Interior Design

With the crisp weather well on its way, Fall has finally arrived! Convert your UMH space into a (budget-friendly) festive haven. All you DIY-lovers, here are some ideas to get you started:

Take the classic harvest display to the next level! Traditional pumpkins can be found all over homes in the autumn months. Add a glam-spin to them by spray-painting them with a metallic gold!

While mason jars typically evoke Summer feelings, they make perfect vases for Fall mums! For a more intense fall flavor, decorate the jar with paint, twine, or modpodge some leaves onto it!

For those of you with a sweet tooth, fill a clear cookie jar with candy corn!

There are plenty of ways to make a small space feel bigger! Solution number 1: embrace accent walls.

While light colors are definitely the way to make a space feel larger than it actually is, sometimes they lack excitement. The key is to work with one wall. Yes, just one. This technique can accentuate a room without being too overpowering. While leaving the other three walls a light, neutral color, the room is still functional and spacious.

Here are some options:

1.     Traditional Paint: choose your color of choice and get going!

2.     For the traditionalists, wallpaper is also a great option.

3.     Or for the crafty DIY-lovers, there are plenty of techniques out there to create your own painted patterns.

Get to work and spruce up your UMH home today!

When decorating a bedroom in a manufactured home or any smaller space, it’s important to pay attention to the details. You want to maximize your space.

*Choose furniture that fits well without taking over the room. Don’t buy big, oversized pieces that swallow the space you have. Furniture that is lower to the ground will give the feeling of more height in the room.

*Minimize the clutter. Excess clutter can make the biggest spaces look bad. Invest in some under-the-bed organizers to store items you aren't currently using.

*Mirrors can help a room look bigger. Choose some you like and place them strategically to help the bedroom look larger.

*Pick the right paint. Putting high-gloss white paint on the ceiling will help to reflect the light and give the ceilings the appearance of being taller. On the walls, a lighter color paint helps to give the space an open, roomy feel.

The best advice is to decorate the bedroom in your manufactured home in a way that makes you happy – and then enjoy it! 

The laundry room in your manufactured home may seem like it couldn't hold much, but some creativity will give you all the space you need.
1. Think vertically. Affordable homes offer plenty of wall space to work with. Wall-mounted cabinets and open shelves can store everything from laundry products to cleaning supplies. If you install them high enough, you can even reserve the very top shelves for lesser-used items. Don't forget the wall-mounted ironing board.

2. Use the space you have. A front-loading washing machine with controls on the front makes a solid base for a countertop as well as a perfect space for folding laundry or storing fabric softener. Attach a drying rack to the wall with hinges so you can swing it out into the room when you need it and keep it on the wall when you don't.

3. Keep it small. A stackable washer-dryer combination gives you comparable laundry capability in a smaller package. You can also get an all-in-one machine that both washes and dries, or you can get washers and dryers with storage drawers at the base.

Affordable homes offer everything you need for livability and comfort, as long as you're willing to use your imagination. 

If you're feeling like your manufactured home has something lacking, the solution might not be one you ever considered. Feng shui is the Chinese practice of rearranging or even altering the features of your space to increase the positive energy, also called chi, that flows through it. You might be curious about how to achieve this with limited space, but we've got a few solutions for you to consider.

Solid Foundations

If it's possible, you may want to consider placing your home atop a concrete base. With your home more rooted to the ground, you have a more direct connection to the earth. According to the principles of feng shui, this can help you feel more firmly rooted overall. If this is not an option due to cost or other restrictions, then you may want to consider finding a way to cover the base of the home, obscuring its separation from the earth.

Let the Light In

If you are still in the planning phase of your home construction, it may be helpful to look at how the doors and windows of your home are arranged. You may not believe it, but this makes a huge difference; in fact, it's critical to the flow of positivity. To increase the chi, arrange your interior so that your windows are facing north and south. Make your front door welcoming and inviting: in feng shui, this is considered the means by which chi enters the home. Rectangular-shaped doors are preferred. Rather than the traditional slatted steps that lead to the doors of many manufactured homes, consider concrete steps for the same reasons you want a solid foundation for your home.

Keeping Up Appearances

A garden outside the home is a simple way to bring more chi into your dwelling. Also, plant some trees behind your home if possible, as this is thought to add protection. Inside, hang up some mirrors and consider a color change to red, which creates energy and cures lethargy.

With these few steps, you're on your way to a feng-shui friendly manufactured home! 

Summer just ended and Fall 2013 is finally here.  It is time to put away those bright umbrellas, colorful decorations and summery embellishments around your home.  Welcome the fall by decorating your mobile home for the season by adding small touches in every room.

