about

Do you love old houses…

If you’ve been reading Architectural Digest since your great-aunt bought you a subscription at age 11, cried when the Pierre Deux shops closed, have lost hours of your life to the House & Garden UK website, love Annie Sloan’s chalk paint because she names the colors after places in Europe, and consider walking all over a city looking at the buildings and streets as probably your favorite activity of all time, pull up a chair and let’s have a cafe americano — or maybe a Hentry McKenna 10-year-old single barrel over ice with a sprig of mint, we do live in Kentucky now …

Headshot of redheaded blog author Kathleen.
Hey, I’m Kathleen. It’s nice to meet you …

You and I love classic architecture, old-growth wood flooring, sash windows, handmade bricks, radiator heat, 12-foot ceilings and transoms, clawfoot tubs, beadboard, wainscoting, and plaster crown moulding. Enfilades, travertine, encaustic cement tile. We love neoclassical interiors, Swedish, French, and English Country style.

There was no way we would ever live in a house like that — unless … a fixer-upper of an historic dwelling chose us … the way Howards End chooses Margaret Schegal in the movie.

This blog is a resource for those who love houses and need great resources :

  • About classic interiors, especial French Country Style and Swedish Country Style
  • DIY Within Reason — ASAP. PDQ. What to know so you don’t get pushed around by contractors.
  • Smart systems for old house upkeep and cleaning.