Total Trailer Chic Remodel

Outside Disguise

Appearances can be deceiving. “The outside is our ‘disguise,’ says Tanille. “No one would guess what is inside and that’s the beauty of it. Everything is original. It just received and good cleaning and a coat of paint.”

Mobile Home Remodel

“This shows the extent of our remodel,” says Tanille. “We took it down to the studs. It had been so neglected that the floors were rotted through, the insulation was paper thin and the ceiling was sagging. All of this was rectified due to a lot of hard work, and now we have a solid little structure!”

Horror to Home

The state of this trailer when we found it was horrifying. You can see in this photo the nicotine that was caked on the walls, the white square on the wall was where a picture was hanging. The former owner also lived with several cats. You can imagine the smell. The first few days of demolition we had to wear masks or we would be sick. All of these windows had to be replaced, many were broken or wouldn’t close.

Kitchen Demo

Out of all the rooms in their trailer, the Leals’ favorite space to renovate was the kitchen. “The cabinets took about three swings with a sledgehammer and literally fell apart,” recalls Tanille. “The floor was so rotted that is was buckled.”

 Must Have Kitchen Sink

Tanille had one major must-have for the trailer renovation – a beautiful kitchen sink. “This was my kitchen splurge and the only thing bought new in this room,” says Tanille. “I also wanted black granite counter tops, which a friend conveniently had just laying around from a construction project. So we scored on this one. The small spaces next to the sink are going to be small utensil drawers that we still need to build.”

Bedroom Sanctuary

The Leals’ bedroom is their sanctuary. “Originally the bathroom was in the middle of the trailer and the bedroom was so small only a twin size bed would fit comfortably. We considered bunk beds, but for the sake of our marriage decided to redesign the layout of the space. The result is a surprisingly spacious and beautiful bedroom.”

“I love using color in a small space because it surprises everyone,” says Tanille. “There is misconception that color should be minimal in a small space. But it adds so much warmth and visual interest. Also, in this picture you can see the salvaged glass block wall that we used to bring natural light into the shower. This was a great find from Habitat for Humanity that is extremely heavy. I got a lot of resistance for wanting to put in a solid glass wall. There was some concern about the weight on the trailer. But we are doing just fine, this trailer has been through a lot worse!”

Thrifty Kitchen Finds

Like many of the rooms in the Leals’ mobile home, the kitchen features a number of second-hand thrifty finds. “We found the cabinets at Habitat for Humanity for $160,” says Tanille. “They were originally oak, which didn’t go with our decor, so we painted them a soft grey. The island was a craigslist find. It was originally red and my husband said it looked like a toolbox, so I painted it black, which worked better with the design anyway. All of our appliances were also purchased used. We had a friend that was remodeling a fifth wheel and wanted full size appliances and I wanted the smaller appliances to have more storage. So it was great timing. All of the materials in this kitchen including cabinets, island, appliances and new sink cost under $750. I am pretty proud of that. It’s truly the best kitchen to cook in. Everything is extremely organized and within arms reach. The island is on wheels and can easily be rolled out of the way if we need more space. The island is also where I work. We own our business and after moving into this space I decided to go paperless. So when I do the books or marketing the island is my desk and everything is sent to a wireless printer and scanner that sits tucked away on top of the refrigerator. I hate paper clutter and filing so this has been a dream come true for me.”

All photography and copy is directly from thenateshow.com. The owner of the home is a blogger at Trailer Chic, a wonderful blog about 2 ladies living it up in trailers! Go check it out, if you like Mobile Home Living your gonna love Trailer Chic!