The things on my mind including a portrait on our front steps, an art print that I can’t stop staring at, becoming a hairdresser, dogs doing dog things, ranking lamps, pants with elastic, a funny construction bit, how infectious disease shaped American bathroom design, four tips to transcend design trends, a sweatshirt of my favorite city, and my monthly playlist.
Read MoreWe just celebrated the five year anniversary of buying our house. FIVE YEARS! It feels like time has flown by yet it also feels like we’ve been here forever. I get nostalgic about it and I like to take trips down memory lane, so I thought I’d share some Before, Progress, and After photos from that last five years. Plus I’ll share what we have planned for the next five!
Read MoreWe’re getting closer and closer to the renovation feeling less like a construction site and more like a room. We’re not quite there yet, but insulation and new flooring underlayment has me seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Plus, we added a fresh outdoor dining set that has me itching to eat oodles of meals out there!
Read MoreThe crew has left so I’ve taken over the renovation project and my first task was insulation! The process was very easy and actually quite enjoyable. I can already feel a difference in the temperature of the room and how the space sounds, so I’m a happy camper. Let’s get into it!
Read MoreI’m a sucker for a good DIY and have always been a fan of craft projects that keep me busy, teach me something new, and give me something to enjoy or gift when I’m done. During the kitchen renovation and the pandemic, when things feel out of control and I crave the satisfaction of a job well done, so crafting is something I’m itching to do. Perhaps you are, too?
Read MoreElectrical went in last week! As did HVAC and venting! And we had our first inspection! While it was stressful for me to make decisions (that’s just not my strong suit in any application), the installation was free of drama like plumbing week! Let’s take a look at what happened, shall we?
Read MoreI’ve converted my tree mural into a paint-by-numbers coloring page, just for you! It’s totally free, of course. You can color it with markers, paint, colored pencils, or just a plain old pencil. You do you.
Every once in a while we crave a mind-numbing activity. And I’d vote that during a pandemic is one of those times. Some folks are sittin’ around looking for things to do and others are working five jobs instead of one. So, may I interest you in some brain-less coloring to take your mind off the stress for even a minute or two?
Read MoreI used to write these renovation updates in terms of weeks, but things are just so. slow. moving. So instead of a week 4 update, it’s just the 4th update in the series because it’s actually been 7 weeks of renovation. But, we’re making progress, and in this post, I’m here to chat all about plumbing! Spoiler: things started to suck this week.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including a DIY sink stand, comparative suffering, checking privilege, a philosophy for maintaining calm during the chaos, spring cleaning, blogger visits, a cool candlestick, recreating artwork at home, the end of an era, the teeny renovation decisions, y monthly playlist, and more.
Read MoreThere are a lot of times I’d recommend not renovating a kitchen and during coronavirus is one of those times. We’ll work it out, and we’re grateful we have the privilege we do right now, and this will all be over one day (hopefully). But It’s still less than ideal. Many of you kindly have reached out to ask how things are going, so I’m here to share with you what’s going on and how we’re moving forward with this project.
Read MoreIt’s springtime and that means clean time! As your resident clean freak, I’ve compiled a list of deep cleaning activities for you to tackle throughout the season. Some will take a few minutes, others will take an afternoon, and some are set-em-and-forget-em then wipe-em-clean a day later.
Read MoreThis week’s inspiration including a scullery DIY makeover, how to help during the coronavirus crisis, what I miss most not having a kitchen, what to do if you’re itching to do projects at home, a crafting kit I’m eyeing, where to get home improvement resources when stores are closed, 25% off cashmere sweaters, urban homesteading resources, Daniel’s entryway makeover, and more.
Read MoreWelcome to a new series: Report Card. I'm going through (nearly) everything in a space and telling you how it's actually held up. The backyard's first up, and spoiler, I did not ace this one.
The plants finally filled in, the veggie beds are in the wrong spot, and I've learned that the yard you design and the yard your kids actually use are two very different things.
Hi. It's been a while. I've missed this. I took a longer break than I planned. Life has gotten full. I've been developing film and knitting at soccer practice, attempting to garden with the girls and fussing around with furniture layouts. I’ve also been scheduling summer camps, refilling the watercolors multiple times a day, and trying to keep the toys tidied. Around the house, I’m adding color wherever it fits and making some changes to the overall function and feel.
My friend Martha had a vision for this garage conversion: to turn her unfinished catch-all garage into a beautiful, hard-working space that could function as a living room, media room, playroom, laundry room, home office, and storage zone. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced all of that could fit. But somehow(?!), it absolutely does and it turned out even better than I imagined.
What I’ve been up to - from gardening, to film photography, and the books and shows we’re enjoying. Plus a house tour that requires a closer look, grass seed to always have on hand, cedar shake excitement, historic window screens, and the privilege I’m reminded of daily.
Ashley’s restoring her historic home at a snail’s pace in California. She shares home improvement DIYs, tips for sustainable living, and renovation stories - all while aiming to add more color and present real, lived-in, family friendly spaces.
I'm Ashley, a deeply systematic homebody restoring my 1915 Craftsman bungalow in California, slowly and on purpose. I don't make a single decision without first opening 100 tabs. Renovation, DIY, color, and what it actually looks like to live in an old house with two young kids.
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On data loss, real loss, and stretching further distances.