The biggest surprise for most homeowners isn't the cost of finishes. It's what happens when walls are opened and a century of previous decisions are revealed. Knob-and-tube wiring that someone once extended with romex and electrical tape. A drain line running through...
You feel it as you step inside, before you've taken more than a few paces. Something settles. Not excitement, not surprise — just a quiet sense of ease, like your shoulders dropping without you realizing they were tense. The door closes behind you with a solid,...
Some things about how I work are hard to explain in a studio bio. If you’ve ever walked into a space and felt immediately, inexplicably at home — or the opposite — you already know what this is about. Throughout my entire life, I have been able to feel...
If you’ve spent any time researching what to do with an older home, you’ve probably seen these words used interchangeably: preservation, restoration, renovation, rehabilitation. They’re not the same thing. The approach you choose shapes every decision that follows —...
I'm currently sitting here in an 1897 historic apartment building in what must be my 53rd Airbnb stay!! As a designer who loves historic properties, it's so lovely to see the beautiful and original heart pine floors, original millwork, and the care put towards keeping...
Recently I asked my Facebook Audience how healthy they rated their homes. Today I'll talk about four ways you can increase the health of your home. ** I'm a little more technical in this post, if the science is not your thing, skip on over the sections where I detail...
When a Contractor Says It Can't Be Done: How to Hold Them Accountable on a Historic Home Renovation Historic home renovation in Denver · Design process Over the past twenty years I've worked with hundreds of contractors — on residential and commercial projects,...
I have gone on multiple consultations where (typically) the male partner has set up Alexa to control the lights and it often fails when a female voice asks Alexa to turn on the lights. Multiple asks and yet no lights turn on. Have you had this experience? To preface,...
In the part one I talk about the importance of considering how you want to feel in each area of your home, how our memories contribute to how we feel about colour, along with lighting and the colour temperature of light. Check out Part One here. Today let's dive into...
I've always considered myself to be an adventurous soul. I love new experiences, places and foods. When my husband and I started our renovation journey nearly a year ago, we felt exhilarated and excited about the changes that would take our shell of a house to a...