I 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 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 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 MoreWhen we remodeled our primary bedroom a couple of years ago, we added beautiful outdoor seating to extend the space to our backyard. It’s been great! But, I’ll admit that I neglected doing a deep cleaning for two years. Mostly because it’s just so easy to care for outdoor furnishings in our climate. They sometimes get food spilled on them, and they do get rained on, but the San Diego sunshine often dries out the moisture and bleaches out the stains in a matter of days. Or so I thought.
Read MoreIf you follow me on Instagram, you know that we had a thrilling week with the addition of a new roof and the removal of FIVE layers of roofing material. This project was a long time coming and has been the topic of many discussions in our household. So, I’m here to give you all the details from picking a color, finding a contractor, and the cost. Hold on to your seats - roofing is very exciting.
Read MoreIf you recall what our front yard looked like when we bought it, you know that the majority of my complaints were with all the excess stuff I didn't like in the yard. So, the first step to getting the yard of our dreams was getting rid of everything else. We were quoted over $2,000 to clear out the yard of plants and send them all to the landfill. Since neither of those things are cool in my book, I devised a plan. Here's how we saved thousands of dollars to prepare for a new landscape
Read MoreOur house needed a lot of work to update the curb appeal. This is the first post in a series of big improvements and minor fixes to get our bungalow looking its best.
Read MoreI love finding creative ways to recycle and I especially like using waste byproducts. When I learned that I could tap into my air conditioner to gain recycled water it was an easy and cheap no-brainer for free water that we use in the garden. Here’s how!
Read MoreHi. 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.
Margot is getting an upgraded room to make space for baby sister in the nursery.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.