Restoration Stories
Here you will find old house restoration and renovation stories. If you have renovated an old house or are just beginning your journey we want your story for all the old house community to see.
Submit your story or web site link to OldHouses.com
We are upgrading our story database, so for the moment there are two lists on this page, each organized by state. Please pardon the inconvenience as we upgrade.
The Devil Queen
Crow Mountain, Arkansas
1890 Victorian: Folk
Chronicles how my wife and I sold our souls to an 1890 Queen Anne Victorian. Since 2002, we've moved the house from its original site and completely rebuilt it from the ground up. After four years of hard work, suffering, and bondage to the beast, we're still waiting to move into it.
Web Site: http://thedevilqueen.blogspot.com/
Casa Decrepit
Alamdea, California
1876 Italianate
Casa Decrepit - The restoration of the Italianate style home is simply amazing and the story reads better than any Reality TV Show. Catch up with this quick restoration and follow the journey before it is finished.
Web Site: casadecrepit.com/
The Petch House
Eureka, California
Victorian: Queen Anne
A HouseBlog about the restoration of an 1895 Queen Anne.
Web Site: petchhouse.blogspot.com
San Fran Vic
San Francisco, California
1890 Victorian
I am an avid blogger and I have decided to start blogging about my home restoration. I hope you enjoy it.
Web Site: www.sanfranvic.com
This Old Home
Bethlehem, Georgia
Victorian: Queen Anne
This is the blog of our progress as we work to restore our 1862 home. For the past 5 years we have worked on our home as we lived in it... with our 6 year old twin boys helping along the way.
Web Site: thisoldhome.blogspot.com
Restoring Our 1900 Bungalow
Burlington, Iowa
1900 Bungalow
Web Site: draftyhouseinbtown.blogspot.com
The Old Mellicker Place
Iowa City, Iowa
1905 American Foursquare
Tales of joy and woe in the process of restoring a 1905 Four-Square.
Web Site: 225nlucas.blogspot.com
Our Old Victorian
Sioux City, Iowa
1889 Victorian
Website documenting the restoration of our 1889 Victorian home.
Web Site: www.ouroldvictorian.com
House in Progress
Chicago, Illinois
1914 Bungalow
This online diary brings the entire renovation process of one couple's journey to life as they are renovating their beautiful Chicago bungalow. Complete with diary archives, renovating and decorating ideas, before and after photos, book and magazine reviews, and even their experiences with different vendors, this site is a must see for any old house lover.
Web Site: www.houseinprogress.net
Big Red
Wyoming, Illinois
1890 Victorian
The townspeople call her "Big Red" but we call it "home". This is the story of our work, lives and play in an 1890 home in Wyoming, Illinois. From figured butternut woodwork throughout, to the original Brunswick billiard table in the attic...each day reveals another reason why we're so glad the house selected us.
Web Site: bigredwyoming.blogspot.com
Simpson's Folly
Wichita, Kansas
1900 Edwardian
Join us as we blunder our way through the restoration of this turn-of-the-century Edwardian Foursquare where "the journey is part of the destination".
Web Site: simpsonsfolly.blogspot.com
Willow Hill
Owensboro, Kentucky
1821 Farmhouse
This is our blog about our old, historic home.
Web Site: willowhillhome.blogspot.com
Old House, New Garden
Winchester, Kentucky
1895 American Foursquare
My blog detailing living in and fixing up an 1895 old Foursquare in an old neighborhood.
Web Site: meandering-garden.blogspot.com
House Love
Baltimore, Maryland
1897 Victorian: Queen Anne
Located in Baltimore's historic Charles Village. The house was nearly destroyed by a fraternity that owned it for 10 years. Ron Tanner & Jill Eicher restored it over a 7 year period (and counting). The house was featured in THIS OLD HOUSE magazine in the Jan/Feb 2008 issue.
Web Site: www.houselove.org
Two Cats in the Yard
Portland, Maine
1874
Two Cats in the Yard is a blog about our 1874 house in Portland, Maine. We are attempting a green renovation with two cats, a chihuahua, and a toddler in tow.
Web Site: 2cats.wordpress.com
Claire Allen Historic Home
Jackson, Mississippi
1922 Colonial
This is our story of renovating a historic 1922 Colonial. I hope you enjoy the site.
Web Site: renovate-home.blogspot.com
Bennington Colonial's Blog
Bennington, Nebraska
1900 Victorian: Queen Anne
The trials and tribulations of a NeoClassical/Queen Anne restoration/renovation undertaken by a now much wiser Do-It-Yourselfer and his family.
Web Site: benningtoncolonial.wordpress.com
Howard Hall Farm
Athens, New York
1780 Federal
The restoration stories, images, video clips and a cast of characters surrounding this 220 year old stone Federal-style home on the Hudson River.
Web Site: www.howardhallfarm.com
Brooklyn Row House
Brooklyn, New York
1906 Brownstone / Row House
Renovation of a 1906 Brooklyn row house. Photo diary of renovation, room by room, plus an up to date blog mostly about renovation and construction issues.
Web Site: www.brooklynrowhouse.com/house
Home Restoration
Castleton, New York
1883 Shingle Style
Watch the restoration of this 1883 Shingle Style property using old photos from a previous owner. Lots of before and after photos and how to information. A beautiful Hudson River location.
Web Site: blog.timesunion.com/homerestoration
1926 Foursquare
Kettering, Ohio
1926 Craftsman Foursquare
This is my own old house blog, which chronicles the restoration/revitalization of a 1926 craftsman foursquare style home in Dayton, Ohio.
