Smarter, not harder. That is a phrase my photographer loves to remind me of when I make 10 trips of art and decor into a home when I could have had the same results in five trips… if I had planned properly. It’s the same for manufactured housing. Success relies on finding smarter, more efficient ways to build homes, instead of making it harder.
This is especially true in the design and decor choices we tend to make in our homes. It’s easy to bring a picture of something you saw in a magazine and ask “Why can’t we offer that?” without thinking of the changes that would create in the building process. I know the designers who are on staff for the various manufacturers deal with that every day. A sales person brings in an image or an idea and says a competitor or luxury home builder is doing this, so we need to…, or XYZ is asking for this in our homes. From there, the designer is supposed to help the plant find a source for this product, quickly, that is kept in stock, that can be purchased for $20 instead of the $100 everyone else is paying. We have the best of the best who make miracles like this happen every day. Every year, I am amazed at what innovative, creative design decisions are being made in our homes.
Gone are the days of consumers settling for dog bowl lighting fixtures and plastic faucets. They want what they see on HGTV and on Pinterest, or that item that someone dreamed up using AI. Here are some of the looks and products that I am seeing that are available to our industry, and some that will be coming soon. These are high on style, but efficient in how they can be added to our homes.
Color
Color is a big story not only in manufactured housing, but in site-built housing as well. The farmhouse white and black interiors and exteriors are quickly fading, and consumers are looking for a warmer, more inviting place to call home. It isn’t possible for consumers to walk all of our homes professionally furnished, so when they walk into a home that has no color, they can’t understand what that home will look like with some accent walls, area rugs, and artwork.
Lighter wood tones with a golden hue, and soft earthy greens are what you will see more of in 2026, and cream or bone colors over harsh white on walls and trim.
Biophilic Design
Incorporating plants and other earthy elements into your homes is no longer a trend, it has become a basis of design. Have you noticed that floor plants and trees are back? But not a $29 faux Ficus — think cactus, olive trees, and fiddle leaf fig trees that might be more expensive, but will keep a home from looking like everyone else’s.
Lifestyled Tip
Invest in a photo of the home when it is properly furnished and “lifestyled” if you can’t afford to stage the home. Have it made into a 36- by 48-inch mounted poster that the potential buyers can see when they enter the home. That will give them a reference point to help them understand where furniture might go, and how color can make the house become a home.
Texture with Tile
Texture is one of the biggest stories moving into 2026. You will be seeing a lot more of it on walls and in tiles. Tile is one of those areas where exciting things are happening. In the past, manufactured housing didn’t do enough volume to create tiles just for us, but now, with the continued evolution of the homes we offer, we will see a lot more tile. Going back to the concept that we have to keep the building process efficient, keep a lookout for new tile styles in different sizes. This will make grouting and cutting almost obsolete.
It comes down to a math problem — what size tile can we use to have the fewest cuts? DalTile is supplying more of the smaller-sized tiles with a mesh back that will place perfectly, and are easy to install. Textured wall tiles are becoming even more important, and curves are in. Also, 15-inch by 30-inch and 24-inch by 24-inch tiles are becoming more popular and more affordable. These are ideal for bath spaces and will become more important in the future.
The Mansfield Park tile collection by Basic Components is a tile collection curated specifically for the manufactured housing industry. The colors and sizes are wonderful and very affordable. The company knows the needs of the industry, and is getting ready to launch a very exciting new size that will be a first. I have a feeling other housing sectors will be paying attention and following our lead. This, again, is a great example of knowing the opportunities factory-built housing offers. The industry can bring current design trends to the market in a form that will help efficiency in the plants without giving anything up. You heard it here first!
Curated Collections
The thing I hear most when I am staging homes in retail center is “My home will never look like this.” I hear that much more often than “Can I afford this?” Our customers love the creativity they see in professionally merchandised homes, but are not sure they can achieve the same look.
An old and new, curated look is what consumers are seeing and trying to achieve in their own homes — not everything matches, but it coordinates. Ask your designers to come up with some “storyboards” that show a collection of your options used in different ways. You can create these easily in Canva, then make Pinterest boards that are easily accessible to consumers looking for design ideas.
Knowledge is Power
Thanks to partners like Basic Components, the manufactured housing industry is finally getting away from being elusive with the knowledge and resources that make us unique. We are getting access to information that helps us gain a better understanding of the trends and ideas from around the world. BCI holds a very well-attended annual design conference that is built around a simple belief: “The designers are the experts. They are the ones shaping the homes, influencing product standards, and ultimately defining how families experience the spaces they live in.”
It is beneficial that a group like Basic Components brings tools, resources, and global material insights that help industry designers continue to lead in the field instead of requiring them to individually go out and gain insight on their own. A highlight of the gathering is always a trend report on worldwide designs by Emily Holle from MSI Surfaces. She attends a lot of the international design shows, and brings back that information for attendees of the design conference.
When we bring the world to our designers, the entire industry thrives.
MHInsider is the leader in manufactured housing news and is a product of MHVillage, the top marketplace for manufactured homes.
