There are almost always three main phases to the room makeovers we take on. Depending on the project’s scope they can last a few days or a few months (and sometimes, when we hop around, they stretch into years). Still, the process generally follows this sequence:
- Prep and planning: brainstorming, choosing a color palette, shopping, priming, sanding, and spackling.
- Major updates: painting walls, repainting or refinishing cabinets, installing new flooring, and similar tasks.
- Finishing touches: curtains, hardware, artwork, and accessories that give the room personality.
When John’s mom mentioned that his grandma’s half bathroom could use a refresh, we put those three phases into action. The result was a three-day bathroom blitz that included two seven-hour drives and some inevitable midnight painting. Luckily John’s parents came along to keep Clara entertained. First, meet Granny—she lives in Huntington, West Virginia, and is one of the sweetest, most upbeat people you’ll meet. Here she is holding baby Clara for the first time:
We like to share a day-by-day account, so here’s the to-do list for our turbo three-day project, with notes on when we planned to tackle each item:
- Brainstorm colors and shop for accessories (Day 1)
- Spackle, sand, and caulk everything to prep for paint (Day 1)
- Rebuild cabinets slightly to make them look balanced (Day 1)
- Prime and paint cabinets for a fresher, more open look (Day 1 & 2)
- Paint the entire room, including the ceiling (Day 2)
- Fix issues like a rusted duct and a dingy corner under the sink (Day 2)
- Replace the old sheet-laminate floors (Day 2)
- Refinish hardware and accessories (Day 2)
- Sew and hang cafe curtains to add charm (Day 3)
- Add meaningful artwork (Day 3)
- Stage functional and personal accessories to finish the space (Day 3)
- Reveal the makeover to Granny (Day 3)
Granny’s charming 1920s house has been in the family since the 1940s, so John’s mom and her siblings all grew up there. John’s late grandfather—Papa—did a lot of handiwork over the years, so the house is full of memories. Here’s a shot of the house:
Papa converted an old kitchen pantry into the small half bath decades ago, handling the plumbing and electrical himself. Over time the room showed its age, and Granny—at 90—was ready to take the wallpaper down herself. Here’s the bathroom before the peel:
Thanks to Granny, Aunt Ellen, and Uncle Dean, the wallpaper was removed before we arrived. That let us spend the evening prepping the room. Not knowing the best local stores, we shopped ahead of time and made a quick stop at HomeGoods to pick up accessories—knowing we could return anything that didn’t work. We planned to combine some new pieces with items Granny already owned to save money and keep the room feeling familiar.
We also visited our favorite fabric outlet and bought a yard of floral fabric that felt like Granny—perfect for cafe curtains. The fabric was by Braemore and paired nicely with the accessories we chose. Here’s the fabric and some of the pieces we planned to use:
We picked up flooring at Home Depot and used our long drive to brainstorm ideas for the space while keeping the toddler and dog entertained. When we arrived, the room already looked much better without the wallpaper:
Removing the paper revealed a few problem areas: a damaged corner under the sink, a burned outlet, and a rusted vent behind the pedestal sink:
There were definitely spots that needed attention…
We dove into prep work immediately. My role was to cut out all the old caulk. It’s not glamorous—sometimes it even looks worse at first—but fresh caulk and paint make a world of difference.
After removing caulk from the sink, baseboards, and other corners, I had quite a pile. In a tiny bathroom like this I actually used a full tube of caulk. It’s tedious but essential for a polished finish.
Next we spackled and sanded, using regular Dap spackle and a putty knife to fill every crack and seam. Sometimes we sanded loose bits before spackling to ensure a solid base and a cleaner final result:
Meanwhile John did some quick woodwork in the kitchen, cutting a small plank to cover a gap where two cabinets had been joined and topped with an old hollow-core door. We nailed the plank into existing 2×4 supports to create a seamless top that would read better once painted:
Once the cabinet gaps were filled, we removed hardware and primed the cabinets and countertop. Here’s John rolling on primer:
We dried the drawer fronts in Granny’s spare room—turned cabinet-painting studio—and spent a good four to five hours prepping and priming. By the end of Day 1 our checklist looked like this, with the remaining items scheduled for the next two days:
- Paint the cabinets (Day 1 & 2)
- Paint the entire room including the ceiling (Day 2)
- Fix rusted duct and dingy sink area (Day 2)
- Install new flooring (Day 2)
- Refinish hardware and accessories (Day 2)
- Sew and hang curtains (Day 3)
- Hang meaningful art (Day 3)
- Stage accessories and reveal the makeover (Day 3)
We were optimistic about finishing everything in three days and were pleased with our Day 1 progress: a clean, primed slate ready for transformation. After a long day of shopping, driving, prepping, and priming, we went to bed at midnight.
We’ll share the full Day 2 recap soon—after sorting through the many photos we took. Have you tackled a small makeover for someone you love? There’s something extra-special about the excitement of revealing a fresh space to a family member.