Hi, I’m Sarah, and in this first episode of my room renovation series I’m doing a full reset after moving back home with my parents at 23. I walk you through the weird limbo of feeling like an adult but also feeling like a kid again—especially when some of my friends are moving to places like New York or starting their “next milestone,” and I’m literally back at the old checkpoint. To make it feel like a new chapter (not a step backwards), I decided to start from the outside in: clearing everything out, taking down my super old photo walls, retiring my desk, and basically letting go of stuff that used to be “me” but doesn’t feel like me anymore. Then it gets very real: spackling (I love the word), sanding, wiping everything down, taping edges, and finally painting over my very fairy-princess purple walls. I also make a classic beginner mistake—skipping primer—so you get to watch me run back to the hardware store (multiple times) and redo it properly. Along the way there’s an iced matcha break, Sushi (my smooth-brained but sweet French bulldog) makes an appearance, and I share my vision for a warmer, cozier, more “mature 23-year-old” space with a standing desk setup and secondhand finds like a wicker/rattan shelf. The biggest takeaway: a room makeover is genuinely the fastest way to give yourself a clean slate to grow into.