Up until now, we have only had three people staying over to help us work on the cabin. But over the 4th of July, we officially hit a major milestone: we hosted our very first non-working guests! Since it was one of our sons and his girlfriend, we were comfortable having them while the cabin is still a work-in-progress.
Having people stay just to enjoy the space gave us the perfect opportunity to put all of our hard work to the test. We were dying to see how the upstairs actually functioned as a real living space. A few of our big questions were:
- The Temperature Test: Would the upstairs Mr. Cool mini-split keep the bedroom area cool and comfortable enough for a good night’s sleep? (Spoiler: It passed with flying colors!)
- The Ceiling Test: How would sleeping in a bed nestled under that unique, slanted ceiling feel? Or did we need to move the bed to a different place?
While they were there we took a 2 day break from working on the cabin to enjoy our lake town, small shops, a neighborhood crawfish boil, visiting with friends, and fireworks over the lake. When it was time for them to leave, we had them sign their names in the cabin as we try to continue the tradition that was in this church camp cabin decades before we were there.
From Guest Mode Right Back to the “Jigsaw Puzzle”
As soon as our guests departed we got right back to work. We wanted to get the ceiling and drywall finished in that room before our next guest (another son) comes to visit.
Working on that angled bedroom ceiling was honestly like trying to do a massive jigsaw puzzle upside down. And just when we thought we figured out the rhythm, we moved into the little upstairs hallway where things got really interesting. With a solid wall directly behind us, we had almost zero clearance. Trying to squeeze a hand, a hammer, or a bulky nail gun into those tight spaces to secure the planks became a total game of construction acrobatics! It was really a great core workout!
Despite the tight squeezes, we managed to knock out a massive chunk of projects:
- Guest Bedroom 1: We officially finished the shiplap ceiling and hung all of the drywall.
- Hallway: Successfully finished shiplap and drywall along the upstairs hallway
- Guest Bedroom 2: We started the shiplap ceiling that hangs at the entrance of the final bedroom in the cabin.
Fighting the Urge to Paint (and a Secret Project!)
I am absolutely dying to paint the bedroom ceiling, the walls, and the half bath just to see the finished, polished results. The temptation is real! But I’m forcing myself to show restraint. I know that if we just wait until the entire upstairs construction is completely wrapped up, it will be a million times more efficient to use a paint sprayer and blast the whole thing at the exact same time. So, for now, the paintbrush stays packed away. 😔
In the meantime, I’m channeling that excitement into planning another fun project we have coming up. On the far side of the ½ bathroom wall, there’s a little storage area that also doubles as our plumbing access. Instead of a boring, standard utility door, we want to build a little hidden door—maybe even a secret Murphy bookshelf door!
I’m already trying to brainstorm fun little details to do inside that hidden space so that whoever opens it makes a fun little discovery. A tiny secret chalkboard? A hidden snack stash? My son’s girlfriend suggested a shelf for a bunny or cat to sit on. I’m wondering what our fictitious grandchildren might like…so many possibilities.
Seeing the Cabin in a Whole New Light
Standing upstairs now, everything feels different. For the longest time, all we saw when we looked up here was a chaotic work zone, exposed wall studs, and endless to-do lists.
Now? We are finally seeing the upstairs in a whole new light. The bedroom seems like a real room, a cozy retreat, and the cabin feels like a place where memories are going to be made. We absolutely loved hosting our first official guests, and we honestly cannot wait to finish up these next few projects so we can welcome even more guests to the cabin!
A parting question for you:
If you had a secret hidden space behind a bookshelf, what fun surprise would you hide inside it for your guests to find? Drop your wildest ideas in the comments—I need inspiration!
