1984 Double Wide Manufactured Home Remodel: Fresh Functional Farmhouse

In 1984, Kevin and Steffani Lassila settled into a new 28′ x 56′ Van Dyke double wide manufactured home on his family farm in Great Falls Montana. It had been lovingly maintained and decorated for 35 years but it was time for a remodel.

Steffani makes people beautiful every day as a cosmetologist so it’s no surprise that she can do the same to homes. This double wide manufactured home remodel is a perfect representation of how beautiful factory-built homes can be. She has bridged functional with a fresh farmhouse style.

The couple’s favorite style is modern farmhouse. Chip and Joanna Gaines made the farmhouse style popular with the show Fixer Upper. They never remodeled a double wide manufactured home, though!

History of Shiplap

Shiplap is one of the most prominent features in modern farmhouse decor. It’s a throwback to a time when planks of wood with tongue and groove edging were installed as walls.

The tongue and groove edging created a tight bond between the wood and acted as a smooth wall but a seam was still visible. Wallpaper was hung in higher income homes but working farms usually just painted or whitewashed walls.

Since lime is cheap and fairly easy to get, it was used as paint whenever paint wasn’t available. The antibacterial properties of lime whitewash made it a favorite wall treatment in working farmhouse kitchens.

Recreating Shiplap

Recreating the Gaines’ modern farmhouse look can be expensive but the Lasillas were able to give their home the look of shiplap at a fraction of the cost.

The talented couple recreated the shiplap look in their living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Chip and Joanna Gaines tend to use one-of-a-kind antiques and reclaimed woods in their designs but our talented DIYers finds a way to get the same look of shiplap while saving a ton of money with affordable reproductions.

To save money they used 1/4” sanded plywood cut into 6” wide planks. With all materials and supplies the shiplap walls cost $900.00.

Kitchen and Dining Room

The kitchen got a complete makeover. New appliances, floorings, and countertops look great!

The dining room table is a perfect place for hanging chandeliers. Learn more about our favorite decorating hacks.

With all the squares and rectangles in a double wide manufactured home going with circular light fixture creates a great balance for the space.

Related: 36 Primitive Country Decor Crafts for your Home

Living Room

Steffani’s favorite room is the living room and we can see why. There’s plenty of light and cozy seating.

The creams and white furniture with a pop of natural dark looks so comfortable!

This Master Bathroom is Gorgeous!

Steffani told us that the master bathroom was her proudest DIY project. It was a complete gut and rebuild and those are always difficult.

Like many 1980 model double wide manufactured homes, the master bathroom had a garden tub and a small shower stall. The entire space was awkward.

To create a more functional and beautiful bathroom, they removed the huge garden tub and installed a new walk-in shower. To do this, they had to build a new wall and reroute the plumbing pipes and drain lines.

They turned the old shower stall into a place to hold towels and a hamper.

See another farmhouse style double wide here.

Steffani’s Interview

The Lassila’s double wide manufactured home remodel was just finished in October. Steffani shared it in a popular Facebook group called mobile home remodels in November which is how I found her. She was kind enough to let me share her beautiful home and answer a few questions for us. Luckily for us, she gave some thoughtful and encouraging advice.

I asked Steffani where she found all the beautiful decor and furnishings in her home and she said that TJMaxx, Ross, Target, and Facebook Marketplace are her favorite places to shop.

Steffani practices simple living in her home. That means she is picky about her possessions and must really love something before she buys it. Decor and knickknacks can’t enter the home if she doesn’t cherish it or need it.

• Lastly, I asked Steffani if she had any advice for anyone living in a mobile or manufactured home or thinking about moving into one. She encourages everyone to love their home no matter what. Regardless of what it is, she believes everyone should take pride in their homes and try to improve it the best they can.

Steffani says she is grateful to wake up every morning and look around and love everything she sees. She appreciates having a place to call her own. That’s exactly how I felt when we bought our 1978 single wide for $5,000. It wasn’t much but it was ours. Everyone deserves to have that feeling.

Do you have a favorite room or advice for someone thinking about buying a mobile or manufactured home? Share it in the comments below!

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