Renovating: It's What We Do
As we begin our renovation of the Atomic Ranch, we take a look back at the two homes we renovated in the past: a 1980s Cabin in the City and the 1948 Subdivision Sweetheart.
We are not new to renovating houses. This is our third project house. We always buy unusual homes that need a lot of work. But there’s something — some intangible quality about a house which inspires and captures us. We also have the imagination to look beyond the immediate disaster and to see the potential.
As we begin to remake our Atomic Ranch, updating it and making it more functional, I thought it would be fun to look back on the other two homes we have renovated: the 1980s Cabin in the City and our 1948 Subdivision Sweetheart.
Our 1980s Cabin in the City evolved over 8 years of work, and we did most of that work ourselves. That house was a laboratory — paint colors came and went, the bathroom had several iterations until we found the right combination. We learned a lot as we went, and we loved that snug little home. The 1948 Subdivision Sweetheart, on the other hand, needed too much work to live through — and we had a two year-old at the time. So, we took on a whole house renovation all at once.
I hope you enjoy this peek into our homes from the past. There are many ideas from these two homes which we will use again in one way or another. We fall deeply in love with our homes, and both of these renovations were labors of love.
Enjoy!
XOXO
Angela
There's No Place Like Home
It’s all about home today! Our favorite home book: The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and a free bunting for your front door. Happy home!
It’s fall! It’s cozy! Finally, it is time to snuggle up and thoughts turn to home…
My husband and I met long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away called Minnesota. As newlyweds, he was a student at the University of Minnesota’s graduate school of Architecture, and we spent many weekends dreaming about designing and building our own home. One day we visited a home designed by then-Minneapolis architect, Sarah Susankah. That home was on a parade of homes, and it was an example of her philosophy: The Not So Big House. It was a revelation. Everything that contemporary American home design said — big, bigger, biggest — is wrong according to Susankah. The big, bigger, biggest attitude consumes more resources, wastes space, and builds homes which create divisions and separation in families rather than bringing them together.
We went home from that home tour and immediately bought Susankah’s book, The Not So Big House. It has been a touchstone for us as we considered which homes to buy (this is number three) and what renovations to consider (this house will be our third major renovation). More than anything, The Not So Big House helped to shape our thinking about quality over quantity, energy efficiency, and sparing resources.
I have more about The Not So Big House today on my website. I hope you’ll check it out! Susankah has written several other books as well as other resources on her website, too.
And don’t forget to check out the Autumn Bunting project I posted last week. Not only is there a longer bunting for a fireplace or doorway, there’s also a cute little one that says “Home” which is perfect for your front door. The downloads are free, and the buntings use items you probably have around your house. Put it up instead of a wreath for the season. Enjoy!
Happy Wednesday!
Angela
The Not So Big House
Sarah Susanka
DIY Autumn Bunting
Free Download!
New eBook Launches today!
Learn the secrets to one of my favorite side-hustles: selling my child’s clothes on Facebook. My new ebook helps you get started or get organized — all inspired by Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method. Check it out!
I am delighted to announce the launch of a new ebook today in my shop…
A Closet Full of Memories: Using a Facebook Closet Page to Organize & Sell Your Child’s Clothes
This book comes as part of my journey with the KonMari Method, Marie Kondo’s system for sorting, organizing, and tidying your home. My KonMari journey started two and a half years ago. We had moved, and I broke my foot. I needed a project and stumbled upon Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
I had been buying and selling furniture on Facebook and Craigslist for awhile, but I didn’t realize that I could do the same with children’s clothing. But you can! And clothing children is expensive — buying and selling online makes it all so much cheaper.
So, I invite you to order A Closet Full of Memories today!
This ebook is for everyone! If you are already selling, I share my personal secret weapon: the Facebook Closet Page. Not only does my closet page help me stay organized, it also allows my followers to shop my items before anyone else.
And if you haven’t started selling yet, I walk you through choosing what to sell, taking great photos, and using your closet page to keep it all together.
Selling your child’s outgrown clothing can be a fantastic side-hustle for any parent, and this book will teach you how to do it well! From photographing to shipping it out, A Closet Full of Memories walks you through the process and helps you set yourself up for success.
A Closet Full of Memories is available as a digital download today! And if you want to read more about it, check out this page.
Repurposing Vintage Linens
Washing vintage linens and turning them into no-sew curtains
My grandmother died this summer at the age of 97. One of the mementos I chose from her home after her death, was a pile of vintage linens -- handkerchiefs, aprons, towels, table linens, and sheets. I've started to repurpose them, and today I am sharing my first projects! Click on the photos below to read about my experiments with laundering the first batch of vintage linens as well as the no-sew curtains I made from sheets and table runners!
And don't forget: The Nice List is available for preorder on Kickstarter! We are almost 25% funded! Hooray! Order your copy now!
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Click to order!
