May 04, 2023

How To Safely Work Around Lead-Based Paint When Re-Painting The Exterior of an Old House

May 04, 2023/ Ashley

Our century-old house has been in need of a fresh paint job and the task of dealing with the layers of lead-based paint was admittedly intimidating. There are a few key steps to keep lead out of our waterways, soil, air, and homes when working outside. I’m here to share exactly what to do (and not do!) when prepping a house for a quality paint job while taking the greatest cautions with lead.

October 13, 2020

What I Put In My 2020 Renovation Time Capsule

October 13, 2020/ Ashley

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!

May 06, 2020

How (and Why) To Install Rockwool Insulation: A DIY Step-by-Step Guide

May 06, 2020/ Ashley

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!

March 02, 2020

Talking Historic Designation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast (Part II)

March 02, 2020/ Ashley

Podcast time! Now live is part II of my episodes on the podcast True Tales From Old Houses! During part II, Stacy and I are talking all about how and why my home received historic designation, the amount of money I don’t pay on my property taxes anymore, gentrification and issues with Mills Act, city permitting challenges, neighbor disputes, and what I’m allowed to do and what I have to do to my historic home.

February 27, 2020

Old House Archaeology - All of the Treasures We Found Hidden In The Walls

February 27, 2020/ Ashley

One of the most thrilling parts of demolition is finding evidence of yesteryear! So often remnants of the previous renovations are left in the walls, or old mechanical systems are uncovered, or things mysteriously end up in weird places. Wanna see what we found during demolition?

February 17, 2020

Talking Old Houses, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Historic Preservation on the True Tales From Old Houses Podcast

February 17, 2020/ Ashley

I sat down with Stacy of the blog Blake Hill House who runs the podcast True Tales From Old Houses to record an episode! We chatted about old homes, energy efficiency, sustainable improvements, modern upgrades, old window efficiency, and weighing the pros and cons of green updates like solar panels. This was a great conversation because I got to share some things that I’ve never discussed in much length on the blog or on Instagram. You’ll definitely want to listen! And I guess I’m overly chatty because Stacy had to split up my interview into two parts! In part two, I chat more about my experience living in a designated historic district, so stay tuned for that.

January 28, 2020

All About Push Button Light Switches

January 28, 2020/ Ashley

I’m a big fan of my light switches - just those simple dimple little things we use every day. And I get asked about them a lot, so I want to share a little about those brass, black, and pearl things you see on all of my walls. I’m here to tell you about my period-appropriate light switches!

November 20, 2019

Our 1,400 Square Foot Home - How We Live & What We Store

November 20, 2019/ Ashley

My friend Cathy of The Grit and Polish has been opening up the discussion of home sizes and what square footage means to different families. She was talking about it on her blog the other day, and I feel like I have more to share about our home, how we use it, what we wish we had, and how we think it will change in the future. So here it goes!

September 03, 2019

How To Get a Building Construction Permit and My Experience With A Historic Home

September 03, 2019/ Ashley

We 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.

August 19, 2019

Hunting for Salvaged Windows + A Vlog!

August 19, 2019/ Ashley

Guess what! We’re about to start talking about my kitchen renovation. Can you even believe it? I can’t. In the first edition of my kitchen renovation story, we’re talking salvaged windows and loving old house plus old house parts.

August 05, 2019

Our Mills Act Tax Savings + The Secret Calculator & Some Financial Transparency

August 05, 2019/ Ashley

I shared awhile back that our home was designated historic - yay! I already went into the nitty gritty of how we got our home designated, what it means to be designated, what Mills Act is, and the pros and cons of how it affected our home in this blog post. Give that one a read first or you’ll have no idea what I’m talking about here.

So, I’m here to update you on where we’re at in that process and also share some nitty gritty finances with you. If you’re thinking about applying for Mills Act, this post is for you. If you like snooping on other people’s finances, this post is also for you.

February 12, 2019

Getting Our Home Historically Designated - New Rules for Renovations & Tax Savings

February 12, 2019/ Ashley

Our house is a 1915 craftsman bungalow in a charming old neighborhood of San Diego. While the house is special in our eyes, we’ve been going through the process of making it even more special with historic designation. It gives us cool street cred, plus with an extra step, we get a discount on our property taxes. There’s a lot of wins, but also a few hurdles to jump over, so I wanna share where we’re at in the process, how to apply yourself, and what this all means for the future of our home.

How We Live Here Now, Vol. 2: The Backyard

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.

How We Live Here Now - Volume 1: Introduction

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.

How We Turned a Garage into a Living Room, Laundry Room, Office, and Storage Space

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.

Weekly Roundup

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.

Where I’ve been, shooting on film, my dream house, retro costume inspiration, energy rebates, a magic cake, textiles I don’t need but want, a lampshade DIY, my best defense against mosquitos, a new podcast, what’s killing home remodelers, best decision-making advice, overheard parenting, Little Women on acid home tour, best marble etch remover, and more.

Colorful Primary Bathroom Addition Reveal

If you like florals and color, this bathroom is for you. If you don’t, well, maybe scroll through and you’ll be converted? Or not? Either way, here’s the reveal of a bathroom addition that’s finally here - after a whole three years of construction.