working with contractors

+ Categories

historic renovations

tools of the trade

Search Blog

Renovations

HISTORIC

The  Blueprint of

So your dream to purchase an old fixer upper just came true. Or perhaps you've been living in your historic home for a while, saving up money to make those renovations, and it's finally time. And, like so many others, you've decided to roll up your sleeves to do some of the work yourselves, or to manage the renovation, or both, because let's face it, historic renovations can get costly. So now what?

Well, now it's time for us get to work.

Skip to the good part.

After 20+ years of working on historic homes, seeing some of the worst of the worst turn into the best of the best, and taking the time to work with, and most importantly, learn from, too many tradesmen to count, I've gathered everything I know into one place for you here. 

I'm sharing tips contractors have passed along to me when I ask ALL the questions, things that have, and have not worked for me and my team, and at times I'll send you directly to those I consider to be the experts in their trade because we all want to learn from the best.  

I'm here to save you hours googling how to do every odd little thing that comes with an old house renovation.

So, if you're ready to start your own historic home renovation, read through the resources below.  Use what you need, skip what you don't - there's no sense in wasting money or time.  I have set this up so that one resource builds off of the next, but they also can be used independently if you just need help in one specific area.

Complete a small task like refinishing hardware and be done if that's all you need.  Or if you're already a master in one area, jump to what will help you most.  And keep in mind that each resource leads up to the signature online course, Historic Renovations 101, which is basically everything I know.

My ultimate goal, and hope, is that you find what will help you most during whatever stage of renovation you're in.  

As you'll quickly notice, not all of the resources are available to you just yet.  In fact, most in this series are not, but will be released over the next several months.  I'm just so excited about how I can help you that I wanted to share it all with you upfront so you're ready when each resource drops.  And of course if there's an area you need help in that's not listed, send me a quick email and I'll look into adding it to the list.

This series release will begin in summer of 2024.

Looking for something that's not listed? 
send us an email and we'll look into it.

Are You Ready?  Find Out Here.

01  /

Tools of the Trade

02 /

E-Book: Hardware Restoration

03 /

LIVE Masterclass + Q&A

E-Book: Restoration of Windows, Doors, and Floors

04 /

05 /

Renovations

Historic

The Blueprint

first things first; are you ready for a historic renovation? Coming Soon - A freebie to find out.

you already know which tools are our favorite but do you want to know why? And how they are best used? if so, you'll want this guide.

You know the crockpot + dawn trick but do you know all of the ways to make this small project easier?  we've got you.

heather will discuss how to prepare for a historic renovation in a live masterclass with a q&a session at the end.

You're ready to really dive in.  Now we're building off of the Hardware restoration guide to give you a comprehensive understanding all things renovation related for original windows, doors, and floors in this E-book.  

MORE RESOURCES

What I'd Wear to A Spring Wedding

01  /

How To Style Your Hair With a Bun Pin

02 /

5 Ways To Style Your Oversized Sweaters

03 /

The 25 Things In My Cart This Fall

04 /

MORE RESOURCES

What I'd Wear to A Spring Wedding

01  /

How To Style Your Hair With a Bun Pin

02 /

5 Ways To Style Your Oversized Sweaters

03 /

The 25 Things In My Cart This Fall

04 /

06  /

Online Course: Historic Renovations 101

everything Heather has learned about historic renovations over the past 20+ years organized in an online course to talk you through the ins and outs of the entire process to help you prepare for your own renovation.

MORE RESOURCES

What I'd Wear to A Spring Wedding

01  /

How To Style Your Hair With a Bun Pin

02 /

5 Ways To Style Your Oversized Sweaters

03 /

The 25 Things In My Cart This Fall

04 /

MORE RESOURCES

What I'd Wear to A Spring Wedding

01  /

How To Style Your Hair With a Bun Pin

02 /

5 Ways To Style Your Oversized Sweaters

03 /

The 25 Things In My Cart This Fall

04 /

SIGNATURE online COURSE

coming summer 2024

Historic Renovations

101

After years of experience and being asked over and over again the same questions in regards to historic home renovations, Heather has finally decided to put together a course for all of you ready to tackle your own renovation.  

signature online course
historic renovations 101

Windows & 
Doors

Nothing is more important to the character of a historic home than original doors and windows.  This will be an overview on how to restore both.

02 / 

This online course will give you an overview of a historic renovation and then walk you through some of the project tasks that are specific to old homes.  Through a combination of videos and digital products you'll be equipped to start your renovation.

Hardware
Restoration

We'll take a look at how to carefully remove, refinish, and then reinstall original door and window hardware and discuss alternate options if you are missing some.

01 / 

Demolition & 
Floor Plans

Should it stay or should it go.  We'll discuss how to make a historic house functional for today's way of living without sacrificing that old house character.

04 / 

Hardwood
Floors

Another original feature worth preserving. We'll discuss uncovering original floors, patching when needed, sourcing salvage flooring, and when to install new.

03 / 

Preserving  Character

Character is the essence of a historic home so we will discuss what features are worth preserving and how to add character when your house's original is missing.

06 / 

Types of
Materials

We will cover the basics of trim types that are typical in old houses, what to keep vs. replace, where to source salvage materials or purchase or replicated when needed.

05 / 

Final Thoughts

This wrap up will review everything we've discussed and then focus on the stewardship and caretaker philosophy if you're lucky enough to call a historic house home and the responsibility that comes with that.

08 / 

Period Appropriate Sources

We will discuss fixtures such as plumbing, lighting, tile, and more - where to source, when to splurge, and what works best in a historic home.

07 / 

The right tool is a game changer in any project and especially in the home renovation world.  We have created a list of all of our favorite tools that we can't work without.

Tools of the Trade

@heather_homes

Hang out with me in Stories for all the

Instagram

Behind-the-Scenes