True Tales From Old Houses

In this week's episode, the season finale of True Tales From Old Houses, Stacy welcomes Robert Khederian, a realtor, writer, and commentator on pre-war architecture, design, and old-house culture. Robert is known for his thoughtful observations about historic homes and the people who love them, making him the perfect guest to help close out the season. We discuss changing attitudes toward historic...

In this episode of True Tales From Old Houses , Stacy talks with Ariana Makau, principal conservator and founder of Nzilani Glass Conservation, about her decision to purchase a long-neglected industrial building in Oakland, California. After hearing from so many listeners interested in historic commercial buildings, Stacy invited Ariana to share her experience taking on an old industrial property...

In this episode, Stacy explores both sides of old house life: making the most of the house you have and taking a leap toward the house you want. First, returning guest Rod Whale checks back in from the 200-year-old Bailey House Inn in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Rod recently wrote in with several excellent passive cooling ideas in response to the Good, Better, Best segment about hot rooms, so St...

In this Memorial Day episode, Stacy wraps up Preservation Month with listener follow-ups, one final round of State of Restoration conversations from Pine Mountain, and a practical look into the complicated realities behind rehabbing historic commercial buildings. After touring a long-empty downtown building, Stacy started asking a much bigger question: What does it realistically take to save a bui...

In this episode, Preservation Month continues with another State of Restoration check-in, but this time, Stacy starts connecting some dots. After hearing more listener voicemails and Pine Mountain conversations, Stacy explores an idea she keeps coming back to: money, motive, and means. Could missing one of those help explain why some preservation communities seem to thrive while others struggle? T...

In this episode, Preservation Month continues with another State of Restoration check-in and a look at one of the most overlooked forms of historic preservation: historic cemetery and headstone care. First, Stacy checks back in with the State of Restoration project, where one theme starting to emerge is that preservation often follows money. Then, she is joined by Justin Frost from Past Preservati...

In this week's episode, Stacy kicks off Historic Preservation Month by revisiting the State of Restoration voicemail project, sharing updates from Utah and the Pacific Northwest.  Then, she chats with Emma Shay about her 1924 Craftsman bungalow. They get into how Emma's first house, what she calls an "old house on easy mode," sparked a love and respect for old houses. That experience now shapes th...

In this week's episode, Stacy shares a few updates from Blake Hill House and finally settles the Minisode name question. Then, she works through a listener question using the Good, Better, Best format, tackling a common old house challenge: rooms that get too hot in the summer. From simple adjustments to more involved solutions, she breaks down practical ways to improve comfort without losing sigh...

This week's field trip episode started with a question Stacy couldn't shake: Why is there a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of nowhere, Idaho? The Sun Valley Lodge isn't just any hotel. It's a grand, carefully designed resort surrounded by mountains and ranchland. When Stacy realized Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the architect behind many of the lodges in the National Parks, was involved, it e...

In this week's episode, Stacy shares a mid-season update, tying up a few loose ends, and sharing what's coming up at Blake Hill House, including this summer's window restoration workshops. She also walks through her outdoor spring to-do list, highlighting the seasonal tasks that come with caring for an old house this time of year. Then, Stacy introduces a new Q&A format, Good, Better, Best , and u...

In this episode, Stacy explores the deal-breakers that shape how people approach buying an old house and how those decisions shift depending on life stage. She also chats with Michelle Bowers of Old House Life, who has watched that play out in real time. In preparation for this episode, Stacy asked her Instagram and Facebook audience to share their own deal-breakers. The responses covered everythi...

In this minisode, Stacy and guest co-host Steve Jordan follow a road-trip-inspired rabbit hole that starts with the Grange and leads to dancing—and the ingenious floors, dating back to the 18th century, that made it possible. They talk about how rural communities actually spent time together, Grange halls, gatherings, and yes, dancing, which leads straight into Steve's niche obsession: sprung danc...

