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 homes, what buyers are looking for today, timeless design, and how social media has influenced the way we think about owning old houses.
Also in this episode, listener Peter Martin shares how he got the doors in his old house to latch properly. What sounds like a simple project turned out to be a series of different problems, each requiring its own solution. It's a practical conversation for anyone living with doors that stick, swing, sag, or simply refuse to cooperate.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Bending Hinges - I'll put some links on Substack this week. I'm still looking for the most useful ones.
Find Robert Khederian on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
Buy Tala lightbulbs 
Buy GE Relax lightbulbs (affiliate link)
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 available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!
Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26.
Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity.
Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free.
Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order.
Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX

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 and turning it into a space that works for both her business and her broader mission.
Ariana explains what drew her to the building, how she determined whether the project was realistic, and the vision she has for the property's future as a home for Nzilani Glass and her non-profit, The Fillet Foundation. Stacy and Ariana discuss adaptive reuse, balancing passion with practicality, and the importance of planning before taking on a major rehabilitation project.
The conversation also explores the often-overlooked people behind preservation work. Ariana explains why she wants to recognize every craftsperson, contractor, and tradesperson who contributes to the building's transformation, and why their work deserves to be celebrated alongside the finished project.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Nzilani Glass Conservation (website)
The Fillet Foundation (website)
Red Wing Wall of Honor (website)
@Nzilani_Glass (Instagram)
@the_fillet_foundation (Instagram)
@aubadeproperty (Instagram)
Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!
Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26.
Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity.
Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free.
The Old House Shop – The store for people who accidentally turn every conversation into a discussion about windows, plaster, or old-growth lumber. Find preservation-minded t-shirts, cozy sweatshirts, mugs, and gifts that celebrate process over perfection. Use code OLDHOUSELIFE for 10% off your order (excluding books). 
Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX

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 Stacy invited him back to continue the conversation.
Then, Bari Ackerman joins Stacy to share her story of making a major life change to pursue an old house dream. After years of imagining a different kind of life, Bari and her husband decided to go for it, a little later in life than many people might expect.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Episode 162: From Spreadsheets to Bed Sheets - An Innkeeper's Tale
Episode 185: Hot Rooms & Higher Standards
Product and video links for the perforated radiant barrier will be on Substack this week.
Bailey House Inn (website)
Follow Bari on Instagram @barij and @oursecondacthome
Subscribe to Bari's Substack
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 available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!
Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26.
Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity.
Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free.
Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order.
Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX

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 building like that and turn it into a financially viable project? The answer involves far more than passion and vision. From tax credits and tenants to deferred maintenance and demolition by neglect, this episode explores why bringing historic buildings back to life can be so difficult, even when people care deeply about saving them.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Enter to win A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester
Catalog Archive from Ken at OldHouseGuy.com
Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!
Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26.
Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity.
Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free.
The Old House Shop – The store for people who accidentally turn every conversation into a discussion about windows, plaster, or old-growth lumber. Find preservation-minded t-shirts, cozy sweatshirts, mugs, and gifts that celebrate process over perfection. Use code OLDHOUSELIFE for 10% off your order (excluding books). 
Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX

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?
Then, Stacy is joined by Carissa and Larry for a refreshingly honest conversation about old house life, DIY projects, and relationships. They talk about sharing a historic home when one person is a little (a lot!) more enthusiastic about it than the other, the realities of living through projects together, and why old house partnerships rarely look as polished online as they do in real life.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Enter to win A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester
Follow Carissa and Larry on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
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 available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!
Sutherland Welles - Maker of exceptional polymerized tung oil finishes since 1965. To save 10% on your first order, use the coupon code TRUETALES26.
Brouns & Co. Linseed Oil Paint - Flax plant-derived linseed oil paint and stain. Anti-mold with only trace elements of VOCs. Wicks moisture from wood. Prevents metal from rusting. (Featured on ep. 164) Brouns & Co. is trusted by preservation professionals and homeowners who value authenticity.
Heritage Supply Co. - Heritage Supply Co. (formerly The Craftsman Store) is the same trusted company you know for window restoration supplies and more. Use code TRUETALES10 for 10% off your entire order. Spend $250 or more, and shipping is free.
Repaint Studios - The Repaint Tray from Repaint Studios is the first reusable silicone paint tray liner and lid. The Repaint Tray's airtight lid keeps your paint fresh for weeks. Use the coupon code TRUETALES10 to save 10% off your order.
Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX