Trailer Home Transformations

By Rebecca Drew

INCREDIBLE images showing how otherwise identical mobile homes have been customised and remodelled into unrecognisable dwellings have been unveiled in a new book.

The collection of eye-catching shots show how owners have redesigned their humble abodes to suit Egyptian, Christmas and desert themes with some adorned with fairy lights and a giant cactus.

Other pictures show a home transformed into a sleek looking futuristic property with angular white roofing and a carport. One image even shows a glamourous red carpet leading to the front door.

The spectacular pictures have been released in the book Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes by American photographer, architect and graphic designer, Jeffrey Milstein. The book also includes mobile homes from the Blue Skies Village Trailer Park that was founded by singer Bing Crosby.

“I trained and worked as an architect and found that I was always attracted to economy of scale and owner built indigenous architecture,” said Jeffrey.

“So when I began photographing mid-twentieth century architecture in Palm Springs I was especially drawn to the unique trailer parks of the area.

“There I saw virtually identical basic modules – the long, narrow box-like shape of the dwelling, flanked by a carport and a portico.

“They were made distinctive and personal by their owners in a wonderful variety of ways by the addition of decorative elements and landscaping.”

Trailer homes were traditionally made with leftover sheet metal from aircraft factories during World War Two.

Jeffrey explains that the way in which the homes have been decorated reflects the aspirations of the owners.

“What is special about them, and makes them so visually appealing was that over the years they had been lovingly added to and decorated so that they became more than mere houses,” he said.

“They were highly personal, individualised homes reflecting each owners’ dreams.”

Published by Schiffer Publishing, Small Dreams: 50 Palm Springs Trailer Homes is available to buy from Amazon for £12.99.

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