Et, Voila!

Hey friends and family, we now have a fully functioning guest room! Just for reference, here it was before we bought the house:



And here it is now:



Would you sleep in here? Yes, yes you would.

As for me, I've got other things to tackle. Like this hellhole...sigh...

Tranquil Pond

We decided to paint the guest room Tranquil Pond, a pale blue-green by Freshaire Choice, same as the front bedroom paint.



We were contemplating Naturalist Gray by the same maker. Even though it appeared to be a light, neutral gray, on the bedroom wall it turned into a washed out sickly violet (probably looks better in cool northern light rather than the warm afternoon sun that side of the house gets). Not exactly the atmosphere we'd like to create for any future lodgers we may have. I hope that Tranquil Pond will promote a, well, tranquil feeling.

Once I finished up the paint, I decided to wash the floor and wood trim. After some online research and consultation with experts (my mom), I decided to go with a slightly damp towel and a drop of Ivory dishwashing soap. There is so much controversy out there about wood floor care!! Pro water, anti water, must use this, must use that..... it all depends on what kind of finish you've got. If you have a new floor or a recently refinished floor, then you most likely have a urethane finish. Urethane is water resistant, so if you just use a bit a wipe it up right away, you're good. An old fashioned wax finish is a whole other animal though.

I've also been doing a little bit of research about the architecture/style of our house. I learned via the Capitol Hill Restoration Society website that we live in a daylighter house, a style that started to become common around 1920. This floorplan was built to be only two rooms deep, instead of the usual three, so more light would enter the house and there wouldn't be a couple of dark rooms in the middle. It was meant to appeal to middle class people who might have otherwise been looking for a many-windowed bungalow out in the suburbs.

Prime Time 2

We've got a beautiful weekend here in DC to open our windows wide and get the guest room painted. We did have to pause halfway through the primer coat and go buy some more Kilz. Good thing the Home Despot still has the big buckets on sale.



Still got to pick a color though.....Tranquil Pond, or Naturalist Gray?

No Room at the Inn (Yet)

Now that my super-helpful guest has left, I've gotten back to work in the spare bedroom. You may remember that I had already removed the wallpaper but hadn't yet dealt with the walls' boo boos, big and small.

Big boo boo number one would be this ugly soffit concealing some HVAC ducts. It's hard to see in this photo, but this is a particularly good example of unskilled soffit construction; none of the sides meet up squarely with the walls or each other, and it overlaps the door frame trim.



Also problematic are the space behind where the radiator used to sit -- a very rough plaster job, almost like the smooth top coat didn't make it there -- and a funny rough joint between a drywall patch and the original plaster wall behind the door.





So, I got out my caulk gun, spackle, fiberglass tape, and quick setting joint compound. I also have a super special spoonula (highly professional tool, that) for spreading joint compound in the awkward spots.



Getting better, don't you think?



While patching this room has not been as intense or widespread as it was in the front bedroom, it has posed its own special frustrations. Namely, the funny rough corner just hasn't wanted to be smoothed out. Several times over the past few days, while applying coat after coat of joint compound, I've wanted to give up and call it good enough. But then I think of my mom, who believes in doing the job right, the first time. So I have persevered on, until this afternoon, when I think I finally got it right. Thanks for the lesson, Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

The Great Wallpaper Scrape Continues...

My parents arrived last Friday with a UHaul full of family furniture from Arkansas. I felt motivated to remove the wallpaper from the guest room so I could get it clean before their arrival. This process was made some easier by Mr. MJ being away on a business trip, so I could work into the wee hours without the suggestion that I go to bed (however, a downside to this is that I also have to make my own coffee when I get up in the morning, which is really not easy after a late nite of wallpaper scraping). Here are in-progress and mission complete photos:




Now, my house has been turned into the Capitol Hill Lumber Yard as my mom prepares to school me on the circular saw.