We spent yesterday looking at furniture and kitchens for the AirBnB in AZ. People seem to like threads like this so I'll post things we have seen for your opinions.

I'll start with the space. It's small, and every time I look at the pictures I am reminded of just how small it really is. The bedrooms are OK in size, but the rest of the place is pretty tight. Light is an issue.

4 unit apartment building, built 1985. I like the trees - not common in Mesa. One tree is dead and will be removed, but the others (a Mesquite and a huge Russian Olive) will be trimmed and retained. Only one of the units is accessed from the front.



The other three are accessed from the back. The two lower units have gated courtyards. The one on the right is the one we will be working on. Curb appeal needs work but at least all of the units have 2 parking spaces.



I like the gates:

This is the unit we'll be working on, currently occupied by the owner. The floors aren't my favorite but they will stay because they are almost new and in great shape. Kitchen will be remodeled. Baths will stay, popcorn ceilings will not.

I just learned that "Inspiration Rooms" are a thing, and Sharon has started a Pinterest page. I like this one - it's light in scale, yet comfortable. Southwest-ish without going kitsch. Side chairs are too big and the corporate artwork has to go, but the feel is right and it will be easy to reproduce. That sofa is available at dozens of outlets, including Amazon, of all places. We're thinking a lighter colored rug.

How will you get rid of the popcorn ceilings? I'm dying to do this, but worried they are asbestos.

The place is tiny. I had a kitchen just like that in my studio apt in NYC. I like the wood floors a lot.

Put light grey granite tiles on counters of small kitchen I had. Liked the look. It sold in one day during one of the local real estate frenzies.

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Originally posted by piqué:
How will you get rid of the popcorn ceilings? I'm dying to do this, but worried they are asbestos.

Was wondering this exact thing!

Most of our ceilings are... what, plaster?? the good ceiling? I don't know what to call it. But we have one room (I don't think it's original to the house) with a ceiling that I don't like, I'll take a photo later.

Steve, if light is an issue, you've probably already thought of this, but for sure go with a nice wall color, like the one you recommended to me, Navajo White.

Also, good ceiling light fixtures are important. Our kitchen ceiling light is one of those permanent LED lights (you take the cover off and it's all those little lights). Well, guess what, I hate it. It's not bright enough and there is no way to change that! So frustrating. Eventually I think I'll call an electrician to get it rewired.

but back to the AirBnB,I don't think tiny is a problem. But it does mean you need to avoid too many decorative items.

Also, don't forget to have table-tops or other surfaces that actually don't have anything on them.

I hate going to a hotel and finding that every single surface has something on it (a book of info about the hotel, a notepad, a vase... other things).

I like to be able to keep track of my stuff and get things arranged, and this is annoying.

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Originally posted by piqué:
The place is tiny. I had a kitchen just like that in my studio apt in NYC. I like the wood floors a lot.

All four units have the same layout. 768 square ft. They look quite a bit different without so much stuff in them. I like the wood floor, but I like the pattern used in the other units better, and I think they look better run in the other direction. I may be the only one to ever notice this.

Here's a listing for one of the two other AirBnB units. The camera work makes it look bigger than it is, but you can get an idea of what we're going for. It's the upstairs unit with vaulted bedroom ceilings, something I'd like but not worth the cost of changing.

Salt Creek AirBnB

As far as the popcorn ceilings, the first thing to do is have the ceilings tested by a lab. A lot of the material they used did not have asbestos in it so you might get lucky. The other thing to check for is whether the ceilings are plaster or drywall. If the ceilings are plaster you usually can't remove it and end up installing 1/4" drywall over it.

The removal process is easy, but it makes glorious mess. Asbestos or no, you get the ceiling soaking wet with something like a Hudson weed sprayer, wait a few minutes and then scrape it off with a wide blade. It comes off very easily, and if you have a helper hold up a plastic box or bucket below the blade you don't get quite as much mess.

Keeping it wet keeps asbestos fibers from flying around. That said, if you are concerned you should have a licensed asbestos abatement contractor do the work. You won't like the cost, but at the end of the project they will test the air to make sure it's all gone.

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Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Steve, if light is an issue, you've probably already thought of this, but for sure go with a nice wall color, like the one you recommended to me, Navajo White.

Absolutely. What I like about Navajo White is that it picks up whatever color you use around it. The bright "Kelvinator White" they used in the two other units is too sterile for me.

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Also, good ceiling light fixtures are important.

The existing kitchen fixture is a ridiculous little beaded chandelier that has to go. I'll probably go with recessed down lights there to keep the lines clean. The new "puck" lights make it easy to do. I'll be opening up walls to install TV/Internet cable anyway so I may as well.

Or can I skip the cabling and run the TV on WiFi? I need to check on this.

The dining room fixture is also an issue as it's centered in the space as if you were going to center the table. The way it sits now I hit my head on it. Something more compact is in order.

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Our kitchen ceiling light is one of those permanent LED lights (you take the cover off and it's all those little lights). Well, guess what, I hate it. It's not bright enough and there is no way to change that! So frustrating. Eventually I think I'll call an electrician to get it rewired.

You don't normally rewire those, you replace them. They're cheap, and available in any wattage you want. Replacing one is well within reach of the average homeowner, and if you or your husband want to do it I can walk you through.

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Also, don't forget to have table-tops or other surfaces that actually don't have anything on them.

Absolutely, and I also think it's important to provide some place in a bedroom where you can put your suitcase. It's surprising how many hotels don't provide that.

To that end, we bought our first piece of furniture yesterday; a bench to go at the foot of the bed. Sharon really likes it and it will be a place to put your suitcase or sit down to tie your shoes. On sale at Home Goods (matching dog optional):

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The way it sits now I hit my head on it.

Ugh!!

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You don't normally rewire those, you replace them. They're cheap, and available in any wattage you want. Replacing one is well within reach of the average homeowner, and if you or your husband want to do it I can walk you through.

Wait, this is important!!! What do you replace? The individual bulbs, or the whole fixture? What would you replace it with?

This isn't the right kind of light, but IIRC, when you take the cover off, it looks a lot like this:

These will probably be the cabinets. The kitchen is so small we want something light in tone and none of the woods look good with the floor. The last picture shows them in a narrow kitchen and I like them.

Malibu White

The current front runner for the counters is a pattern similar to this one. "Quartz".



I've never dealt with Cabinets to Go, but I like that we can see the product in LA and have it installed in AZ. Home Depot stock cabinets are pretty crummy and the ones you can order take weeks to get. CtG stocks pretty much everything and the quality looks good. The kitchen is small enough that price isn't all that important.

Has anyone had experience with them?

Pretty typical. Is it the style you don't like, or rather the amount of light it puts out?

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the amount of light it puts out

The amount of light. It's not bright enough!

This is my third trip to Mesa and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

I’ve renovated any number of apartments but never one so far away; nor have I ever furnished one from scratch including dishware, linens, laundry equipment, TVs and everything else that goes in to a house. It’s been a remarkable amount of work, mostly because the only furniture we could get is flat-pack stuff like you get at IKEA. It’s sturdy enough, but every piece takes hours to assemble.

And it generates an astounding quantity of trash! I found a service called “InstantHandz” on Facebook that refers jobs to veterans, and that guy has hauled off four Toyota truckloads of trash. Everything is boxed in to several compartments and surrounded by styrofoam. I’ve been chasing down styrofoam pellets for days and every time I turn around I see another one.

All that’s left is touch up paint and artwork. I don’t have a way to resize pictures on my phone so I’ll post pictures when I get home tomorrow.