You’re not alone if you’re excited about moving into a new mobile home! Roughly 22 million people currently live in manufactured homes. And with the current housing crisis, many people are considering moving into ready-to-live homes, as they’re cheaper to buy, maintain, and upgrade.
When it comes to upgrading, it may seem that your options are limited or that the space isn’t big enough. This is quite the contrary, and to help you with your remodel, we’ve put together a list of mobile home kitchen remodel ideas to help you build your dream kitchen.
Before Remodeling
The most important reason for a mobile home kitchen makeover is to make it more functional. Before you begin remodeling, you’ll want to take a look around the kitchen and see where it needs improvement. It’s helpful to ask yourself questions like: “Is this enough storage space?” and “What areas lack sufficient lighting?”
It’s also wise to take note of the least functional areas. For example, if you find yourself taking things out of the oven at awkward angles because the oven door smacks into the fridge when you open it, you’ll want to upgrade that.
Speaking of ovens, make a list of the appliances you’d like to upgrade or add to your kitchen as well. If your kitchen is very outdated, it likely has old, hazardous appliances that increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, house fires, and electrocution. Not all of them need to be exchanged, especially if you’re shooting for a retro look, but they’ll need a tune-up.
Be certain to take a look at your local guidelines and the EPA’s recommendations for disposing of your old refrigerators, stoves, and microwaves. Some organizations even buy back old appliances to ensure they are disposed of properly. If the appliance is in good working order, try selling it online or donating it before dumping it.
Mobile Home Kitchen Remodel Cost and Budgeting Tips
The average cost for a remodel ranges between $75 and $250 per square foot. This is dependent on a few factors like location, kitchen condition, and materials.
Budgeting for a remodel without itemizing everything is tricky. When it comes to budgeting for your project, take a quick search around Google to determine estimates for labor, appliances, cabinets, drawers, lights, islands, and any other items you’d like to incorporate. Once you’ve done that, create a total estimate of how much everything will cost.
Don’t forget to add junk removal costs to the budget. While some design and home remodel companies incorporate these costs into their estimates, many do not. You might also find hiring a company yourself cheaper than going through a remodeling company.
Compare this total to the amount you’ve allocated for the remodel. If it’s more than you’d like to pay, look around second-hand shops or online stores to see where you’re able to get the same or similar appliances and cupboards for less. If it is still too much, look at your wish list and remove the things you’re uncertain about or have changed your mind about.
A Little DIY Never Hurts
It’s also worth noting there’s nothing wrong with incorporating a little DIY into the mix.
Maybe you want to spend more on intricate cabinet designs and less on painting costs. For situations like this, create a time budget for you and the family to handle any “do-it-yourself” portions of the project before bringing in the professionals to finish the job. Not only does this lower costs, but it’s also a fun family project that allows you and your family to learn some creative hands-on skills.
The 5 Most Common Kitchen Design Styles
The five most common kitchen design styles for mobile homes are farmhouse, modern, contemporary, coastal, and traditional. To make a truly unique home that’s personalized to your tastes, feel free to mix and match characteristics.
Farmhouse style prioritizes rustic charm, simplicity, and practicality. Many homeowners use reclaimed wood, vintage accessories, and salvaged architectural pieces. They also tend to stick with natural colorings.
The modern style uses monochromatic colors, minimalistic designs, and geometrical shapes. Use sleek linework and color matching on your cabinets and counters to create a modern kitchen. This allows the space to look tonal and bold.
The contemporary style features popular designs that are currently trending. This style consistently changes and is perfect for those that enjoy spicing things up often or mixing up styles. The most common interior design trends for 2022 include brown-colored tones, tactile textures, hi-tech appliances, and many more.
The coastal style uses lighter tones like beige, blue, and white to create a relaxed ambiance. Driftwood tables, sand jars, rope décor, and linen fabrics are a few critical pieces of this style.
Traditional homes are inspired by 18th and 19th-century homes. They are layered with colors and textural elements to add glamor, yet conform to conventional styles. Kitchens that follow traditional design have hardwood floors, laminate or granite countertops, and painted cabinets with ornate woodwork.
There are many more styles to work with. These are just the most commonly used ones. If none of these appeals to you, search around the internet to find the styles you like.
Which Home Style Is Right for Me?
Deciding the right style for your kitchen is a nightmare if you haven’t styled the rest of your home. There are tons of quizzes online that will help you match your tastes to the perfect style. To get started, think about the things you hate and the things you adore.
For example, if you don’t like sand, girthy rope, or the color blue, a coastal-themed home probably isn’t right. But, if you enjoy geometrical shapes, minimalistic designs, and simple color schemes, a modern-styled home is perfect.
