Old Town Home
Old Town Home is a blog dedicated to chronicling the successes and failures of an Historic Old Town Alexandria couple as they live in the charming historic district while attempting to completely renovate and appropriately restore an 1880s Victorian row house...almost entirely on their own.
Brie Bites: The Easiest Elegant Appetizer You'll Ever Make
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- Published on Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Authors: Wendy
As much as I love to entertain, and don't mind spending time preparing for large parties, intimate gatherings, or even the impromptu drop bys (I've overheard friends say "if you just randomly show up at Wendy and Alex's house, you still get a spread of cheese, appetizers, and wine!), I'm always looking for new recipes to try out when...
Toolbox Tuesday: Top 10 List of Must Have Tools for DIYers
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- Published on Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Last week a photo of a speed square was posted on the Instagram feed of Charles & Hudson, the well known home improvement, DIY, and tool website. I saw the photo and left a comment that a good speed square is easily in my list of "Top 10 Must Have Tools." It's one of those items that I've become so dependent on that I just can't...
Meet the Slowskys
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- Published on Monday, 17 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Well, I'm annoyed. That pretty much sums it up. If you're on OldTownHome.com and are reading this post, there's a good chance you're annoyed too, primarily at the slower than a tortoise speed (or lack thereof) of this website. You see, we're having Internet issues. Or more specifically, Internet speed and packet loss issues.
If you'll...
Can Rain Shower Heads Actually Be Too Big?
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- Published on Friday, 14 June 2013
Authors: Wendy
They say size matters, but when it comes to rain shower heads, is there such a thing as too big? As Alex and I think ahead to the final hardware details on our master bathroom renovation, we've begun exploring the fixture, hardware, accessory, and finish options that will make the space truly function for us.
It's hard to choose...
Around Old Town: Three Queens for Three Sisters
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- Published on Thursday, 13 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Today's Around Old Town subject houses are a collection of three very similar historic homes along Old Town's Columbus Street that were built between 1885 and 1890.
Right in the center of town, I've heard these homes referred to as "Three Queens for Three Sisters." As legend has it, a wealthy merchant in Alexandria had three...
The Perfect Storm: Long Overdue Progress on Our Custom Storm Windows
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- Published on Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Authors: Alex
So here we are, nearing summer nearly eight years after I unceremoniously removed our aluminum triple track windows, seven years after I expected to have new windows built, and over a year since I declared my own personal ultimatum for building said windows, a deadline that I ultimately blew in a major way. But hey, we've got a pile...
Second Act: The Old Town Theater Revival
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- Published on Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Besides doing our own projects and renovations, we love watching the work of other area undertakings unfold around us. Since moving to Old Town Alexandria in 2003, we've been observers to a progression of sorts, watching as the various storefronts, buildings, houses, and areas in and around the city have transformed before our very...
Bean There, Done That - Raspberry Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
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- Published on Monday, 10 June 2013
Authors: Wendy
What's red inside and white all over? Vanilla bean cupcakes complete with fresh raspberry filling, of course! It's no secret I love to make cupcakes. After all, it's typically the first thing I volunteer to bring to parties and gatherings. So when I offered to co-host a baby shower at our home two weekends ago, I was excited to make...
Around Old Town: 311 Cameron's Southern Elegance
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- Published on Thursday, 06 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Today's Around Old Town subject house is actually no longer a home, though it started its life as one. This building is located at 311 Cameron Street and is situated directly across the street from Alexandria's city hall building.
Today, this building is now a collection of small stores and apartments on the upper floors (although...
Where Do You Get Your Wood? OTH's Sources for Online Lumber Suppliers
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- Published on Wednesday, 05 June 2013
Authors: Alex
Renovating an old house can be quite a bit of fun. It's also true that it can be tedious, trying, difficult, frustrating, and downright infuriating, but most of those moments fall by the wayside when you're able to look at what you've accomplished in a finished project and take pride in the fact that you were able to do it yourself...
