5 Unconventional Home Renovations
August 4, 2025
Renovators transform forgotten places into unforgettable living spaces, giving buildings new life through unconventional home renovations.
Renovators transform forgotten places into unforgettable living spaces, giving buildings new life through unconventional home renovations.
Many hauntings are said to be due to unfinished business or a response to a terrible tragedy. For Alice Littlefield, however, her love for her city and her university may have simply extended beyond the date of her death.
Rumors spread like wildfire and, if a dramatic event is interesting enough, some stories can live on for years, even decades. In the early 1900s, Villisca, Iowa was just like any other small town, and the Moores were just like any other family.
If you’ve found the prospect of designing a gallery wall a bit intimidating in the past, now’s the time to reconsider! We’ve taken the liberty of gathering all of the best tried-and-true strategies to design the gallery wall of your dreams.
Easter is an underrated holiday. When most people are asked to pick their favorite holiday, Christmas gets a ton of love, and dressing up on Halloween is tons of fun no matter your age. No one ever thinks of Easter first, despite everything that it has going for it! The Easter bunny is a great mascot, and the light blue, pink, and yellow color scheme is unique and iconic. Okay, Christmas might still be the best holiday, but Easter is still pretty cool, too. One of the best Easter traditions that deserves a bit more recognition is, of course, the egg hunt. Whether set up as a free-for-all at the park, or with specially selected baskets for different family members in the backyard, there are many different versions of the classic Easter egg hunt and plenty of room for creativity. Some are under the misconception that the annual egg hunt is only for the kids, but this doesn’t have to be the case! If your egg hunts are a bit too bland or easy for your kids, or if you’d like to ratchet up the competition a bit this year, here are some outside-the-box strategies and hiding spots that should
Hosting family and friends over the holidays can be a tough task. On one hand, it’s wonderful to reconnect with loved ones, especially those that live far away. On the other hand, getting a busy home in order can feel like an intimidating task after a year of balancing a demanding work schedule along with messy pets, and maybe kids with their own affinity for chaos. In preparation for the holidays, here are a few extra things that you can do to go above and beyond making your out-of-town guests feel welcome! Check On Your Roof’s StabilityOne pet peeve that is so common for guests is lack of decent parking. Whatever system that’s worked for your family throughout the rest of the year likely will have to change at least a bit once a new vehicle is introduced. So, unless you’re blessed with a larger-than-average parking situation, consider thinking ahead for some alternatives that allow extra room for guests. The common holiday struggle of juggling cars in the driveway is exactly why some considerate guests may take it upon themselves to use some sorely underutilized parking areas – such as the space on top of your roof. What many fail
Since we’ve previously discussed how to confirm whether your home is active with the paranormal, we thought it might be valuable to go over some additional Halloween-time survival strategies. When watching a scary movie, it’s easy to become frustrated by the classic mistakes and gaffes that the characters make as they bungle their way into the killer’s hands. Although it’s reasonable to assume that the stress and terror of running for your life can keep you from making practical decisions, choices made by horror movie protagonists can be baffling. In the inevitable case that you end up cornered by a masked, knife-wielding stranger straight out of a slasher movie, you don’t want to fall for the same old slip-ups. To be better prepared, we consulted some of the best minds in home maintenance, organization, and personal fitness for their tips on surviving a scary movie. How To Tell That You’re In A Scary MovieNaturally, the first step for surviving a scary movie is to confirm that you are, in fact, living in a scary movie yourself. Although it may seem painfully obvious to audience goers that the characters shouldn’t investigate that noise in the attic, or search their creepy, unfinished
Location: San Jose, CaliforniaArchitectural Style: Exterior: Queen Anne-Style Victorian; Interior: Aesthetic MovementBuilt: 1886 – 1922 As we progress through the Halloween season, we thought there was no location more appropriate to visit than one of the most notoriously unusual architectural wonders of North America – and the tale of the woman behind it all. For our next entry, we visit the Winchester Mystery House. Sarah PardeeSarah Lockwood Pardee was born in 1839 in New Haven, Connecticut. In her upper-class New England home, Sarah had by all accounts a happy childhood with access to fantastic education, going on to learn four foreign languages (Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian). Pardee studied at Yale College’s associated female scholastic institution and became known for both her extraordinary intelligence and her beauty. Called the “Belle of New Haven,” Sarah had many admirers. In 1862, Sarah married William Wirt Winchester, a brother to one of her classmates and member of a wealthy New Haven family. William was an only son and, therefore, sole heir to his father’s considerable manufacturing company, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. William and Sarah Winchester were a well-off, idyllic young couple, but early on, tragedy beset the Winchesters. In 1866, Sarah gave
