I’ve successfully turned a perfectly good kitchen into an entirely useless box with walls and floors. But now I’m adding things back to it and making it an actual kitchen again! Finally! Now that it’s a livable space, I’m anxious to get cooking again, so I’m kicking things off with building a custom range hood.
Read MoreLately, we’re spending more time outdoors and finding creative ways to get a change of scenery and safely see friends. One way we’re doing this is by maximizing backyard space to extend outdoor hang out time into the evenings, especially as the seasons shift and it gets dark earlier. How, you ask? Landscape lighting and outdoor seating! And I mean nice outdoor lighting that illuminates our outdoor meals, floods seating areas with light to see friends six feet apart, and casts light on surrounding greenery.
Read MoreA thank you, more color inspiration, climate activist resources, the painful show I love, a podcast parody, tunes, paintings I can’t stop staring at, one of the things that gave me a laugh this week, and getting out the vote.
Read MoreHardwood floors were installed in the kitchen and they look so good. Well, sorta. I hit a snag - literally. And then hit another snag - figuratively. Uuuuugggghhhh.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including: a photo full of things I’m crushing on, a cookbook with favorite meals, a podcast that’s cracking me up, a sweater that fulfills my weird dreams, tasty vegan treats, tips for buying antiques at auction, what I got to help with distanced picnics, my monthly playlist, and what I’m doing with all of my weekend hours.
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including more color, a collection of handmade home goods, natural taper candles, more wildfire preparedness, fall blooms, trash pumpkins, a lookalike toaster, poop podcasts, San Diego redlining, kitchen updates, and more!
Read MoreEmergencies that can displace us from our homes or leave us without our safety net can happen anywhere anytime. Being prepared for whatever comes is critical. I’ve got my evacuation go-bag set up by the front door during wildfire season, but it’s also important to have ready all year long. I’m sharing what’s in my kit and listing some resources for you to prepare for a variety of hazards, as well.
Read MoreOur home is full of old-growth hardwood flooring that I adore. When faced with picking a new floor for our kitchen renovation, matching the existing hardwoods was a no brainer. Here’s the story of the sourcing and installation process.
Read MoreMy love of and fear of color, antiquing rugs and clocks, the sentimental and educational show I love, discussing how we can fix the housing and climate crises, a book I’ve pre-ordered, the history of zero waste, home renovation failures, wildfires, and the movie I just watched.
Read MoreInset cabinetry with the exposed face frame and flush doors is the classic style we see in period homes. These charming cabinets are harder to come by, especially on a budget, but I’ve rounded up 10 cabinet companies you can buy from directly and install yourself!
Read MoreMustard tones, living with less during a renovation, more vintage rug resources, advertisements, supporting bloggers, a historic home for sale, activist flags, the shirt I’m wearing through November, a PSA to cut up your masks, alternatives to calling the police, and adulting in summary.
Read MoreYou 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 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.