The thrill of renovating outdoor spaces is they always get better with age. We overhauled our backyard last year and the plant growth during this last trip around the sun is wild! Get ready for lots o’ photos.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreWe just celebrated the five year anniversary of buying our house. FIVE YEARS! It feels like time has flown by yet it also feels like we’ve been here forever. I get nostalgic about it and I like to take trips down memory lane, so I thought I’d share some Before, Progress, and After photos from that last five years. Plus I’ll share what we have planned for the next five!
Read MoreThe 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!
Read MorePodcast 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.
Read MoreGuess what!?! Ross found us some archival footage that I completely forgot we had from before we ever moved in! After I published last week’s 2020 house tour video I was wishing we had a recording of what the house looked like five years ago before we moved in. And we do!
Read MoreThe house is super tidy, so I filmed the annual house tour! I love these little videos to give you a lay of the land and to look back on year after year to see the changes. I did a deep clean and organization because blogger superstars Julia and Chris of chrislovesjulia.com came over to my little abode! Get to know my house in this 4-minute video!
Read MoreI’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!
Read MoreI found a lost table hiding in my attic! She’s a cute lil’ thing that needed some TLC and now has a prominent spot in my living room. What a doll, she is!
Read MoreMy 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!
Read MoreWhen it comes to homeownership and home improvement there are lots of receipts, and manuals, and warranties, and documents, and maintenance reminders, and just stuff! Luckily, “organization” is my middle name, so you can bet I get a kick out of keeping that stuff in check. Here’s how I do it.
Read MoreIt’s the reveal of my kitchen’s cheap stop-gap makeover! When we got the keys to the house, I didn’t feel comfortable touching anything let alone eating anything in there. So, I did cosmetic improvements, a few functional upgrades, and lots of cleaning! We didn’t want to put too much money into it because we knew we’d be remodeling soon, so I made over the space with $600 and some elbow grease.
Read MoreWhat 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.
My baby is two! Time’s flying… we wish we could slow down these years… I can’t believe she’s two… and all those other cliché things to say. We celebrated her second trip around the sun in our backyard with a small gathering of friends.
What I’m binge watching, the things I ordered for summertime fun, an incredible legacy, ranking films, a dozen things to say to your kids daily, design decisions, sibling bonds, and more.
I have such love for my historic house, but I’ve shamefully been neglecting the exterior paint. The tired finish was peeling and the faded colors did no justice to the architectural beauty of my 1915 craftsman bungalow. It was time for a change - a transformation that would honor the home's history while infusing it with fresh energy.
Ashley has been restoring her craftsman bungalow since early 2015. The Gold Hive chronicles the journey of DIYs, restorations, renovations, and stories.
I'm Ashley, a type-A homebody fixing up my historic home at a snail’s pace in California. I share home improvement DIYs, tips for sustainable living, and renovation stories - all while aiming to add more color and present real, lived-in spaces.
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Margot is getting an upgraded room to make space for baby sister in the nursery.
With an additional family member, we want to shuffle the rooms of our 3-bedroom house around. The one off the living room was being used as my home office, so now it’s time to convert it into an actual bedroom. The initial thought was to give this room to baby sister and keep Margot in her room. But we ultimately decided to put the baby in the room designed to be a nursery, then convert the home office into a space designed for a bigger kid. Plus, the office has more windows, and is right off the living room (Margot’s playroom) so it’s better suited for all the daytime play, whereas the single-window nursery is cozier for lots of daytime naps.