From Mobile Home Drab to Lake Cottage Fab!

By: mothertrucker43
On: March 6, 2020

If you have been following this blog about transforming my mobile home purchase on a lake, I just wanted to update you on the final stages of the master bedroom. We have definitely changed it from a typical mobile home look of a master bedroom to a Lake Cottage Fab look. I am so happy with this transformation.

In order to appreciate the after, I think you have to see the before. Here are two images of the master bedroom before I started transforming.

You can see the trim strips over in the left hand corner as well as near the window.

Mobile homes have seams to the walls that are covered with strips of trim. As soon as you walk in to the home, you know that it is a mobile home. I am slowly trying to make it less apparent that our lake home is a mobile home and just seems like a quaint lake cottage. I love farmhouse and cottage styles. I love shiplap and I love board & batten. So I am just taking the styles and merging them into one fabulous lake cottage look.

My husband wanted to transform the master bedroom first. I was on board. We completed the flooring and painted the walls within the first two weeks. I had painted right over the trim that covers the seams of each panel. I wish I would have started the board & batten before even putting one coat of paint on them because the strips of trim are harder to remove with the extra coats of paint. Before we even purchased it, I knew I was going to camouflage the fact that the walls had seams by using the two techniques of board & batten and also faux shiplap. Most walls will march out to 48″ wide panels that I merely divided into 3 equal portions for the board & batten. On walls that haven’t marched out as well, I am using the faux shiplap technique on those walls for an accent wall. I think the two styles merge very well together. The walls that I have had the most issue with are walls with doors or windows.

8′ strips ended up a little short on the one wall that had the largest height. I had plenty of left over pieces from other 7′ walls to splice in at the bottom.

It is amazing how much transformation that can happen from just some simple primed pine boards. Below I have calculated out the costs of this transformation so that you can see what parts you may want to tackle in the future.

This wall of board and batten (including the top header that is just under the original small crown mold) used just 9 pieces of 1 x 2’s. That also included the two pieces in each corner.

There are 9 1×2 strips on this wall (7 utilized for board and batten and two utilized at the top just under the thin crown mold. The entry door to the bedroom is also on this wall.

The door to the closet just required a coat of paint to refresh the look and make it match the new walls. I utilized 10 strips of 1×2’s for this wall. 8 for the wall and 2 for the top just under the crown.

Also mobile homes have very inexpensive trim as well they should because they are made to be transportable homes that are affordable for a family that wants to stick to a budget. One of the easiest things I have been able to tackle that also accomplishes big impact changes is to just add thick baseboards. When we were changing out the baseboards, my son said why are you using such bulky baseboards, I quickly stated that the wider the baseboard usually the higher end the house is. Then after I stated that we both had to laugh. Nothing like putting 4″ baseboards in a mobile home! and to be honest, if I wasn’t keeping myself to a budget and the walls were taller, I probably would have used 6″ baseboards.

When I calculated out my cost of this transformation, I figured I utilized 28 1 x 2’s for the three walls of board and batten and then another two for the shiplap wall to top off the shiplap directly under the crown. I also utilized 2 sheets of thin plywood that was ripped down to 7 7/8″ faux shiplap boards.

30 – 1 x 2’s at $3.38 (12 I bought at 3.29 and then the remainder at 3.45 so I am just adjusting) $101.40
2 sheets of plywood at $13.98 (5.0MM 4X8 UNDERLAYMENT 2@13.98 = $27.96
1/2 gallon of primer (13.98 / 2) $7.00
1 gallon of paint – BEHR (27.98) – $27.98
4 small tubes of caulk @ 2.98 – ALEX FAST DRY WHITE 5.5 OZ – $11.20
7 – 1×4’s at $6.71 (for the baseboards) – $46.97
Grand total of the master bedroom wall transformation: $241.00

Now for a transformation project within a transformation project. I just love barn doors. I have made 5 barn doors in the past and knew I wanted one for this space as well. With the layout of this mobile home, there was only one door way that had the potential to utilize a barn door. Since I already wasn’t a big fan of the two doors that lead to the master bathroom, I was happy that this one location could be transformed with a barn door. The current door had glass panels that shouted I am from the 90’s. My husband was a little concerned that a barn door sits away from the wall at the sides and the privacy concerns that it may cause. The existing double doors had a 1 5/8″ gap at the bottom. I surmised that the existing gap provided the same issue so either way we had the same concern. But with the fact that this is an interior bathroom of the master bedroom, the problem is resolved just by closing the master bedroom door.

The backside of the doors from the Master bath. You can see over time the color has changed on the doors and they appear mismatched.

I completely made the barn door from scratch because I wanted to assure that I made it as light weight as possible since it had to be one larger door to cover the opening. I also made this door for right at about $100.00 and purchased the barn door hardware for right around $100.00 as well. I will post another blog entry just showing you how I made this barn door at such a great price. I hope you like it to and may be inspired to make your own. The space has turned from mobile home drab to lake cottage fab! I am so pleased with the outcome and I just love the barn door! What a light and bright space to get away from the stress of my job when I am off duty!