I’ve been talking about my kitchen and bathroom remodel for ages. And we’re finally going to get started on the remodel next week! I want to use this blog post to recap the process of getting to today and then loop you in to some of the latest updates and final decisions. Demo has kinda sorta started, so now is the time to get well versed in what’s happenin’!
Read MoreI’ve been talking about renovating my kitchen for years. And I’ve been talking about it on and off for a few months as the renovation is starting to pick up. But then I’ve been silent lately, and I owe you some explanations. A few of you commented on my reader survey that you want to see more frequent blog posts and you want to see this kitchen renovation get going. Believe you me - I do, too!
Read MoreWe FINALLY have a construction permit to do our kitchen renovation. FIN.AL.LY. Whew. It’s taken awhile to get here for a number of reasons that I’ll share here. I’ll break down the steps we took, the costs we’ve incurred, and some of the story behind everything.
Read MoreI’ve been talking on the blog a lot about our home’s new layout as we approach the remodel of the kitchen. I’ve brought it up because first I wanted your opinion, then because you gave great advice, and then because I needed your help deciding, and then I teased my favorite layout, then I elaborated, and now I’m here to fully explain the new layout - in video form!
Read MoreIt’s been three months since I’ve given you an update on my kitchen remodel, so here’s what’s been going on lately. I’ve got good news, disappointing news, and just plain ol’ updates.
Read MoreOne of my favorite buildings in all of San Diego is The Marston House, a 1905 home historic house that’s oozing with original charm and innovative design. With kitchen planning on my mind, I’ve been taking in the unique features of the butler’s pantry and cooking space in the old house, so I wanna show you!
Read MoreThank you all SO much for your feedback on my proposed layout changes last week! I really don’t know how I ever made decisions without the feedback of thousands of people.
Last week, I introduced two floor plan options and asked folks to vote but kept the results a secret. Wanna know what people favored?
Read MoreIf you know me IRL, or if you’ve been here awhile, you may have noticed I’m really indecisive and over think things WAY too much. I’ve been designing my kitchen for nearly FOUR YEARS now. I made minor upgrades to my current kitchen because I thought we’d only live with it for a mere 6 months. Well, here we are 4 years later and I’m still designing the future space. BUT! I think I may have come up with the best layout that makes the fewest compromises and sticks to a more reasonable budget! Check it out and let me know what you think.
Read MoreRedesigning the kitchen layout has been a doozy! I first talked about it in this post seven months ago where I laid out our must-haves, some sketches, a video walk-through, and a few thoughts on the matter. I asked readers to share their designs and give me feedback, so that’s what I’m here to do today - after a brief half a year of noodling on the designs.
Read MoreI've spent the past three years trying to decide on a new layout for the back of our house. We've come up with lots of ideas, but there is ultimately always a compromise of some sort and we struggle with identifying what we want to give up on. I think we've solidified a plan, but I'm still not 100% so I want your feedback!
Below is the existing floor plan.
We have three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a nice flow between the spaces that makes the house feel airy yet not too open. The ceilings are nine feet tall so even though our house comes in at just under 1,400 square feet, it still feels perfectly spacious. I love this little abode.
The master bedroom is accessible only by walking through another bedroom, or the kitchen. It's fine right now when the guest bedroom is actually just a TV room, and access to the kitchen is very convenient for rolling out of bed straight to breakfast. But, I'd like to access the master without tripping over a sleeping house guest or a stove.
We'd like to have a second bathroom in the house, ideally in the form of an ensuite off the master bedroom.
The kitchen layout isn't the most functional. It's decently sized but with wasted space on half of the room and with the two mudrooms. These two little rooms are inefficiently used for storage, and the walls block all of the natural sunlight from the back of the house.
We want a more indoor/outdoor feel. Right now, the only backyard access is through a door that's tucked away in a mudroom. We'd like to see the kitchen and the master extend into the outdoor space.
In this new layout, we'd gain a second bathroom, a bigger closet, both the kitchen and the master the would open up to the backyard, and we'd access the master through a hallway instead of another room. YAY! The only compromise is that the guest bedroom would get significantly smaller. To remedy the small space, I'll add transom windows over the guest room and hallway doors so natural light can flow between all the spaces. We will also install pocket doors to gain as much floor space as possible.
Here are each of the floor plans side-by-side so you can see the changes.
Since it's hard to visualize a space that you've never set foot in, I put together a video walkthrough using the renderings I created to design the floorplan. Take a look at the 2-minute video below for a better idea of the house will flow.
Reducing the size of a bedroom isn't ideal, I know. But the other options I played with had much bigger compromises. We toyed with adding on into the backyard, making the master accessible from the dining room, by jogging the hallway over to not take away bedroom space, and so many more.
If you're into floor plan configurations, cycle through the ones below. The differing rendering styles are because some are mine, some are from the previous owner's plans to add on, and the others were sketched by Ross' uncle who we cornered at a family reunion to brainstorm a bunch of ideas together. He's a prison architect - yes, prisons - but in a nice rehabilitative way. I have probably 30 other drawings in a notebook, but looking at them is too exhausting. If you're a layout nerd, let me know and maybe I'll upload the rest of them.
