Episode 70 – How to be a Good Client

Cover graphic for Episode 70 of Talking Home Renovations "How to be a Good Client". The background photo is of a dining set on a newly renovated screened porch. The red Talking Home Renovations logo appears on the bottom right.

In this episode, LaShaun Key discusses how to be a good client for an architect, and shares a recipe for amazing lomi salmon. Katharine MacPhail 00:10 Hello, and welcome to Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven. I am your host Katharine MacPhail. I’m an architect, and I practice in eastern Massachusetts. Most of my […]

Episode 66 – Renovation Story – Split Level Outside of Chicago

Cover graphic for Talking Home Renovations episode 66, "Renovation Story - Split level outside of Chicago". The background is a photo of a small white two-story house with wooden steps leading up to the front doors. The red podcast logo appears on the bottom right.

Just today I was visiting a split level entry house for a potential project. Sometimes there are two levels and sometimes there are 4 levels. Either way the entry is raised and the basement/main floor is partially submerged. The ceilings on the ground floor are typically 7 to 7 1/2′ feet. On top of all […]

Episode 65 – Kitchens and Baths in Old Houses

Cover graphic for Episode 65 of Talking Home Renovations, "Kitchens and Baths in Old Houses". The background photo is a vintage sink against a distressed wood wall. The red podcast logo appears in the lower right.

Dave Rademacher of Rademacher Revival has some suggestions for you if you are trying to keep the old house vibe but need to modernize your kitchen and bathrooms. He shares his vintage kitchen and bath restoration process on Instagram and on his entertaining TikTok, see video below. This is a good reminder to donate materials […]

Episode 65 – Kitchens and Baths in Old Houses

Cover graphic for Episode 65 of Talking Home Renovations, "Kitchens and Baths in Old Houses". The background photo is a vintage sink against a distressed wood wall. The red podcast logo appears in the lower right.

This episode is a conversation with David Rademacher, an expert on restoring kitchens and baths in old houses. Read on for tips for finding antique fixtures, remodeling and renovating old kitchens and bathrooms, and making a newer renovation fit in with a historic house’s aesthetic. Katharine MacPhail  00:00 So, the kind of work you do […]

Episode 64 – Renovation Story – California Ranch in New England

Cover graphic for episode 64 of Talking Home Renovations, "Renovation Story - California Ranch in New England". The background is a photo of a bold, modern kitchen with red cabinets, white countertops, and blue drawers.

Jenny wasn’t really motivated to renovate her house. Her husband initiated the California ranch renovation and Jenny was just going along with the process. When her friend noticed that she wasn’t as excited as she might have been, Jenny decided to turn it around and she got just the kitchen she never knew she dreamed […]

Episode 64 – Renovation Story – California Ranch in New England

Cover graphic for episode 64 of Talking Home Renovations, "Renovation Story - California Ranch in New England". The background is a photo of a bold, modern kitchen with red cabinets, white countertops, and blue drawers.

This episode is about renovating the rare California Ranch in New England. You don’t see them here much, but Jenny created her dream kitchen in hers. Katharine MacPhail  00:11 Welcome to Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven. I am your host, Katharine MacPhail. I am an architect who practices in eastern Massachusetts. Most of […]

Episode 61 – Flooring Options

What are the flooring options for your home? Amy Everard and I review the basics in this episode. You may remember Amy from the Architect vs Interior Designer episode (#31). Flooring is on my mind lately as I was struggling to figure out what to do about my own kitchen floor. 13 years ago when […]

Episode 56- Renovation Story – Indianapolis 1939

Jeff Echols met me over Zoom to discuss the experience of renovating and caring for his Indianapolis house built in 1939. This is a great example of an old house renovation in Indianapolis. Jeff is the Director of Brand Strategy at EntreArchitect, and we met through his daily Context and Clarity sessions – now we […]

Episode 54 – Renovation Story – Tulsa Bungalow

Architect Katelyn Parker and her husband Brian bought the Curtin House about 10 years ago in Tulsa Oklahoma. They were new to the city and “young and stupid” but they fell in love with the house and they went for it. They sent me some photos of their Tulsa bungalow renovation. Katelyn shares what she […]

Episode 50 – Renovation Story – Virginia Log Cabin

Gabe and Cristina joined me this week to tell the story of their late 1700’s settler’s log cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains of central VA. Check out the episode enhancements for photos of their log cabin renovation, or take a look at their Instagram feed @bellwetherfields or their YouTube channel. All photos from @bellwetherfields […]