This 1959 Spartan Imperial Mansion, on top of it being a Spartan, is immaculate. It’s one of those homes that you will adore because it’s simple, it’s vintage and it’s as close to perfect as it can get. The owner did a perfect job of keeping its originality but still updating it for modern living convenience. Enjoy!
The Interview
My Inspiration: My Grandparents lived in a 50’s mobile home for many years. Some of my fondest memories as a child were of vacations spent with my grandparents. Their home was parked in a small trailer park in northern California. Nana, Papa, and us kids would play in the creek running along the park, pick berries and just have way too much fun….. Their trailer epitomized ‘home’ for me.
Biggest Challenge so far: My biggest challenge was finding a location to park my home. Most cities and towns in Montana limit home placement to models that were manufactured after 1995. Since my jewel was born in 1959….. I was a bit stuck. Mom and Dad came through and allowed me to place my home on their property. I guess my second biggest challenge was re-plumbing….. They must have used little people to get their arms in all those tiny spaces between the layers of the floors.
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| Bedroom and Bathroom |
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| Bathroom Light. |
What friends say: My friends are either very complimentary and want me to sell the home to them as a vacation home. The others are amazed that I can live in less than 400 square feet. They all like the home, though.
Biggest Embarrassment: I don’t have any yet… I’m sure I will be caught with the window blinds up one day. My home has 14 windows, and most are pretty good size. Since my home is like an aquarium, I will probably get caught – well – with less clothing than I desire one day.
Proudest DIY moment: My home has all the original cabinetry and closets. The doors and drawers were all in wonderful shape, but each piece of wood making up the frames had faded a different shade. I took one of the cabinet doors to the local hardware store to get paint color matched. I was a bit leery at first since I live in a very small ‘frontier’ area. But, Margaret at the local Do-it-best store was a miracle worker. She matched the color perfectly! I was able to paint the entire framework as well as the interior of all the cabinets and closets with a perfectly matching color. It made the kitchen, bathroom and closets look new! That was my first project, which of course led to more fun improvements.
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| Kitchen Before |
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| Kitchen After |
Biggest Indulgence: My biggest indulgence so far has been my kitchen. Originally my home had a Formica type of product on the countertops as well as the backsplash walls. It was a deep oxblood color that had faded, and in some areas, the finish was just gone. I removed all of this, finding that I needed new countertops completely. So, I re-built these, using all new materials. Then, with the help of my parents, took on my first tile job. We cut and installed 4” square porcelain tile. It turned out great! The backsplashes were finished with commercial grade wallpaper providing a nice clean look, as well as being easy to keep clean.
Also, instead of re-installing the HUGE white stove, I installed a drop-in two burner cooktop with a convection microwave below. I took out the oversized double sink, replacing it with a smaller stainless steel single sink; the same size as the cooktop. On the opposite side of the kitchen, I removed the again HUGE refrigerator that stuck out into the room and installed a built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator. Now no appliances stick into the room – giving it a much more spacious look and feel.
Sources of materials/supplies for remodel: With the exception of the paint, nails, and screws which I got at the local hardware store, the bulk of my materials came from the Home Resource. The Home Resource is a Missoula based – nonprofit – home and materials recycling center. I was able to obtain my cooktop, tile, commercial wallpaper, sink (pink bathroom one also), light fixtures and much more. All the items from the Home Resource were new old stock items that had been donated to clear out old warehouses. I feel good about all my purchases. I was able to keep the ‘flavor’ of my home while being environmentally conscious about my purchases.
Spartan’s are really the epitome of vintage manufactured homes. They were top of the line when they were made and that is evident by their ability to stand the test of time. Anyone that can call a Spartan home is one very lucky person in my book!
This is one of the most immaculately kept homes I have ever seen. The paneling is original as is the ceiling (as far as I can tell). Fortunately, the previous owners definitely took great care of this home and now Russell is doing a marvelous job of continuing that care.
That should cool you down a little! Thank you so much, Russell, for sharing your wonderful home and your advice with us. You certainly have a dream home!
I love your trailer.
So awesome! I want one!
other brilliant things these homes had: ours had a pocket framed in along the front end that you could slide screeens and storm window down into… also, they all had the option of a couch included that was jack knife. When you lifted up the bottom, you could make a double bed. There was also an open are that was good for linens, blankets, and of course, our board games. Bed areas had drawers under them. If camper companies wanted some ideas, all they need to do is look at these homes.
just had a thought… if that plumbing chase base was somewhat slanted, you might be able to ensure any water from a leak would go out just inside of the wall, thus saving the beautiful blond wood. Just so much easier to address plumbing issues, i always thought it practical. I am in OK, and have one part of my water line that freezes when it is windy and bitter cold. it is between the wall and the bathtub, with no way to see in, let alone run water lines. Cant get heat tape in there…. any suggestions would be welcome…. its just not the best design possible.
