Modern Goes Mobile - Page 2

For architect and artist Amy Shock, modernism is "the height of bohemian to me: vegetarianism and poetry and clothes that fasten with strings."

"I think of Corbusier's work in particular," Shock said in an email interview regarding the style used in remodeling her mobile home in Ojai at the Mira Valle Senior Mobile Home Park. "I love his houses the most, and his paintings too."

While Smith has a masters degree with doctoral work in architectural history from University of California at Santa Barbara, Shock is a graduate in architecture from Cornell University.

"I have a residential practice doing new homes and additions in southern California," said Shock, who moved to Ojai, from Beverly Hills. "My paintings are oil paintings and express a modernist viewpoint that came from studying at Cornell."

Shock bought her 1964 double-wide in 2013 for $5,200, but it was only one bed and one bath with 800 square feet. A veteran of many remodels, she added a second bed and bath with an additional 450 square feet, as well as numerous cabinets, including some on wheels for flexibility.

One of the biggest tickets in the $175,000 she has spent on the remodel was the $40,000 for floor-to-ceiling, UV-protective solar glass panels, a special order from Fleetwood Windows & Doors. They allow a flood of light into the main living area to create the modern architectural connection between inside and out.

"I'm not really the kind of person who finishes until I am dragged away," she said of the ongoing landscape and exterior lighting work.

As for whether their homes have influenced renovations or design choices by their neighbors, Shock said no, but Smith was more optimistic.

"The new homes that get rolled into this park seem to have more of a Craftsman vibe and tend to be taller and more 'adorned' with little Craftsman touches," Shock said of the Mira Valle park. "Some people might find that to be cozier."

On the other hand, Smith said, the work on his 'trailer' "has inspired others to do the same [modern touches]. It's loaded."