In this episode, Stacy looks at why some of the most iconic Gilded Age mansions in Newport were nearly lost, and how that story connects to what's happening right now with lead safety laws and historic windows in Rhode Island. If you think that is just a local issue, think again. Stacy takes listeners to Newport, Rhode Island, where some of the most over-the-top Gilded Age mansions in the country...

In this episode, Stacy brings in Scott Sidler as a guest co-host for some old house shop talk. They discuss the realities of preservation funding and infrared paint removers. Stacy begins with updates from the new State of Restoration project, sharing observations from Toledo and New Orleans, while Scott reports on what he's seeing in Florida. The outlook for preservation funding is bleak, with ze...

Wait...that's historic? Stacy digs into the 50-year rule, talks mid-century restoration with Sarah from 1957 House Down South, and visits the Kohler museum to see those famous vintage bathroom colors in person. Wait. That's historic? At some point, the math catches up with us. In this episode, Stacy takes a look at the preservation benchmark often called the 50-year rule and what happens when hous...

Winter hits the roof again, and there's still no magic fix. In this episode, Stacy unpacks ice dams, insulation trade-offs, a significant DIY mistake, and what this season clarified about planning for the long term. Plus: a State of Restoration update and the ongoing minisode renaming discussion. In Episode 177, Stacy takes a practical look at ice dams, attic insulation, snow load risk, roof venti...

Just after Stacy announces she is keeping Blake Hill House, winter responds in a very expensive way. She shares the latest twist in her restoration journey before welcoming Jessica Rhodes to discuss restoring an Italianate home in the public eye. They also talk about making decisions that serve real life, not just an audience. The episode concludes with the launch of a new listener feature explori...

For years, you've followed Blake Hill House. In this episode, Stacy shares what's really been happening behind the scenes and how 2025 changed everything. It was a year of pressure, progress, second-guessing, and more than a few moments that nearly broke her. If you've been waiting for an update on Blake Hill House, this is the one . Join Stacy on Substack Many thanks to the sponsors who help make...

In Daniel's final episode of True Tales From Old Houses , Stacy and Daniel wrap up past conversations, discuss how years of ghost stories have changed them, and share three new paranormal stories from historic homes. Episode 174 marks the end of a chapter for True Tales From Old Houses as co-host Daniel Kanter records his final episode. Stacy and Daniel wrap up loose ends from earlier conversation...

After an extended hiatus, Stacy Grinsfelder and Daniel Kanter return to True Tales From Old Houses to kick off Season 13 with personal updates, a major announcement from Daniel, and two ghost stories to celebrate a belated version of spooky season. WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where availab...

A quick announcement from Stacy: Season 13 kicks off in February! Listen in to hear why the show is extending its hiatus and how you can connect with True Tales From Old Houses in the meantime.    

In this season finale of True Tales From Old Houses , Stacy and Daniel look back on standout moments from Season 12, answer a listener question about bathroom ventilation, and reflect on what's next for the show. Then, Kathryn Holloway joins the conversation to share her inspiring journey restoring a 12,000-square-foot historic home. Known online as To the Shire Born across social media, Kathryn u...

In this final minisode of the season (Don't worry; there's still one more full episode on the way!), Stacy returns from Japan with tales of train travel, city-hopping, and family time. Each region had its own personality, and seeing the country through her son's eyes made the trip even more memorable. Meanwhile, Daniel's been deep in renovation mode, helping another friend prepare a nursery. The r...

In this episode of True Tales From Old Houses , Stacy and Daniel answer a listener's question about what to do with an unused chimney. Should it stay or should it go? They weigh the pros and cons, sharing stories from their own restoration projects, and consider how to balance architectural integrity with practical updates, especially when a chimney no longer serves its original purpose. Later, St...

In this episode of True Tales From Old Houses , Daniel and Stacy share updates from their latest old house projects, including a listener-favorite topic: linseed oil paint. Then, Stacy tells the story of a stubborn window repair that proves just how humbling glass cutting can be, especially when you have an audience. From cost-effective glass solutions to lessons learned the hard way, it's another...