"Pardon our dust." That's what we've been telling house guests and visitors since we began the DIY renovation of our 1880s Victorian back in 2003. Our 15' wide row house, albeit small, has kept us busy for the last decade and there's still more to tackle. There's no shortage of projects as we work to renovate and restore our little piece of history in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. 

To view our projects room by room, click on the "see more" tab in the header of the project you're interested in learning more about. We hope you'll come along for the ride and don't mind a little dust. It brushes off easily, we promise.

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Comments 15

Comments

Dee
4/24/2014 at 5:16 PM

I was just wondering because I didn't find it in your blog, did you use a vapor/moisture barrier for under your butcher block for the dishwasher? Also did you seal the underside and the sink hole of your countertops?

Thanks
Dee

Alex
4/25/2014

Hi, Dee. No, we did not seal or place a significant vapor/moisture barrier on the entire underside of the butcher block. However, we did apply a piece of foil tape to act as a vapor barrier right at the door of the dishwasher (which is where most of the moisture that comes from the dishwasher goes). Now that we're about a year and a half into owning the butcher block, and we've not had any issues with the moisture from the dishwasher causing any separation or drying of the butcher block.

6/18/2014 at 2:48 PM

You definitely put a lot of effort into your home. I like the updates but also how you kept that unique curb appeal. The hardwood in the kitchen looks beautifully especially with the white countertops.

Ann
9/5/2014 at 11:36 PM

I just found your blog and am enjoying your projects and helpful resources! A link on this page to your master bedroom would be helpful as well. Thanks for sharing!

Diane
9/13/2014 at 7:37 PM

Need to replace sash cords on several windows of 1946 garage apartment. How do you get the windows out? Thanks.

Ali Nikaeen
4/19/2016 at 2:38 AM

I like to know if you changed the old windows on your house.?
I have bought an old house. Interior has to be completely rebuilt due neglect for long duration. However, the house has many windows, some are relatively large (8'x 10', almost from floor to ceiling). I can use some advice for the windows. They are nice but I am worried about energy efficiency since they are single pane and the fact that I may have problem with the old glass glaze.
Any recommendations?
Thank you.

Regards,

Ali Nikaeen

Erin
4/28/2016 at 2:59 PM

Ali, old windows that have proper glazing, weatherstripping, and storms have similar efficiency to new windows, but new windows have a life of only 10-20ish years vs. the many, many years your original windows have survived. The old-growth wood used in your old windows is also much better quality than what you'd find in replacement windows.

I have an old house with many large, neglected windows, too, and after lots of research I found someone who does window restoration and teaches window restoration classes. I took the class a few weeks back and learned a ton. I'm going to tackle most of the work myself and he'll help me with whatever is beyond my skill level.

It's a lot of work but there are great resources out there if you want to keep your windows. Good luck!

P.S. Thanks for all the thorough step-by-step project breakdowns and tutorials on this blog. Very helpful!

Jay
6/18/2016 at 7:39 PM

Looking forward to reading your blog- exciting projects, renovations, and posts!

Catherine Corlett-Carey
3/7/2017 at 4:20 AM

I'm very inspired by your wainscoting project. We recently had our staircase redone due to peeling paint on the risers and general wear. Our contractor suggested that we paint the treads white. He mixed in some material for traction, which has made a huge difference. While I love the look of wood treads, the white steps are so much easier to see and I don't worry about slipping down the stairs.

Paula
12/21/2017 at 10:47 PM

It's difficult to appreciate all the changes you've made since the before and after pictures are taken at different angles and are not showing the same detail.

JJ
6/25/2018 at 4:36 PM

Hi there, I too own a home in old town. I have an inaccessible crawl space that needs to be desperately looked into. Just a quick question: in your quest, were you able to come across a good contractor for excavating a crawl space, (that can create an entrance and dig it out some)? I've had several contractors out with no help. Everyone runs.

7/1/2018 at 2:02 PM

We haven't. There are a few people that have excavated in the area, so the city might have a few good leads on contractors they like working with. Give them a ring.

Lisa
6/28/2019 at 7:50 AM

Hello,

I love what you did on the exterior of your home. Can you tell me what house paint color you used?

Thank you!

Lucy Tinker
4/2/2020 at 11:14 AM

Greetings
I'm interested in you specialization of restoring an old building. can find it on "Ghosts of Sawyerville"
It's the old Store
Than

Guy P.
4/27/2021 at 8:25 PM

amazing stuff! Love the renos!

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