Use contrasting colors to add more impact to your displays. Stick with cooler colors like blue and green to add a pop of color and compliment the fall shades of red, orange and yellow.

The beauty of fall is that it is a simpler season.  The simpler the décor, the better.  Add a small touch of fall to your room with a canvas table runner and a vase full of marigolds, sunflowers or chrysanthemums.

With Halloween around the corner, make sure you bring out those jack-o-lantern skills.  Personalize your pumpkins, and rather than carve out scary faces into them, go for a more refined look with curly, elegant handwriting and shapes.

Highlight the neutral colors in your mobile home with pops of red, yellow and orange. Add some deep red throws, throw pillows, frames and vases.

Decorate your home with nature.  Decorate glass containers with dried leaves, acorns and twigs.

Go ahead and update your artwork collection with a few seasonal prints.  Again, this is going with the mood and color of the season, adding gorgeous fall hues to your home.

Slowly transform your manufactured home from the bright summer vacation feel to a subtler, relaxed autumn atmosphere by adding simple touches here and there.  It doesn’t take much to get your home fall-ready; just add some red and orange hues, leaves and pumpkins and a cinnamon scented candle and you are in business.

Follow these ten simple steps that will be sure to add personality to your property.

In Living Color

The quickest way to shift the energy of a room is to paint the walls. Brighter colors promote vibrance while calmer colors give off a soothing effect.

Don't let your possessions possess you. If you haven't used an item in six months to a year, it's time to part with it.

Get the Pictures

Showcase all the members of your household (even those that have since moved off to college) with personalized picture frames that display the individuality of each loved one.

Light a Candle.

Scented candles can set the mood for any occasion. Remember to always extinguish the flame before leaving the room. 

Make your scene green.

Plants provide healthy oxygen and are proven to raise the moods of those that keep them. You can find maintainable flora at your local home-improvement store.

Keep it warm and friendly.

Studies show that a warmer environment makes people more pleasant. Raising your thermostat will also save you additional money which is another reason to be happy.

Home cooked meals make common scents.

The aroma of a home cooked meal when you walk through the door is comforting and appetizing. Gather the entire family around the table for some good ole fashioned eats a few times a week.

Get into the holiday spirit.

Decorating your home during the holidays is a fantastic way to show off your household's festive side. It will bring your family closer together and make the season's more memorable.

Get-Togethers

Invite family and friends over for a night of fun, food, and games. Having company over can lift the spirits in your home and create a more vibrant atmosphere.

There goes the neighborhood.

Go outside and meet your neighbors. Scheduling play-dates with your children is a perfect way for you to engage with the people you share your community with.

Follow these tips to transform your ordinary house into a welcoming home.

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Many homeowners face the challenge of decorating their abode to appear more spacious than it actually is. Luckily, there are multiple techniques to assist homeowners in achieving the interior design they prefer. Consider the following ideas:

 •From hoarder to order. The best way to create more space is by getting rid of unnecessary items that are no longer in use. Make neat piles of the belongings that you want to keep; donate or dispose of anything that has not been utilized for a year and is unlikely to be used again. Throwing away useless stuff will de-clutter an area, freeing up space, and making it possible to re-decorate.

 •Hide then Seek. When attempting to free up a tighter space, craftiness is mandatory. Finding places to store your rarely-used items is crucial. Neatly place them behind closed doors, under a bed, or even deep in the closet in an appropriate storage container. Organization is key and being able to find these items right away when you need them is the motive.

 •In Living Color. Color selection can go a long way toward giving a home a spacious look. Lighter colors tend to give a space an open and airy feeling. Keep a consistent trend throughout the space by matching curtains and upholstery to the ongoing theme of the home.

 •Light it Up. Lighting is essential for the ambience of any setting, and certainly contributes toward making a home feel more spacious. There are countless creative options that will be sure to brighten up any abode. Light fixtures with dimming options will generate an illusion of roominess.

 •Mirror Mirror on the Wall. Hanging a mirror on a long wall will create an illusion of added volume, thus making any space appear larger. Choosing mirrors that do not clash with a home's décor is pivotal. Following the concept of a car's side mirror, utilizing transparent materials will make objects look further away.

 •Go BIG or go Home. When selecting furniture for your home, choose large but proportioned couches, love seats, and wall units. Small pieces may appear to be scattered and promote  the unintended effect of making the home look small and empty. When using furniture covers, avoid loudprints and stick to solid colors or muted prints.

Follow these steps and enjoy your newfound space. For more information on manufactured homes please visit www.umh.com or call us at 1-800-504-0670.