a little behind-the-scenes
how it's going
how the story begins
I live and work in a southern town in the upstate of South Carolina where I have designed and managed historic home renovations for over 20 years now.
I'm on a mission to teach the ins and outs of historic renovations so that together, we can preserve as many homes as possible. Ready to join me?
hey there! I'm
Home Takes Time
Original = Swoonworthy
Just Say No To Vinyl
Brass Hardware
Wavy Glass, Always
Restore > Flip
I am forever grateful for the opportunity.
Fast forward to the present day where I now restore historic homes full time and consider it both an honor and a privilege. My approach to historic renovations is to honor and preserve as much of the original character of the house as possible while making them functional for today’s way of living.
My hope is to inspire and teach others to do the same so that the years of history these beautiful homes entail is preserved for the next 100 years.
And so my love affair with old houses began.
You've been there, right?
Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing but I'm a quick learner, like to get my hands dirty, and ask a lot of questions.
Twenty plus years ago I ran across an old run-down bungalow in a historic district, in the same county I grew up in, that was in desperate need of some TLC. I purchased the house and naively started a full house renovation, with little knowledge of the how to.
What can I say? After seven years of renovating historic homes full-time, I cannot imagine doing anything else. I wholeheartedly love it. As I look towards future opportunities to teach and help more people through online services, I'm over the moon with excitement of what the future holds! And most importantly, how many houses can be saved.
and currently
2024
With several renovations under my belt from years of both personal and professional renovations, I felt a call to step away from my full-time job and make my hobby and part-time job, my full-time career. A lot of prayer went into this decision but once I stepped out in faith, I never turned back. And God has always provided.
I decided to go all in
2016
After renovating two historic homes personally, a non-profit dedicated to historic revitalization in our area reached out in search of a part-time project manager. Thankfully my full-time job allowed flexibility in my schedule so I gave it a go and was able to use my project management skills in the renovation world for the first time professionally.
part-time project manager
2009
I purchased my first historic house in a locally designated historic district (which means there are city rules to protect our historic homes), and honestly, had no idea what I was signing up for. Thankfully with the help of some friends within the construction world, I tackled my first historic home full house renovation. And the rest, they say, is history.
it all started when
2002
The Timeline: Through the Years
Often times people ask me what I do and after I describe my job they respond with, "Oh, you flip houses?" No, not really. In fact, I really don't like that description. While it's true that it quickly summarizes my job for someone not familiar with historic homes, to me it's so much more. My team and I restore historic homes. It's not a quick and easy approach and in fact, it's typically quite the opposite. It takes longer and usually costs more because the focus is equals parts renovation and preservation. But to me it's always worth it, and specifically in my community of Hampton Heights. Not only has the majority of my professional work up to this point been in Hampton Heights, but I have also lived there for over 20 years now.
And yes, there's a pretty big difference.
We restore historic homes.
I do not flip houses.
We are not in the house flipping business.
We do not flip houses.
Let me say that again.
We do not flip houses.
So, for me, it's personal. My goal is to renovate these historic houses back into beautiful homes with modern-day amenities while at the same time honoring their history and preserving their character.
To save as many historic houses as possible.
overall goal
1
houses i've worked on in hampton heights
35
projects managed
56
full-house renovations
28
01 / 03
This is everyday life in a nutshell - hair on top of my head, paint clothes on whether or not I'm painting, Sampson close by, and working on, or at, one of our historic home renovations.
I'm not the glammed up designer who is well put together and camera ready. I'm quite the opposite.
I like to get my hands dirty.
I like to work with the construction team and focus on what I bring to the table - a design eye with project management skills and construction experience who isn't afraid to jump in and do some of the work from time to time.
02 / 03
My super power is the ability to see the end of the project from the beginning, and to orchestrate how all of the moving parts need to work together to make sure the renovation is as beautiful in the end as it was designed to be from the start.
Someone once said I had vision goggles, and I loved it.
I can get lost for hours reworking floor plans until everything fits. Or focusing on small details until I get it just right. It's the small things that make a big difference and I'm happy to pour hours into that side of the renovation through my e-Design Plans and Redesigned Floor Plans.
Vision Goggles
03 / 03
I'm a total numbers geek.
And I'm not one bit embarrassed about it.
My project manager hat requires me to keep up with all sorts of numbers - estimates, materials, budgets, timelines, and so on - and oh how I love it.
As it turns out years of managing events, fundraisers, and organizations from previous jobs equipped me with strong administrative skills which is needed in construction, desperately. So it's nice to have them.
Total Numbers Geek
Favorite things
A few of my
@heather_homes
Hang out with me in Stories for all the
Behind-the-Scenes
