Guest Room Progress
This little spare room has been a bit of a shapeshifter lately. Some days it’s an office, other days it’s a yoga studio, and eventually it may transform into a cozy guest room. Because we’re still deciding what its long-term purpose will be, I’ve kept the design simple and timeless—a foundation that can flex as the room continues to evolve. We haven’t invested in major furniture pieces yet, but the space is already starting to take shape in ways that feel both practical and inspiring. I’m excited to share a glimpse of how it’s unfolding.
THE BEFORE:
The original lath and plaster
The walls were in poor condition, especially in the closets where they had been patched over several times.
When we first moved in, this room had its challenges. The cat smell from the previous owners lingered in the old plaster walls, and the heavy popcorn texture made the space feel even more dated. The floors were bruised but full of character, and because of the lingering odor I knew I wanted to have them refinished. It turned out to be quite the project, and if you’re interested I’d be happy to share a separate post on what it was like to bring 120-year-old floors back to life.
the during:
Skim coating the walls
Letting the joint compound fully dry in-between layers. The whole process took about 4 days.
Eventually the floors were finished, but I knew the walls needed just as much attention. The only way to truly refresh the space was to skim coat. My husband tested it out in the closet, which quickly showed us how messy and labor-intensive the process can be, so we brought in a professional to finish the job. Skim coating is simply sanding down the old texture and layering on thin coats of joint compound until the walls are smooth. The change was instant—the smell was gone and the room finally felt clean, fresh, and full of possibility.
Me, completely overwhelmed about the mess I was making while paintings and having no room to walk :)
Then feeling better by the time the first coat was done!
Once the walls were finished, it was time to prime and paint. I tackled this part myself, even though by then I had already painted the primary bedroom and roman clayed the living and dining room, so I was definitely over it. Still, it had to be done before we could move forward with the closets and finally unpack our clothes. To keep myself on track, I scheduled the electrician so I had a deadline to finish.
The prep was the hardest part—dust from the skim coating had settled into every crevice and trim piece, and as I cleaned, old paint began chipping off the casing and trim. We were warned not to sand any of of it since, most likely, the home’s original paint was underneath and contained lead. With my perfectionist tendencies, I had to fight the urge to make every detail flawless and just focus on getting the paint on the walls. After a couple of long days, things started to look brighter and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This room gets the most beautiful sunlight, so I knew I wanted to keep the paint light and warm. I landed on a saturated ivory that feels historic without leaning too yellow. The winner was Figueroa by Portola Paints, the same color I used for the roman clay in our living and dining rooms. It’s quickly become a favorite of mine.
the details:
Paint Color: Figueroa by Portola Paints
Once the painting was finished, our electrician came in to add a j-box to house the old wires hanging from the ceiling and installed both the semi-flush mount and the new sconce. I’m so happy with how it turned out, and it feels amazing to have another room in the house ready to use. Our home is on the smaller side, but it still feels like such a space upgrade from our one-bedroom apartment in Orange County. I’m so thankful!
Home renovations definitely come with their share of stress, but even in those moments I remind myself that I’m living a dream I once only wished for.
Next up will be installing the new closets and getting drapery in place. Let me know what else you’d like to see from our home renovations, and feel free to leave any questions in the comments below.
