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
1890 Queen Anne Victorian
Russellville, AR
The Devil Queen - The Devil 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.
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.
The Petch House - A HouseBlog about the restoration of an 1895 Queen Anne.
Ybor Bungalow - Before, during, and after pictures and stories about our 1915 bungalow in historic Ybor City, Florida.
This Old Home - This is the blog of our progress as we work to restore our 1862 home. We are doing all of the work ourselves, as we live in the home... with our 3 1/2 year old twin boys helping along the way. We are almost 3 years in to our very long journey. It's not a project- it's a lifestyle!
The Old Mellicker Place - Tales of joy and woe in the process of restoring a 1905 Four-Square.
1914
Chicago Bungalow
Chicago, IL
House in Progress - 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.
Big Red - 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.
c. 1900 Edwardian Foursquare
Wichita, KS
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".
1895 American Foursquare
Winchester, KY
Old House, New Garden - My blog detailing living in and fixing up an 1895 old Foursquare in an old neighborhood.
houselove.org - 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.
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.
c.
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.
Howard Hall Farm - The restoration stories, images, video clips and a cast of characters surrounding this 220 year old stone Federal-style home on the Hudson River.
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.
1883 Shingle Style
Castleton, NY
Home Restoration - 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.
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.
1951 Ranch Redo - It's not mid-century modern, and it's not a bungalow, it's a unique ranch-style located in Corvallis, Oregon.
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.
1917
Craftsman Bungalow
Erie, PA
This Old Erie House - I'm restoring my 1917 craftsman house in Erie, PA.
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.
The Erwin House - Diary of a Mid-Century Modern Renovation. A blog about the renovation, remodeling and addition of and to our 1951 mid-century modern home.
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.