Talk about a blast from the past…. my grandmother lived in one of these for a while. My brother and his new wife lived in one of these for a while. In the colder areas, some of the manufacturers run the plumbing on the inside through a chase, a long square tube along the wall. it carries water lines. That lessens the chance of freeze up, and does make it easier to work on plumbing. the drawback of course being that any leaks are ON YOU FLOOR. The heater worked well, but takes so much floor space I would opt for something more compact using a b-vent in lieu of a chimney. One thing they did back then, was use every peanut sized space for storage, except for the built in!! I love that use of dead space. And yes, they were built by craftsmen. Love the job you did and the love of the original woodwork.
Aided me a lot, just what I was looking for : D.
Awesome place!
Good morning Earl,
My home has its original Gas/Propane central heating furnace. The heat is ducted through the floors. It stays nice and cozy, even in the Montana winters. I have the home parked on private land. It is connected to a septic system and private well.
Thank you for asking. I have enjoyed living in my ‘cabin in Montana’.
There’s a great product available through Amazon called Room-Shocker. I believe it’s ozone based but not sure. I used it to get rid of skunk smell after two of them died under my home. It works fantastic. It’s a bit pricey but worth every penny. It’s supposed to work on all types of odors. I think you have to clear out people and pets for a short time during use.
Beautiful Home. I’d love to see that in person. It screams COZY. Just a couple questions. How is the home heated,? also, is home on septic tank system or public sewer? Great job. Good taste. I have a double wide home in Salt Lake City. While it’s very attractive and functional, it doesn’t have the charm of this great Spartan.
That would be great, Crystal! Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know about it! I look forward to watching your progress! Maybe we can get together and get it featured when you’re finished!
Thanks so much!
My husband and I are renovating our 1956 Spartan Imperial Mansion for our family of 3 to live in! I love seeing others out there already living in Spartans – such great encouragement! We are documenting our progress at: http://www.asimplelovelikethat.wordpress.com
Love your home! It reminds me so much of our first home. Our trailer was 8’by 32′. My parents also let us put it on their property. Husband finished last year of college (U of M) used the sale of our trailer for our deposit on first house. Lots of good memories. We will be celebrating our 53 anniversary this summer and your article brought back so many happy memories.
The way they included and enclosed the little laundry combo is incredible! Love that. And, I appreciate how they converted the kitchen to all-electric. Most folks rarely use more than two burners at a time anyway! Really nice job! I’d live in it! 🙂
Wow! Is about all I can say. That is just awesome.
Hi Michael! Smoke is a hard thing to get out of a home. It coats everything! I’ve read that there is some new product now that can help remove the tar (or whatever it is that sticks to everything) but I can’t remember the name of it. I’ve also heard that vinegar will soak the smell up. I wouldn’t let a little smoke get in the way of owning a great vintage mobile home though..lol
Thanks for commenting! Hope to hear from you again 🙂
Hi Shiela! It is a great home and I just wish I had more photos..lol..Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Hope to see around again!
Hi Sue! Thanks for commenting! This is my dream home, too. He did luck out with the setting and the home. Some people just have all the luck…lol
I asked the owner the same thing! It is silly that these homes aren’t accepted in parks often. Spartans, and most other mobile homes from that era, are well made and have timeless designs. Thanks for commenting! Hope to hear from you again.
Beautiful trailer.
I just hope they were not smokers.
Most of the older ones I have seen, and been in, had that stale ash tray scent to them that just will not come out no matter how hard you clean.
Thanks for sharing so many photos! I can not believe how well the owners took care of this. What a find! The updates in the kitchen are perfect too! Wow… so many windows!!
Living my dream. Great trailer to start with, I can only dream of owning a “lovely” like that! Great job and what a lovely place to be able to park it!
Thank you so much….love this……
WOW! What a well care for old beauty. When can I move in? Too bad most parks won’t allow such homes as this into their parks. There is a lot to be said for the older 8 ft. wide mobile homes of yesteryear of the 40’s, 50’s , and 60’s…
What a great article! Ya gotta love the eclectic blend of design – the inside as comfortable as can be, and the outside (to me anyway) resembling a cross between an old 40’s diner car with a dash of art nouveux. Of course, these old mobiles have a special place in my heart since my grandparents also lived one for quite some time. (Though nowhere near as nice as Russell’s.) He’s done a fantastic job on everything. Just shows what you can do with a lot of positive energy and some love!
My hat’s off to you, Russell!
My Parents had a 1958 Glendale with an oil burner, so warm and comfortable.
Beautiful home! I envy him!
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