Apply this “do and don’t list” to a variety of things found in the kitchen. It also helps to consider other components of your home as well, including the following:
Taking the time to figure these things out saves you a lot of time in the long run. Also, keep in mind that there are seven elements to designing a home: line, form, space, light, texture, pattern, and color. Balancing each of these areas is the key to finalizing the design of your dream home and kitchen.
Redesigning the Kitchen Layout
Before buying new appliances, cabinets, and windows, you’ll want to get the layout just right. The new layout of your kitchen needs to mold well with the current layout of your home, but it’s also important to remember that tearing down, moving, or building walls is completely possible and quite common.
Because mobile and manufactured homes are smaller than their built-on-site counterparts, you’ll want to design an open kitchen that grants you the maximum amount of kitchen space. You want a functional kitchen that allows you to move freely and fits your cooking habits.
For example, if you primarily cook on a stovetop and rarely use an oven, it’s smart to look at integrated gas or electric stovetops that are built into the countertop. If you’re the opposite and primarily rely on cooking with the oven, incorporating a double-stack oven will grant you more freedom to cook multiple entrees or sides at the same time. You’ll be able to close up any loose ends with toaster ovens, electric griddles, or any other stow-away appliances you need.
When designing the new layout, it’s helpful to record yourself while using the old kitchen to see where you naturally gravitate. If you discover yourself walking from one side of the kitchen to the other quite frequently, look here for areas of improvement. If there isn’t any storage space for cooking utensils next to the stove—add this to the new design!
Cabinets and Storage
There are billions of ways to touch up the storage space in your mobile home. If the cabinets are in good order and are laid out well, upgrading them is very simple. Add a fresh paint job, new doors, trim, and new hardware to make your cupboards more aesthetically pleasing.
When painting your cupboards, be sure to remove all of the hardware, clear out appliances, and tape off or cover the areas you don’t want to paint. Use only high-quality paints and brushes to prevent drip stains and loose hairs from sticking to surfaces. Also, don’t forget to paint the insides!
The most popular trim styles for cabinets in a mobile home are crown molding, bottom molding, corner molding, and bevel molding. These molding styles help with functionality, improve the overall look, and in some cases, reduce injuries from sharp, untrimmed edges.
Replacing the Cabinets
If the cabinets are worn down, not your style, or lack adequate storage, it’s best to replace them.
Many carpenters make custom cabinets, and plenty of them offer ready-to-install cabinets that follow preconceived design styles. Before replacing the cabinets, measure your kitchen area and work with a designer or carpenter to calculate the maximum amount of storage space available.
Popular Cabinet Styles
Shaker cabinets are one of a mobile home’s most popular cabinet designs. This style of cabinet features a five-piece door with a recessed center panel. They are renowned for their classic look, clean linework, and minimalistic features.
Flat panels are another common cabinet style primarily for their minimalistic look and low price point. Flat panels are the best way to go if you want subtle cabinets that won’t draw too much attention. This style of cabinetry allows you to highlight another area of your home, like a gorgeous light fixture or a beautiful garden view from your kitchen window.
Inset cabinets are the last style we’ll include, although there are hundreds more. Inset cabinets, place the door gently inside the door frame so that the door doesn’t stick out from the countertop. If you have limited space or hate catching your belt loop on cabinet corners, this is the best design for you.
What About Shelves?
Shelves are also an important aspect of a small kitchen upgrade. With mobile homes, most people vouch for open shelving to increase space and reduce the number of doors. But, if you’re kitchen has adequate space, pantry or pull-out shelves will work.
A few popular shelve types are:
- Geometric
- Copper Pipe
- Driftwood
- Floating
- Floor to Ceiling
- Hanging
- Crate
- Recessed
- Pull-out
Many of these shelve types work well with multiple design styles. Copper pipe and crate shelves work best with artisan and farmhouse kitchen design styles. And if you’re looking at something more coastal, driftwood and floating shelves are your best bet.
Lighting Ideas
One of the most overlooked components of a kitchen remodel is the lighting. You’ll need adequate lighting to safely prep and cook food in your new kitchen.
To lay out the lighting, look for your kitchen’s focal points. If you’re redesigning the layout of the kitchen, imagine where you’d like to draw your eye, which areas or items you’d like highlighted, and where you’d like the lights to hang or be. Also, take into consideration the most used areas and entryways to provide adequate lighting.
There are three types of lighting you’ll need to incorporate: task lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting. Task lighting is the lighting that you need to perform tasks in the kitchen. Above the stove, countertop, and sink are the most common places for such lights.
Ambient lighting creates the vibe. There are tons of light fixtures in a variety of styles to research and choose from that will create an ambiance that welcomes your guests. And, adding a dimmer switch that warms the light from white to yellow is great for relaxing at the dinner table, or creating a romantic night.
Accent lighting accentuates certain features in your home. If you have a gorgeous wall garden, breakfast bar, or cool geometric shelves where you’d like to draw the eye, accent lights are the way to do it.
