True Tales From Old Houses

In today's very special "Momisode," Stacy and Daniel welcome Daniel's mom, Ricki. First, Stacy chats a little about a very confusing experience at the opera.  Then, Daniel's mom joins them to set the record straight about  one of Daniel's first sewing projects what really happened to Fidget the chinchilla the traits that make Daniel good at DIY the possible origin of his catchphrase, "It's fine. I...

In today's very special "Momisode," Stacy and Daniel welcome Stacy's mom, Vera. First, Daniel talks a bit about how his idea to bring volunteer designers to the Kingston City Land Bank has not gone according to plan. Then, Stacy's mom joins them to share more information about her than you ever wanted to know, including but not limited to:  the condition and decor of Stacy's childhood bedroom  whe...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel offer tips for choosing new wood flooring for your old house. And later, as part of the Young Tradesperson Series, they chat with window restorer and all-around nice guy Andrew Wing. Many people first became acquainted with Andrew three years ago through Laine and Kevin Berry of Our Restoration Nation . He was restoring the windows of a hou...

This week, Stacy and Daniel revisit the topic of burnout. Stacy is feeling better, but Daniel is still struggling to push through the overwhelm to complete the duplex and the cottage. Then, because bad tangents happen to good minisodes, they discuss their thoughts about life after death.  Finally, Stacy and Daniel read leftover ghost stories submitted by the Instagram audience and share some unexp...

In today's podcast, Stacy and Daniel devote the entire episode to spooky old house tales.  First, Joe Peterson is back with a wild story about a photo missing from his home in New Brunswick. Later, a special guest reveals some Blake Hill House family secrets.  In between, Stacy and Daniel read plenty more ghost stories submitted by the Instagram audience.  From missing items to taps on the shoulde...

This week, Stacy and Daniel start with an update about their accountability partnership and the state of their current projects.  Then, Daniel shares his feelings about training for a 5k and running in general.  Later, Stacy and Daniel get brutally honest about how unrelenting deadlines and house projects have been leading them both toward the fast track to burnout. Something has to give. Finally,...

In this episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss the best hardwood floor finishes for dog owners. Not all types of wood and floor finishes hold up well against scratches from dog claws. Stacy and Daniel share their experiences to help homeowners make a floor finish choice that is right for them.  Later, homeowner Amanda kicks off spooky season with a story about buying back her ances...

Oops! They did it again. In today's episode, Stacy and Daniel discuss some recently planned simple maintenance tasks that turned into near-total demolition and deconstruction projects. Stacy discovered catastrophic rot on her sleeping porch while Daniel pulled off an alarming amount of ceiling layers in the duplex.  Then, Stacy and Daniel offer a humorous behind-the-scenes look at filming an episo...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel continue their deep dive into floor restoration by chatting with Rob Cagnetta from Sutherland Welles. Rob explains why tung oil is a good choice for floor refinishing, how it is made, and how Sutherland Welles makes their products smell so good.  Later, Stacy and Daniel have a conversation with designer and preservationist Reagan Leslie. Reagan is taking Peoria, I...

This week, Stacy clarifies how Canadian citizens were blinded during the Halifax explosion.  Next, Daniel is bummed about the state of the hardwood floors in Bluestone Cottage. Despite hiring out the job of floor refinishing to a pro, the results were disappointing.  Then, on a cheerier note, Stacy and Daniel chat about the heartwarming show, The Wizard of Paws, because what's cuter than a mini ho...

Welcome to season ten of True Tales From Old Houses! In today's episode, during Q&A, Stacy and Daniel kick off a deep dive into wood floor restoration by discussing floor coating products they have used in their homes. Later, Stacy chats with Caitlyn of Restoration West. Stacy's conversation with Caitlyn is the first of the young tradesperson series that will take place this season. To request a t...

In this bonus minisode , Stacy and Daniel talk about how they spent their time this summer. First, they chat about the successful window workshop at Silver Lake, and Daniel's alter ego, Dan Kamder.  Then, Daniel and Stacy share the exciting news that they are in episode #4 of In With The Old on the Magnolia Network . The episode features Daniel and Brad rehabbing Brad's lake cottage, while Stacy p...

