Luna Update Part 4: Renovation Realities, Unexpected Costs, and Being Almost Live

If you’ve been following along, this is Part 4 of the Luna series—and we are so close to opening I can practically feel it. This update covers the final stretch before going live: flooring surprises, design pivots, timeline delays, and the lessons I’d absolutely do differently next time.

Let’s dive in.

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Where We Are Now: The Countdown to Opening

As of right now, our anticipated opening date for Luna is the first week of February.

If you’ve been following the journey from the beginning, you know this is about five weeks later than planned. Originally, we thought we’d be live around Christmas—but renovation timelines have a funny way of humbling you real fast.

Lesson learned: contracting timelines almost always take longer than you expect.

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The Biggest Curveball: Flooring We Didn’t Plan to Replace

When we purchased the property, the plan was simple:

• Paint
• Light cosmetic upgrades
• Fixtures
• Minor design touches

Floor replacement? That was supposed to happen a year down the road.

But after spending time in the home over Thanksgiving, I knew I couldn’t move forward without addressing it.

Why the Floors Had to Go

• Extremely thin, low-quality LVP
• Gaps between planks exposing subfloor
• No quarter round
• Poor attention to detail overall

This wasn’t about perfection—it was about delivering a product I felt confident putting my name on.

So we pulled the trigger.

The Real Numbers (Full Transparency)

• LVP materials: ~$4,000
• Returned excess flooring: –$1,000
• Final LVP material cost: ~$3,000–$3,250
• Professional installation: ~$3,600

Total for main flooring: ~$6,600 (unplanned)

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The Bathroom Tile (and the 615-Pound Reality Check)

The bathroom floor was always planned to be tile (thanks to our designer, Brianna Michelle), but wow—tile is heavy.

• 10 boxes
• ~615 pounds total
• Delivered to our home, then transported to the property

Costs:

• Tile purchase: ~$1,000
• Installation quotes: $1,700–$1,900
• Final install cost: ~$1,700

Bathroom flooring total: ~$2,700

Flooring Grand Total We Didn’t Expect:

👉 Just under $10,000

Not ideal. Not planned. But absolutely the right call.

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A Hidden Win: Fixing Structural Issues the Right Way

When the old flooring was pulled up, we discovered:

• Rotten floor joists
• Subfloor damage

Caleb jumped in, replaced the joists, fixed the root issue, and now the floors are solid as a rock.

This is one of those moments where doing things the right way beats doing things the fast way.

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Design Choices That Changed (and Why)

Not everything from the original design plan made it into the final execution—and that’s okay.

Wallpapered Ceilings (Pivoted)

Originally planned:

• Wallpapered ceilings in the master bedroom
• Wallpapered ceiling in the moody “Cranberry Room”

Why we changed course:

• High moisture environment
• Dome ceilings
• Long-term durability concerns

We left the ceilings white to:

• Reflect light
• Keep spaces feeling brighter and airier
• Avoid future maintenance issues

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Navy Dome Ceiling with Stars (Also Pivoted)

While stunning in theory, the reality was:

• Limited natural light
• Few skylights
• Risk of darkening the space too much

White ceilings won this round.

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A Creative Win: The Custom Cloud Mural ☁️

Instead of wallpaper in the entryway, we hired a local mural artist—a retired art teacher I found through a Facebook group.

She:

• Created a hand-painted cloud mural
• Added the Blue Ridge Mountains along the bottom
• Included a locally significant mountain with a fascinating backstory

This became one of the most meaningful and unique features of the home—and something guests will absolutely remember.

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Cabinets, Furniture & One Regret 😅

We also:

• Painted the kitchen cabinets (worth every second)
• Removed doors from the center cabinet section for a built-in shelving look
• Created a lighter, more intentional kitchen design

One Thing I’d Do Differently:

👉 Wait to install furniture until after construction AND a deep clean

Putting together brand-new furniture while LVP was still being cut?
Not my best moment.

Learn from me. Be patient.

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Final Punch List Before Opening

We’re officially down to the final stretch:

• ✅ Tile grout & sealing (finishing now)
• 🔜 Bathtub installation (end of January / early February)
• 📸 Professional photos
• 🧼 Final construction clean
• 🚪 Open doors to our first guests

We’re booking February—and I cannot wait.

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🎁 Listener Bonus: $50 Off Your Stay at Luna

If you’ve been following the journey and want to experience Luna for yourself:

• Join the Elysian / Luna waitlist (linked in the show notes)
• Use code STAYY50 on our direct booking site
• Get $50 off your stay

This may be capped to the first few bookings—so don’t wait.

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Want Help Branding or Marketing Your STR?

If you’re ready to:

• Treat your short-term rental like a real business
• Build a brand that attracts the right guests
• Create systems that scale

You can book a consult call directly through my calendar (linked in the show notes). I’d love to work with you.

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Until Next Time

Thank you for following along, cheering us on, and learning alongside us. Luna has been a journey—but one I’d do again in a heartbeat.

As always, I’m cheering you on as you build your dream brand and business. 💛