The things on my mind including deja vu tiles, deep organizing, a reclaimed flooring saga, divesting from banks, the new garden gadget to save me tons of time, a podcast about greed and real estate, what I’m going in November, reader’s favorite blog post, and my monthly playlist!
Read MoreI 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!
Read MoreThe things on my mind this week including mirrors, the study of trees, a docuseries to binge, blood donation, billionaires existence, catching up on my renovation, the recipe I never knew about but want to try, the garment that I haven’t previously owned until now, and more.
Read MoreI’m one of those people that gets devoured by mosquitos. My mom always told me that it’s because I’m “so sweet” which is cute and nice, but jeez do I hate those pesky creatures. Last year, we had issues with excessive mosquitos so I called in support from the county’s vector control program. I learned a few things straight from an expert, then I’ve applied them for the past year. Now, I’m here to report to you the key takeaways.
Read MoreThe house I want to buy, native lands, the dress I’m sewing, more dresses I’m eyeing, thinking about money, ordering more wine, my favorite smoothie, what I’m eyeing on eBay, COVID-19 risk assessment, and needing your feedback.
Read MoreWhether renovating rooms or just planning a new furniture layout, I’ve been using this free app for years. It’s so simple to use - and there’s no need to understand CAD or Photoshop! Truly anyone can do it if you have some patience to figure out the quirks. In addition to designing a new layout, the renderings are so pretty and helpful for visualizing your new space!
Read MoreAn 18th-century home restoration, new swimsuits, end-of-life planning, my birthday, new cleaning tools, adopting a swing state, a kitchen makeover with clues to my kitchen, how not to go zero waste, a mask with my mural, and my monthly playlist.
Read MoreIt’s summer. It’s hot. The backyard is where it’s at. So, I gave us a pool! We have a giant 10-person jacuzzi taking up space, so why not put it to use to cool us down when it’s toasty and we aren’t leaving the house to go anywhere? Why do we have a giant jacuzzi? And How did I convert it? I’ll tell ya.
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 MoreAshley 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.
© 2025 Ashley Goldman / All Rights Reserved
Please do not use any images without proper credit (a link back to my site/social channels within the first 120 characters).
The Gold Hive contains affiliate links in sidebar banners, in images on the Shop The House page, and as text in select posts. This means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase something I recommended. Sponsored posts or gifted products are noted as such. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting bloggers and creators.
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.