Family of Four Living Their Best Life in 1960s Manufactured Home

Recently, one of our awesome Instagram followers sent us a cool article about a family who downsized into a 1960s manufactured home. We immediately responded with how in love with it we were. Then she added that it was her own home and we immediately knew we wanted to share it! We hope you love it as much as we did.

All images and information were originally posted in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Making the Decision to Downsize

Sarah and her beach-loving family found themselves in a unique situation back in 2017 when Sarah’s husband sold his business and the family needed to decide whether they wanted to stay in California or return to their home state of Florida. After deciding to stay, the family knew they wanted to stay close to the beach so they started the search for a new home.

It didn’t take long for the family to realize they were willing to downsize in order to live close to the beach. Thankfully, they came across a 1960s manufactured home that fit the family perfectly.

Transforming the 1960s Manufactured Home

Once the home decision was made, next came the task of making the most of their 1000 square feet mobile home. Thanks to a good friend, the family was gifted with an awesome present, a gift of interior design services with Dasha Hervey, of Sea and Pine Interior Design in Del Mar who specializes in creating just the right space to reflect the owner’s personalities.

Their first projects included replacing the mostly glass Florida room with regular walls and windows, changing out the old metal siding, and upgrading the insulation. Luckily for the family, Sarah’s husband Vinton is extremely handy and could do most of the work himself.

1960s manufactured home living room — The right furniture completes this space.

1960s manufactured home sitting area — Love these pieces.

Once the structural work was completed, Sarah and the interior designer went to work on maximizing the smaller living space while still keeping all their favorite items. A color palette was also chosen, a combination of vibrant blues, greens, pinks, and reds to complete the family’s look.

Next up, choosing the right furniture. As we have mentioned before, choosing the right furniture in small spaces can make all the difference. With the COVID restrictions that were in place, Sarah and her designer had to get creative and did most of their consultations via Zoom and email. Thank goodness for technology! By choosing multi-function pieces, they were able to create a more open space without feeling too cluttered while still keeping all the pieces that held sentimental value to the family. We have to say, we love the results!

Reusing older pieces of furniture gives your home character.

It’s important to make the most of small bedrooms.

The right accessories make all the difference.

The decision to downsize from a larger stick-built home can sometimes feel overwhelming. However, most homeowners share with us that they have never regretted the choice to live smaller. There is an unlimited potential to be found in homes like Sarah’s 1960s manufactured home, you just have to know where to look. And, it doesn’t hurt to have an interior decorator to help you out!

If you see a mobile home story you think we would enjoy please let us know in the comments below. We are always looking for new homes to feature.

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