You read that right. I ordered cabinets for my kitchen, and they never came. It was mid-demolition when everything was a mess and we were trying to piece things together. Then I got the news. The cabinets I had been designing, sourced, and paid for weren’t going to show up. Here’s what happened.
Read MoreI’m on the hunt for an antique rug for the kitchen and it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. When hunting for a vintage rug, I have a few go-to stores that carry beautiful pieces, but I also source from lesser-known shops. So, here are 30+ online shops that carry beautiful old rugs for your antiquing needs!
Read MoreA kitchen with multiple green hues, how to stay positive through renovations, appraisal discrimination, repairing old windows, a $7 doohickey, zero waste stores, hunting for a rug, supporting your favorite bloggers, sore muscles, and my monthly playlist.
Read MoreThe renovation is taking shape! We have level floors (thanks to lots of nail pulling and geometry) and the beginnings of the oh-so-transformative drywall!! The kitchen is finally feeling like a safe space amidst the chaos of a renovation and a pandemic.
Read MoreColorizing antique photos, California’s firefighting crew and prison labor, six myths about old houses, a slow movie, the housewarming pineapple, wallpaper satisfaction, what to think about at your next meal, old home accounts to follow, gorgeous kitchen tile, the new cleaning tool I ordered, and what’s planned for The Gold Hive.
Read MoreWe recently added a big teak table to our backyard and it’s the perfect companion to our (soon-to-be) completed kitchen. The solid teak table arrived un-treated which was already gorgeous, but I wanted to give it even more oomph. I hunted high and low for an environmentally friendly oil that’s free of petrochemicals, and I found one!
Read MoreReal and painted bathrooms, stone fruit salad, all clothing is handmade, the implicit association test, seeking old house accounts, revealed tile, heat in redlined neighborhoods, typography and accessibility, and more.
Read MoreIn a COVID-19 world, our homes are carrying the load of so many of our needs: living, working, childcare, exercise, entertainment, hobbies, haircuts, and more. As we continue to live more of our lives at home, the design of our spaces has to shift to accommodate these new activities while still balancing what “home” means to each of us. I’ve been brainstorming many of the ways the design can change, and I’m curious if you agree or have other ideas, too!
Read MoreWhen we think of renovations and demolition, we often imagine a dumpster full of materials and debris from a gutted room. HGTV has taught us that #demoday is the day to take a sledgehammer to the outdated cabinets and a reciprocating saw to an old banister. But it doesn’t have to be like that! We can restore, renovate, and even demolish rooms without sending every little thing to the landfill.
Read MoreEvocative photos, apron styles, the new movie I’m excited to see, a big cabin transformation, ballot tracking, a podcast on schools and race, measuring wealth through time, environmental books, falling fruit, and more!
Read MoreI’ve always loved “day in the life” style posts from my favorite bloggers, but I never shared one myself. Partly because I wondered if it was at all interesting to anyone, partly because my days vary so much, and partly because I’m kinda ashamed to admit how many hours I spend scrolling on my phone.
Read MoreThe things on my mind including deja vu tiles, deep organizing, a reclaimed flooring saga, divesting from banks, the new garden gadget to save me tons of time, a podcast about greed and real estate, what I’m going in November, reader’s favorite blog post, and my monthly playlist!
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.
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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My daughter wanted to dress as Little Witch Hazel for Halloween, so I got to work crafting a sweater that looks just like the one worn on the cover. What’s great is it’s a super fast knit on chunky needles! I’m not a pro knitter but I finished this in about a week while watching TV after my girls went to bed and at the playground a few times.