So, tell me! Any thoughts? comments? questions? concerns? I genuinely am interested in what you have to say! I'm not an expert, and I haven't lived in a variety of houses to know how different designs function but I'm taking inspiration from house tours, blogs, online images, books, and asking all the pros I can. Please weigh in - whether you're an expert or not! If you want to sketch up an idea to send my way, here's a pdf of the current floor plan.
We're taking this project on in phases, but phase one starts soon, so speak now or forever hold your peace! Note also that the kitchen isn't fully fleshed out. The renderings are not the final layout and most certainly not the finishes you can expect in the kitchen remodel - so stay tuned for that.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
The perfect piece of art didn’t exist, so I made it. Now the kitchen walls are adorned with a beautiful (yet odd) photo with a lil’ cameo by Margot!
I debated over a hundred wallpaper pattern options for the kitchen. And I mean hundreds. I started with a giant stack, then narrowed it down to about 20 that sat on the walls for months.
Built-in cabinets and coordinating islands are lovely, but I wanted a standalone furniture piece in our new kitchen. So, I designed the layout to include a vintage wooden table instead of a peninsula of cabinetry. After lots of vintage hunting and some modifications, we have the perfect work surface, dining table, and all-around great addition to the kitchen.
I’m a sucker for a good café curtain. They’re the perfect mix of charm and practicality - two of my favorite things.
I’ve been working hard on the peeeerfect design for our open storage plate rack in the kitchen. I’ve been picky about how I wanted it, and it isn’t quite done yet, but I love where we’re at with it.
I DIY sealed our marble countertops and you can, too! Sealing protects the stone from staining which really helps me not worry about spilling coffee on my bright white counters. I did a bunch of research on the best products so I’m sharing how and why I chose the one I did, plus detailing the steps to seal that gorgeous marble.
Marble counters are in the kitchen and looking so so good! There’s a process to designing the layout, coordinating with a fabricator, measuring, installing, and sealing. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Countertops are major workhorses and one of the biggest design elements in a kitchen. So, there’s a lot of thought that goes into the material, style, and design of them. But you know me, I have to research even further. In addition to picking a pretty countertop, I factored in the environmental footprint, worker health, land reclamation of the quarry, and the way it fits into a historic home. Ready to get into it? Let’s!
The kitchen is FINALLY coming together with the addition of things that actually turn the empty room it into a kitchen. The range is in, the cabinets are taking shape, and lights are installed. Pinch me!
I’ve heard of other blogger buds using fancy masking fluid to ease the painting job of painting windows and divided lite doors, but I never used it myself. Until Now. I learned some lessons and have some takeaways from the experience for ya. Here’s how it went.
We’re getting to the kitchen designing stage folks and it’s getting good! Before deciding on colors, door styles, hardware, and accessories, I want to nail down the mood/vibe of the space. I think it helps to identify a clear personality for the room - especially when it’s a utilitarian space. Hear me out.
A comfortable home, saving money on energy bills, and watching satisfying foam expanding videos – three of my favorite things! I insulated my new french doors with a can of Great Stuff™ Smart Dispenser™ insulating foam sealant to reduce my energy loss - here’s how!
We got appliances! And we bought them at a steep discount! And we took a day-trip to go pick them up! Here’s a video journal of that day.
With concerns for our planet and the folks that experience climate injustices, we’re all making purchasing decisions with ethics in mind. Appliances are no different. Electric and induction cooktops are becoming a popular environmentally friendly option, but I'm taking a hard look at all of the considerations to make the most conscious choice.
When we opened up the walls during our remodel, I knew I had to leave a time capsule behind the drywall. Plus, 2020 is quite a year to immortalize in the walls. Here's what I hid away to be found years and years from now!
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.
Hardwood 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.
Our 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.
Inset 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!
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.
The 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.
I came across a charming book written in 1914 all about how to plan an efficient kitchen. How perfect of a fit for me is that?!? Efficient! Kitchen! 1914! The book has certainly inspired my renovation and I’ve incorporated some of the tips and tricks into my current design. From organizing to lighting, and cooking to materials, it’s got guidelines on all of it. Admittedly, some of the lessons are comical and antiquated, but that’s the fun of it! Beyond kitchen designing, though, this book aims to make our homes thoughtful spaces that are free of waste, that value women’s time, and are utilitarian spaces rather than storage units. It’s pretty forward-thinking for a 100-year-old book!
We’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!
The 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!
Electrical 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?
I 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.
There 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.
This kitchen renovation and bathroom addition are still cruising. Kinda slow, often uneventful, sometimes thrilling. This past week the guys have been wrapping up framing and that included cutting a hole into a perfectly good wall, removing a door, adding two doors, and adding two walls!
Welcome 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.
© 2026 The Gold Hive. All Rights Reserved.
This site contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.
Sponsored content and gifted products are disclosed as such. All opinions are my own.
All images are copyright The Gold Hive. Reproduction or use without credit is not permitted. · Photo Licensing Policy
We really like the range we selected during our kitchen remodel, but despite my over-thinking and intense research for a range, I have a regret.