Our Backyard Reveal! + Lots of Before & Afters
/Our backyard is complete!! Before, it was lackluster, unusable, and dangerous. Now, it’s full of fruit trees, veggie beds, flowers, and spaces for play, dining, and lounging. It’s perfect!
Read MoreOur backyard is complete!! Before, it was lackluster, unusable, and dangerous. Now, it’s full of fruit trees, veggie beds, flowers, and spaces for play, dining, and lounging. It’s perfect!
Read MoreI’ve been getting out of the house more this week, but also collecting things for you on the internet, including the death of color and my promise to revive color, my favorite jeans on sale, the kitchen thing I should have gotten years ago, the culmination of a year of photos, bathroom inspection update, tile floor restoration, a bathroom cleaning hack, a cottage and wallpaper to check out, and an airbnb and school uniform that’s not okay.
Read MoreWe have tile, folks! And not just any tile - it’s colorful, custom designed, a bit historic, and a bit funky. I overthought the colors, layout, and grout colors to the umpteenth degree but it’s all paid off.
Read MoreThe things I’m loving this week (beside that smiley babe) including painted frames, a bathroom must-have, baby sign language resources, an update on the bathroom, a reminder to admire my favorite room in the house, a show that isn’t actually cheesy, green work, a first-aid necessity, wooden knobs for a special project, an update on my outdoor dining table finish, and more!
Read MoreIf you forgot about my bathroom addition, I don’t blame you - I kinda did too! The project has been on hold with absolutely zero movement for two years. Until now. Since I haven’t talked a lot about it recently, I’m getting lots of questions about this mysterious room in the house.
Read MoreI’m so pleased to show you around my favorite room in the house for my favorite human in the world! The wallpaper, the colorful furniture, the plush rug, and the comfy seating - it couldn’t be more sweet and cozy - just like Margot.
Read MorePlants are here! Sneaky cabinetry, a birthday treat, the death of detail, the next civil rights movement, my upcoming read, how not to go zero waste, lip balm I swear by, a perfect home tour, my favorite candles, and what today’s ruling means for women’s freedom.
Read MoreWhat our days look like, party hat color inspiration, a bathroom update, the door to nowhere, a floor I love watching, glass vs. curtain, home design from Amélie, bygone motels, a pink kitchen, and more.
Read MoreOn the back of our house we have a door that isn’t really a door - it goes absolutely nowhere. The door opens to drywall and framing lumber. We’re required to keep it, so I’ve devised a plan to make the most out of it.
Read MoreThe backyard debate, birthday crowns, a makeover with a stunning paint/woodwork combo, action to take against gun violence, movie recommendations, mom brain myths, marble sealer, cohesive interiors with a hodgepodge of things, my recent craft, and more!
Read MoreI didn’t want to toss out my trusty childhood lawn chairs just because they were falling apart. So, I found a way to reinvent them to last another three decades, and add some colorful charm, too.
Read MoreI upgraded to a new camera last year and I’ve been playing around more with photo editing, so I wanted to share an updated look at what I’m using to capture my images lately.
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.
Hammocks, cookbooks, gardening, sewing, and the other things I’ve been up to on my impromptu break, and more.
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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What I’m watching, knitting, and swinging in