The three of us, two adults and pre-teen, lived in a 1978 single wide with 696 square feet of living space for 7 years. In reality, the two Boston Terriers and the cat owned the home, they just let us live there and pay all the bills. During those years, I learned how to make the most of space. The trick is to make every piece of furniture multi-purposed just like these smart multi-function furniture that’s perfect for a small mobile home below.
Seven years ago there wasn’t a lot of choices for smart multi-function furniture and what you could find was expensive. We had to make or adapt furniture to work double duty or increase storage but nowadays there are several affordable furniture lines from companies like Wayfair.com.
Making the Most of the Living Room
These three pieces of smart multi-function furniture do double duty for the living room.
Futons aren’t just for dorm rooms. However, you need to find a well-made futon with extra thick padding and a good frame and those aren’t cheap. Learn from my lesson, do not buy a $199 futon from Walmart and think anyone will want to sit on it. It was the most uncomfortable thing on earth and we kept that stupid thing for 3 long years.
The futon below looks to be a well-padded and nice addition to any living room for both sitting and unexpected guests. Notice the drawers underneath? Perfect for storage. It comes in a variety of colors and finishes to complement the living room no matter the decor and costs around $569.00.
Storage Ottoman Set
Ottomans are very smart multi-function furniture that’s perfect for a small mobile home. You can use large ottomans as storage, coffee tables, or seating. These ottomans even store themselves – they can be stored within each other. This three piece set is priced at $93.
Multi-Function Coffee Table
I need this coffee table! It’s both stylish and lifts up to create a work (or eating) surface. There is also the bonus of hidden storage. To us, this is the perfect coffee table, as we seem to find ourselves on our laptop in front of the tv searching the internet for more great Mobile Home Living ideas while eating Fruity Pebbles (not that we do that or anything).
Great Ideas for the Bedroom
The most significant obstacle we face in the bedroom is storage and having enough room for multiple beds in our kid’s rooms. But we found two great options to give us added storage and bed space that we think you will love.
Full-Size Beds That Are Multi-Function
Did I ever tell y’all about buying my daughter the white metal-framed bunk bed? It was one with the bed on top and the desk under it and It was a catastrophic failure! In our 1978 single wide, we had 7-foot ceilings (as most older mobile homes have) so my daughter only had about a foot between mattress and ceiling so we cut the legs down. That worked for a couple of years but only a couple because the screws would come out and the paint would chip off.
I learned a valuable lesson about furniture the year I bought a house full of new furniture from Walmart for about $1200. Don’t do it. Furniture is definitely a get what you pay for item. Go to Goodwill and buy furniture made with real wood or save up and buy the good stuff.
These pine bunk beds offer two full-size beds that support up to 400 pounds, a desk and storage drawers. With the L-Shaped design, you are making the most of the limited space of the little bedrooms in smaller mobile homes. These beds average a little less than $1500 (mattresses not included) but could be a good investment for a family with children.
Cube Shelving
Shelving with removable cube baskets is a life saver. They are perfect for just about any spot in the home. Customizable with colorful cubes to match any decor and any combination – you can make benches with them laid on their sides. These particular bookshelves are around $65 each but you can find them at stores such as Walmart and even Dollar General in different sizes and colors for much less.
Related: Mobile Home Decor and Smart Shelving Space
Smart Multi-Function Furniture that’s Perfect for a Small Mobile Home Kitchen
Expandable Dining Tables
We love this dining room table. If you are tight on space this dining room table can be a cool breakfast bar (like the one Joanna Gaines put in her home) or a rectangle table that seats 4 when needed. It is the perfect piece for an entertaining family. It isn’t too pricey either, at around $225.
19 Great Home Office Ideas for Small Mobile Homes
Small Multi-Function Cart
This cart is perfect for a smaller kitchen that is lacking counter space. The wheels also make it an ideal piece for entertaining as it can be moved from room to room. It’s a great size to use as an island in a small kitchen or a coffee bar.
This piece is around $115 but meets the multi-function furniture for your manufactured home look.
It can be a challenge sometimes to find truly smart multi-function furniture that’s perfect for a small mobile home but these pieces are a good start.
Remember, it’s important that your furniture be a reflection of your sense of style while also being comfortable and functional.
Still looking for ideas? Try our Beginner’s Guide to Small-Space Decorating for more inspiration.
Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.
(This is an affiliate post where we receive a small commission from any purchases made from the links above. It doesn’t cost you a thing. We use all profits to pay for servers and such to keep the blog running. Thank you!)
Compact living is chic! These multi-functional furniture pieces are a game-changer for small spaces.
Where to buy bunkbeds for smaller space?
Hi Kathy,
I’m not sure how to get images into the comments. Sorry! (They are the prettiest, most awesome Bostons on earth!)
Great idea with the coffee cart! Thanks!
No pictures of the Boston babies?