Incorporating Windows
Windows are the perfect way to add natural lighting to your kitchen. The most common types of windows used in mobile homes are casement, awning, hung, sliding, bay, and fixed. All these window styles work with frames matching your preferred design style.
Work with the contractor to determine the type of glass pane you need for your window and take into consideration how accessible you want the windows to be. For example, if you want a huge window above the sink that overlooks a gorgeous view and want to catch the breeze every now and then, a fixed window won’t be right. On the other hand, an awning or bay window may be exactly what you need to completely satisfy your dishwashing vision.
Creative Countertops
There are five types of countertops to look at for your mobile home. Depending on your kitchen design style, you’ll want to choose the one that matches the overall aesthetic of your home.
Wooden countertops are resistant to scratches and are the ideal countertop for mobile homes. While they require less maintenance, they tend to cost more in the long room.
Laminate countertops are easier to clean than wooden ones and come in a variety of colors. These are very low-cost and easy to install. But, they are known to melt or suffer burns from hot pots and pans.
Ceramic countertops are heat- and moisture-resistant. Marble countertops are gorgeous but require a lot of maintenance and work to maintain that beauty. They’re an expensive investment, so be sure to incorporate all of the associated costs of ceramic countertops into your budget before moving forward.
Stainless steel countertops are also resistant to stains and very durable. If you have a lot of kids running around the house, these are a great way to go to save on counter repairs. These are the most expensive countertops to buy, often running for about $120 per square foot.
Granite countertops are a gorgeous accent to your home. They are one of the most aesthetic countertops available, working wonders to accent shelving and storage spaces.
Don’t Forget the Floors
Your kitchen makeover wouldn’t be complete without the right flooring. Most mobile homes aren’t built on a permanent foundation, so it’s best to use floating floors like laminate, vinyl, and engineered wood. Floors of this type are lightweight, so they won’t warp and buckle as easily as heavier flooring options.
Vinyl
The kitchen gets a lot of foot traffic, so you’ll need something durable that lasts a long time. Vinyl floors are spill, scratch, and stain-resistant, making them perfect for active families with kids and pets.
There are also many styles, colors, and patterns to choose from.
If you love the look of wood floors but don’t enjoy the amount of maintenance required to keep them looking sharp, consider installing vinyl planks. There are many varieties designed to mimic various wood textures, grains, and stains.
If stone floors are more your speed, vinyl tiles are a great option. Vinyl tiles replicate many stone types and come in many colors, sizes, and patterns. You’re also able to add grout between tiles to enhance the aesthetic.
Some families have tons of people constantly roaming in and out of the kitchen. Using a vinyl sheet is your best bet if you have a large, high-traffic space to cover. Plus, you don’t even have to remove the previous flooring— just lay it over the top!
Laminate
Laminate flooring comes in multiple thicknesses and is very impact-resistant. Laminate wood flooring mimics the appearance and texture of natural wood. Laminate planks and tiles replicate ceramic and style flooring at a reduced cost.
A few different textures are available to you, including satin, distressed, brushed, and hi-glossed.
Satin laminate is smooth with minimal markings and grains. It’s shiny yet has a very soft aesthetic to it. The texture of the grains is only noticeable in the right lighting, making it perfect for a minimalistic kitchen.
Distressed or hand-scraped laminate looks almost exactly like hardwood floors. It’s also very similar in texture. Some laminates of this type have deeper grains than others to give them a more realistic texture.
The brushed laminate gives a worn and vintage look. It provides a soft texture and looks as though a metal wire was brushed over it. Typically, the texturing either follows the grain or employs the cross-cut style of hardwood.
Hi-gloss laminate doesn’t have any texturing. It’s smooth, sleek, and shiny without any ridges. This is ideal for modern and minimalistic homes requiring a smooth and monotone appearance.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is made by connecting several layers of hardwood in a cross-grain fashion. It’s very stable and better suited for humid areas than traditional hardwood flooring.
There are over 40 types of engineered floors to choose from. Some laminate and vinyl floors also fall into this category, depending on how they’re designed and made.
Floors of this type generally last 20 to 30 years when well taken care of. Although they are susceptible to scratches, it’s best to apply a scratch-resistant coating to protect them.
Completing Your Mobile Home Kitchen Remodel
Compare Quotes from Top-rated Kitchen Remodel contractors in your area.
Designing and performing a mobile home kitchen remodel takes a lot of preparation and planning. Before beginning your project, allocate how much you intend to spend. Once you’ve established that, itemize your budget with the estimated labor costs and prices for materials.
There are tons of kitchen styles to base your kitchen on, including farmhouse, modern, contemporary, coastal, and traditional. No matter how you style your kitchen, you’ll want to enlist a profesionnal’s eye. For assistance with your kitchen upgrade, reach out to our kitchen specialists. We’ll take your design ideas and convert them into your dream kitchen hassle-free.
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