Pets demand so much attention, but homeowners have a tendency to bend over backwards in order to accommodate. Frequently, cats and dogs can seem to rule their homes, and since the pandemic saw over 23 million American homes adopt pets (per the Washington Post), the ways in which homeowners are learning to spoil them seem to be spiking. Barkitecture is a term used in reference to the recent trend of remodeling homes with pets specifically in mind, with more permanent and invasive remodeling efforts invested to make family dogs and cats feel more at home. If you’re in the market for a new home, or you’re considering a remodel to make your dog feel more at home, here are a few stylish and subtle home designs you might want to try out. Starting with the Classics With these more traditional pet accommodations in mind, let’s move onto some of the more unique home Barkitecture trends that are changing home design. Home Barkitecture Trends Dog houses, on the other hand, have been around for quite some time. In the past, these structures have been fairly simple, usually consisting of a few walls and a pitched roof. Nowadays, as TikToker @chipgirlhere has
Homes are, traditionally, structures designed with a combination of comfort and function in mind. Architectural styles have risen and fallen in popularity as families seek out the perfect place to raise their children and entertain their guests. But, what happens when a less-than-pleasant motivation becomes the driving force of a new home’s construction? The Hollensbury Spite HouseIn historic Alexandria, Va.,the Hollensbury Spite House has become a tourist attraction in its own right thanks to its strikingly skinny dimensions–less than 7 feet wide when approaching from the street level. This bright blue, two-story, 325-square-foot home is sandwiched between two much larger buildings to its east and west, and begs an explanation as to why such a small, blink-and-you-miss-it house found its way to 523 Queen Street. As the story goes, John Hollensbury was a prominent citizen of Alexandria and a member of the city council back in the early 1800s. All seemed well for the Hollensbury family, aside from issues regarding the alleyway between Mr. Hollensbury’s home and his neighbor’s which attracted many loiterers and carriage traffic. When gouges from carriage wheels began piling up on the exterior walls of Hollensbury’s home, he decided to purchase the land between the two
Renovators transform forgotten places into unforgettable living spaces, giving buildings new life through unconventional home renovations.
Many hauntings are said to be due to unfinished business or a response to a terrible tragedy. For Alice Littlefield, however, her love for her city and her university may have simply extended beyond the date of her death.
Rumors spread like wildfire and, if a dramatic event is interesting enough, some stories can live on for years, even decades. In the early 1900s, Villisca, Iowa was just like any other small town, and the Moores were just like any other family.
If you’ve found the prospect of designing a gallery wall a bit intimidating in the past, now’s the time to reconsider! We’ve taken the liberty of gathering all of the best tried-and-true strategies to design the gallery wall of your dreams.
Easter is an underrated holiday. When most people are asked to pick their favorite holiday, Christmas gets a ton of love, and dressing up on Halloween is tons of fun no matter your age. No one ever thinks of Easter first, despite everything that it has going for it! The Easter bunny is a great mascot, and the light blue, pink, and yellow color scheme is unique and iconic. Okay, Christmas might still be the best holiday, but Easter is still pretty cool, too. One of the best Easter traditions that deserves a bit more recognition is, of course, the egg hunt. Whether set up as a free-for-all at the park, or with specially selected baskets for different family members in the backyard, there are many different versions of the classic Easter egg hunt and plenty of room for creativity. Some are under the misconception that the annual egg hunt is only for the kids, but this doesn’t have to be the case! If your egg hunts are a bit too bland or easy for your kids, or if you’d like to ratchet up the competition a bit this year, here are some outside-the-box strategies and hiding spots that should
Hosting family and friends over the holidays can be a tough task. On one hand, it’s wonderful to reconnect with loved ones, especially those that live far away. On the other hand, getting a busy home in order can feel like an intimidating task after a year of balancing a demanding work schedule along with messy pets, and maybe kids with their own affinity for chaos. In preparation for the holidays, here are a few extra things that you can do to go above and beyond making your out-of-town guests feel welcome! Check On Your Roof’s StabilityOne pet peeve that is so common for guests is lack of decent parking. Whatever system that’s worked for your family throughout the rest of the year likely will have to change at least a bit once a new vehicle is introduced. So, unless you’re blessed with a larger-than-average parking situation, consider thinking ahead for some alternatives that allow extra room for guests. The common holiday struggle of juggling cars in the driveway is exactly why some considerate guests may take it upon themselves to use some sorely underutilized parking areas – such as the space on top of your roof. What many fail