Web Site: 1926foursquare.blogspot.com
Ranch Redo
Covallis, Oregon
1951 Ranch
It's not mid-century modern, and it's not a bungalow, it's a unique ranch-style located in Corvallis, Oregon.
Web Site: ranchredo.com
The Erwin House
Austin, Texas
1951 Mid-Century Modern
Diary of a Mid-Century Modern Renovation. A blog about the renovation, remodeling and addition of and to our 1951 mid-century modern home.
Web Site: www.erwinhouse.com
Eykamp Haus
Portsmouth, Virginia
1901 American Foursquare
Our journey trying to run a business, raise a family and restore a 100+ year old American Foursquare!
Web Site: eykamphaus.blogspot.com
216 Cottage St
Sparta, Wisconsin
1905 Victorian
We're trying to renovate/restore our 1905 home in Sparta, WI. Watch as we become super geniuses by learning from our mistakes.
Web Site: 216cottagestreet.blogspot.com
Ybor Bungalow - Before, during, and after pictures and stories about our 1915 bungalow in historic Ybor City, Florida.
Our Victorian - The ongoing saga of the restoraion of a 1900 home in an old railroad town. Photos and journals capture the process from the forst moment we laid eyes on it to today. Updated almost every day.
Georgian Colonial
Hagerstown, MD
Stewart's Place - Stewart's Place contains a visual documentary with current and historical photos of this beautiful colonial home.
Raising Laura - Blog about a couple of ex-Seattle urbanites who are restoring two "dying properties" in the picturesque town of Hannibal, Missouri, and (re)learning small town living.
c. 1890 Folk Victorian
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Folk Victorian - I grew up in a century old home and always knew that I wanted one of my own someday. Recently I closed on what is my Dream Home and have begun the journey of restoration. While it might not turn out exactly true to Victorian-form; it will certaily be a tribute nonetheless.
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1894 Cottage
Somewhere in MO
Pondicherry Cottage - Follow our journey in restoring a 104 yr old cottage that we purchased for a dollar per square foot (property included).
Restore House - Journal following the restoration of an 1895 home in Nebraska.
Our Victorian House - This site is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Craig & Yvonne's 1891 Eastlake Victorian home. There are many detailed pictures of the restoration with descriptions of the problems they faced and how they solved them. Craig and Yvonne are restoring their home on their own and their story is perfect for all you do-it-yourselfers.
Fixer-Upper - Fixer-Upper is a houseblog journaling a young couple's process of restoring and renovating an 1890's Italianate in rural upstate New York. We share stories, tips, techniques, and lots of photos.
The Little White Bungalow - A detail of one woman's journey in life and in restoration. This story is filled with laugh-out-loud tales of daily life while documenting all the unexpected and expected events of renovating the little white bungalow.
This cOld House - I blog about our 85 year old Tudor-bethan. It's a great story as we are only the third owners and when we moved in most of everything was original. It's a challenge to balance budget, aesthetics and history and we walk that tightrope with every decision we make.
1893 French Second Empire
Brownsville, OR
The F. M. Jack House - Restoration of 1893 French Second Empire Victorian weblog in it's first month. Currently listed on houseblogs.net webring.
Ephemera Ephemerae - We're working on restoring "Nutwood," an 1877 Victorian in one of the East Side Pittsburgh boroughs.
1930's Dutch Colonial
Tiverton, RI
A Coastal New England Dutch Colonial Home - Follow our old House Remodel Project with lots of Home Remodel Pictures. A 1930's Dutch Colonial Home in the small New England town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, that is in need of everything. Purchased May 2007.
1836 Federal
Frederick County, VA
Gravel Springs Farm - An 1836 Shenandoah Valley late Federal style brick farmhouse located in rural Frederick County, Virginia.
Queen Anne Victorian
Richmond, VA
Victorian Restoration in historic Church Hill - Follow John and his family as they attempt to bring to life their c. 1900 Victorian home located in the historic Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. This site is filled with many beautiful images of their Victorian home and neighborhood.
Enon Hall - The Web's first and longest-running houseblog. A Virginia family restores its ancestral home, in their family from 1762 to 1939 and then returned in 1999.
Beauregard - A website dedicated to the restoration of our circa 1880 Victorian. Take a photo tour, view floorplans, read our work journal and more. Updated frequently.
1866 Second Empire
Vancouver, WA
Charles Brown House - We have a beautifully restored French Second Empire Home in Vancouver, WA, that is now a law firm. I understand this style of home is very uncommon on the west coast. We have also done extensive genealogical research on the family who built the house.
1887
Ontario Gothic
Carleton Place, Ontario Canada
jenny on argyle - Just day to day goings on on Argyle Street. An old house in an old town, a big garden, two parents, three kids, a dog, family, friends, school, jobs, you know....
1887
Ontario Gothic
Oshawa, Ontario Canada
Circa 1887 - This a a blog showing some of the work we have done on our old home.
Bungalow
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Kensington Bungalow - One old neglected bungalow, two kids, a cranky cat, and us. Our quest to bring new life to this old house.
1930 Bungalow
Vancouver, BC, Canada
This Old Vancouver House - The running tale of restoring out 1930 bungalow back to some of its former glory (with a few modern conveniences for good measure).
1879 Victorian
Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Our Victorian House - A photographic virtual tour of a 1879 traditional Scottish Victorian House being restored. Contains 100s of before and after pictures, details of projects and restoration techniques as well as a history of the house and a good collection of useful links.