It's celebration time! We are incredibly grateful for your support, feedback, and engagement throughout the past one hundred episodes. It is your deep and abiding love of old homes and their stories that keeps us motivated to deliver True Tales From Old Houses each season. We are so excited to celebrate this incredible milestone with you.  Cheers to one hundred more! -Stacy and Daniel In today's s...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel briefly discuss their local 4th of July traditions.  Then, much to Stacy's delight, Daniel offers his opinion on Hee Haw and a couple of other television shows from his childhood.  Next, Stacy shares listener feedback about Lustron Homes and summarizes some of the more interesting facts she learned about these fascinating metal houses.  Finally, Daniel describes a...

In today's bonus episode, Stacy and Daniel discuss post-war housing solutions, including Daniel's weird teenage fascination with Levittown, New York.  From Lustron homes to planned communities, some of the most creative architects and designers put their collective heads together to solve the looming American housing shortage post-WWII. Most of the ideas failed spectacularly, but it was a time lik...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel briefly discuss lizards in Santa costumes. (Be sure to check out the show notes for photos: Minisode #4 Show Notes ) Then, Daniel shares that the Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB) is in the running for a preservation award. Daniel talks about how rewarding it has been to volunteer for the organization and his passion for rehabbing the land bank homes from a preservat...

In today's episode, Stacy talks about her experience at the Missouri Preservation Conference, and Daniel gives a lake cottage update.  Then, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel answer whether mid-century house enthusiasts can be members of the (figurative) old house club.  And finally, they are excited to chat with one of the foremost experts on mail-order houses, Rebecca Hunter. Rebecca clarifi...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel answer a question from the archives. They discuss how they decorate their historic houses. Neither is into time capsule decorating, but both love incorporating antiques into the mix.  And later, preservation hero and legend Bob Yapp is back for the second conversation in this two-part series. Recently, Bob made the difficult decision to tea...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel talk about their early DIY influences. From PBS to TLC, the age gap between them has never been more apparent. Both learn that some of the early This Old House episodes don't hold up. Oh, Bob Vila, what were you thinking? Then, Stacy is appalled that Daniel has never heard of  Hee Haw , so she gives him a homework assignment to learn more about it and report back....

In today's episode, Stacy and Daniel talk to preservation legend, Bob Yapp. Bob Yapp is the president of the national historic preservation consulting firm, Preservation Resources, Inc., and he conducts hands-on preservation events in cities and towns across America. Additionally, Bob founded and teaches at his school in Hannibal, Missouri, The Belvedere School for Hands-On Preservation. Also, Wen...

In this episode, Stacy and Daniel describe their survival of the fittest approach to gardening. Stacy also discusses her upcoming surgery and how the long recovery will affect her summer projects and plans. Then, Daniel explains the sad breakup with his long-time contractor and the frustration of continuing to pay people who do sloppy work. And Finally, Stacy and Daniel make a pact to practice sel...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss which inspection professionals to call during the old home buying process. And later, Georgia-based preservationist Caitlin Mee kicks off National Historic Preservation Month on True Tales From Old Houses. Caitlin, also known as The Preservation Peach on Instagram, shares her path to the academic side of preservation. She also expla...

In this episode, the very first minisode, Stacy and Daniel explain why they are adding minisodes and how they differ from the typical format of True Tales From Old Houses.  Stacy also discusses the stress and emotion of getting Blake Hill House ready for sale and the bleak Salt Lake City real estate market where house flipping is the norm.  Daniel tries to convince Stacy that his nine-year Blue St...

In today's episode, during listener Q&A, Stacy and Daniel discuss how to prioritize old house projects when you're short on time.  And later, they chat with Erin Keegan. Erin loves old houses, and she and her business partner, Ben, have made it their brand to match buyers with historic properties in the crazy real estate market of Los Angeles, California.  This episode is marked explicit because t...

In today's episode, Stacy and Daniel talk about handling unsolicited advice on social media and from friends and family in real life.   And later, you'll meet architectural designer Christienne Dobson. Christienne and her husband and baby moved from Harlem to the Catskills full-time during the pandemic. They are building a home and community in rural New York and couldn't be happier. Christienne u...