excess light from coming in.
#7. Kitchens
You can decide to change your mobile kitchen cabinets to provide your kitchen with a new look. Use cabinets that are lightweight and suit your theme, such as honey-colored or light oak. If you decide to keep you current cabinets, apply several of simple white paint to give them a fresh look. Remove your cabinet doors and replace them with frosted or plain glass for a stylish look. Removing excess cabinets will create valuable space. You may consider removing the cabinet doors from the upper kitchen cabinets and install a subway tile backsplash around the perimeter of the kitchen, extending the tiles just past the cabinets to help delineate the size and shape of the kitchen. Subway tiles are excellent in small spaces because you can fit six full courses between the counter.
#8. Bathroom
You can remove the vanity from your bathroom and install a wall-hung sink instead. To store your toiletries, hang a cabinet over the toilet, or put a roll-away cart beneath the sink. The existing medicine cabinet or mirror with the attached lights can also be removed and replaced with a wood-framed cabinet or mirror in a color to match the woodwork of the home for a custom, built-in look. Install sconces on either side for task lighting that enhances the décor. Paint your bathroom a bright color to make it look bigger. Paint the cabinets white. You can even use faux marble contact paper to give it a stylish look. Invest in deep-colored towels and a small rug.
#9. Indoor Appearance
Extending the color of your walls about one to two feet into the ceiling to create the optical illusion that the ceiling is longer than it is. Using cool-tones on the walls and ceilings; cool colors recede from the eye, which can make the rooms and ceiling look larger than they really are. You can also install a low chair rail or wainscoting panels around the perimeter of the room. Lowering the chair rail and wainscot height slightly will make the walls appear taller above.
Consider mounting a mirror horizontally on any unoccupied wall to create the illusion of a bigger room. Decorate walls with old pictures or mounted prints to create a warm, inviting look. Add plants for some color and life in your small space.
