There are typically three main phases to the room makeovers we take on. Depending on the scope, a project can take a few days or stretch into weeks or months. Occasionally we hop between tasks and things drag on longer, but the usual sequence looks like this:
- Prep and planning: brainstorming, choosing a color palette, shopping for materials, priming, sanding, and spackling
- Major upgrades: painting walls, refinishing or painting cabinets, installing new flooring, and addressing structural or mechanical issues
- Finishing touches: curtains, hardware, art, and accessories that bring personality and function to the space
When John’s mom mentioned that his grandma’s half bathroom needed attention, we followed those three steps and condensed the work into a three-day blitz. The trip included two seven-hour drives and some late-night painting sessions. Thankfully John’s parents accompanied us to keep Clara entertained, which made the logistics much easier.
Granny lives in Huntington, West Virginia. Her charming 1920s house has been in the family since the 1940s, and it’s full of memories—John’s late grandfather, “Papa,” did a lot of the handiwork over the years. He even converted an old kitchen pantry into the small half bathroom decades ago, handling plumbing and electrical himself. By the time we arrived, the room was due for a refresh; the wallpaper in particular had seen better days and Granny was ready to remove it herself.
Before we arrived, Granny, Aunt Ellen, and Uncle Dean had already taken down the wallpaper, which saved a lot of time. We did some shopping in town to supplement the pieces Granny already owned, mixing new items with family treasures to create a cohesive look while being budget-conscious. We also visited our favorite fabric outlet and picked a floral print that felt just right for the space; we planned to make simple café-style curtains for the small window.
Our to-do list for the three-day project looked like this:
- Brainstorm colors and shop for accessories
- Spackle, sand, and caulk everything to prep for paint
- Rebuild and balance the cabinets
- Prime and paint cabinets to open up and update the look
- Paint the entire room, including the ceiling
- Repair problem areas like a rusted duct and a dingy corner under the sink
- Replace the old sheet laminate flooring
- Refresh hardware and accessories with a new finish
- Sew and hang curtains
- Add meaningful art and personal accessories
- Reveal the finished room to Granny
Arriving at the house, the room already looked much better without the wallpaper, but removing it exposed other issues: a worn corner beneath the sink, a burned outlet, and a rusted vent. We got straight to work.
My first task was cutting away all the old caulk. It’s one of those jobs that can look worse before it looks better, but fresh caulk makes a dramatic difference once painting is complete. After removing the old material I used a full tube of caulk to seal areas around the baseboards, the sink, and the trim. It’s tedious, but crucial for a polished finish.
Next came spackling and sanding. We used a basic spackle and a putty knife to fill cracks, nail holes, and any gaps in the plaster. Sometimes sanding a loose flake before spackling gives a more durable repair and a smoother end result.
While I worked on the caulk and spackle, John did some woodworking in the kitchen. The cabinets were actually two separate units pushed together and topped with an old hollow-core door, so he cut a small plank to cover the gap and nailed it to the existing supports for a seamless appearance. Once the repairs were made, it was time to remove the hardware, prime, and paint the cabinet faces.
Priming the cabinets and the countertop took several hours, and we worked into the night to get a strong base coat down. The drawer fronts were propped up and drying in Granny’s spare room, which became a temporary paint studio. By the end of Day One we had a clean, primed slate and a clear plan for the next day: paint the walls and ceiling, address the rusted duct and the dingy sink area, lay new flooring, and refresh the hardware.
We went to bed around midnight feeling satisfied with the progress. The fresh primer, repaired surfaces, and cleared wallpaper made a huge visual difference and set the stage for the finishing touches. Over the next two days we completed the walls and floor, sewed and hung the café curtains from our floral fabric, added art and meaningful accessories, and polished the hardware to create a finished, personal space for Granny.
Working on a project for someone you love brings a special energy. The anticipation of the reveal made the long drives and late nights worthwhile—Granny’s excitement at the finished room was the best reward of all.