Since we’ve previously discussed how to confirm whether your home is active with the paranormal, we thought it might be valuable to go over some additional Halloween-time survival strategies. When watching a scary movie, it’s easy to become frustrated by the classic mistakes and gaffes that the characters make as they bungle their way into the killer’s hands. Although it’s reasonable to assume that the stress and terror of running for your life can keep you from making practical decisions, choices made by horror movie protagonists can be baffling. In the inevitable case that you end up cornered by a masked, knife-wielding stranger straight out of a slasher movie, you don’t want to fall for the same old slip-ups. To be better prepared, we consulted some of the best minds in home maintenance, organization, and personal fitness for their tips on surviving a scary movie. How To Tell That You’re In A Scary MovieNaturally, the first step for surviving a scary movie is to confirm that you are, in fact, living in a scary movie yourself. Although it may seem painfully obvious to audience goers that the characters shouldn’t investigate that noise in the attic, or search their creepy, unfinished
Location: San Jose, CaliforniaArchitectural Style: Exterior: Queen Anne-Style Victorian; Interior: Aesthetic MovementBuilt: 1886 – 1922 As we progress through the Halloween season, we thought there was no location more appropriate to visit than one of the most notoriously unusual architectural wonders of North America – and the tale of the woman behind it all. For our next entry, we visit the Winchester Mystery House. Sarah PardeeSarah Lockwood Pardee was born in 1839 in New Haven, Connecticut. In her upper-class New England home, Sarah had by all accounts a happy childhood with access to fantastic education, going on to learn four foreign languages (Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian). Pardee studied at Yale College’s associated female scholastic institution and became known for both her extraordinary intelligence and her beauty. Called the “Belle of New Haven,” Sarah had many admirers. In 1862, Sarah married William Wirt Winchester, a brother to one of her classmates and member of a wealthy New Haven family. William was an only son and, therefore, sole heir to his father’s considerable manufacturing company, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. William and Sarah Winchester were a well-off, idyllic young couple, but early on, tragedy beset the Winchesters. In 1866, Sarah gave
Pets demand so much attention, but homeowners have a tendency to bend over backwards in order to accommodate. Frequently, cats and dogs can seem to rule their homes, and since the pandemic saw over 23 million American homes adopt pets (per the Washington Post), the ways in which homeowners are learning to spoil them seem to be spiking. Barkitecture is a term used in reference to the recent trend of remodeling homes with pets specifically in mind, with more permanent and invasive remodeling efforts invested to make family dogs and cats feel more at home. If you’re in the market for a new home, or you’re considering a remodel to make your dog feel more at home, here are a few stylish and subtle home designs you might want to try out. Starting with the Classics With these more traditional pet accommodations in mind, let’s move onto some of the more unique home Barkitecture trends that are changing home design. Home Barkitecture Trends Dog houses, on the other hand, have been around for quite some time. In the past, these structures have been fairly simple, usually consisting of a few walls and a pitched roof. Nowadays, as TikToker @chipgirlhere has
Homes are, traditionally, structures designed with a combination of comfort and function in mind. Architectural styles have risen and fallen in popularity as families seek out the perfect place to raise their children and entertain their guests. But, what happens when a less-than-pleasant motivation becomes the driving force of a new home’s construction? The Hollensbury Spite HouseIn historic Alexandria, Va.,the Hollensbury Spite House has become a tourist attraction in its own right thanks to its strikingly skinny dimensions–less than 7 feet wide when approaching from the street level. This bright blue, two-story, 325-square-foot home is sandwiched between two much larger buildings to its east and west, and begs an explanation as to why such a small, blink-and-you-miss-it house found its way to 523 Queen Street. As the story goes, John Hollensbury was a prominent citizen of Alexandria and a member of the city council back in the early 1800s. All seemed well for the Hollensbury family, aside from issues regarding the alleyway between Mr. Hollensbury’s home and his neighbor’s which attracted many loiterers and carriage traffic. When gouges from carriage wheels began piling up on the exterior walls of Hollensbury’s home, he decided to purchase the land between the two