A Year of Backyard Growth
/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 oβ photos.
Read MoreThe 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 oβ photos.
Read MoreOur backyard is complete!! Before, it was lackluster, unusable, and dangerous. Now, itβs full of fruit trees, veggie beds, flowers, and spaces for play, dining, and lounging. Itβs perfect!
Read MoreOn the back of our house we have a door that isnβt really a door - it goes absolutely nowhere. The door opens to drywall and framing lumber. Weβre required to keep it, so Iβve devised a plan to make the most out of it.
Read MoreIβve been working hard on the peeeerfect design for our open storage plate rack in the kitchen. Iβve been picky about how I wanted it, and it isnβt quite done yet, but I love where weβre at with it.
Read MoreIβve 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. Hereβs how it went.
Read MoreWhen 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!
Read MoreHardwood 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.
Read MoreOur 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. Hereβs the story of the sourcing and installation process.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreWeβre getting closer and closer to the renovation feeling less like a construction site and more like a room. Weβre 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!
Read MoreThe crew has left so Iβve 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 Iβm a happy camper. Letβs get into it!
Read MoreElectrical went in last week! As did HVAC and venting! And we had our first inspection! While it was stressful for me to make decisions (thatβs just not my strong suit in any application), the installation was free of drama like plumbing week! Letβs take a look at what happened, shall we?
Read MoreWhat Iβve been up to - from gardening, to film photography, and the books and shows weβre 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 Iβm reminded of daily.
Hammocks, cookbooks, gardening, sewing, and the other things Iβve been up to on my impromptu break, and more.
Where Iβve been, shooting on film, my dream house, retro costume inspiration, energy rebates, a magic cake, textiles I donβt need but want, a lampshade DIY, my best defense against mosquitos, a new podcast, whatβs 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 donβt, well, maybe scroll through and youβll be converted? Or not? Either way, hereβs the reveal of a bathroom addition thatβs finally here - after a whole three years of construction.
My baby is two! Timeβs flyingβ¦ we wish we could slow down these yearsβ¦ I canβt believe sheβs twoβ¦ and all those other clichΓ© things to say. We celebrated her second trip around the sun in our backyard with a small gathering of friends.
What Iβm 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 Iβve 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 snailβs 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 itβs 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 (Margotβs playroom) so itβs better suited for all the daytime play, whereas the single-window nursery is cozier for lots of daytime naps.