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designpetproject

An Architect's story of do it yourself home renovation

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ABOUT

Hey Everyone! I’m Ashley!

Thanks for stopping by to check out designpetproject. First time here? Read on for a little history about me and my DIY adventure, then check out the house tour. Already been here? Thank you! Thank you for coming back! Check out my latest posts here.

When I was younger I sketched, played with Legos and constantly rearranged my parents furniture to make the design better. Who am I kidding, I STILL do this. I grew up in a house where we always fixed everything and renovated ourselves. As soon as I was old enough to hold a paint brush I was painting walls or stenciling apple trees in our kitchen. Stencils were soo coool in the 90’s.

Now I am a full time Architect, part time blogger, sometimes yoga doer, and home DIYer. A few years ago after moving around the country, my husband Ben, also an Architect, and I bought our first home in Minneapolis, MN. It’s a midcentury rambler/ranch and we couldn’t have been more excited! It needed some work and we were sooooo excited to start.

we-bought-a-house

Then we freaked! Even as architects the thought of actually starting a home renovation was daunting. Financially, emotionally, and physically draining, it is scary even for professionals. So we started researching. A LOT. We watch a lot of you tube videos, read a ton, and ask around about other home owner’s experiences.

Ashley-Yoga-Boise

I started designpetproject to share all of our successes and failures with all of you! I figured if I had all of these questions others would too! Here are my stories and I hope they inspire you to try your own home renovations.

Oh, and my other passion are my kids! We have 2 black lab rescues, Penny
(RIP)&Molly and our son Beckett!. We are also volunteer for a local Twin Cities rescue Safe Hands Animal Rescue. I love, love, love dogs so I couldn’t pass up the chance to share pics of my dogs and the rescue! Check out Penny and Molly’s story.

160515-Safe-Hands-Dogs-Penny-Molly-sitting

Thanks for stopping by!

Don’t forget to check out the house tour and check out all of the projects!

Need to contact me? Have a specific question? Fill out the contact page! I love chatting with everyone about DIY, kids, and rescue!

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Hey there! I'm Ashley! Architect, designer, dog lover and do it yourself homeowner. Designpetproject shares my journey of successes and failures at all things home diy. I hope to inspire you to take on projects and help you along the way!

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5 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU DIY

This is sooo awesome! We have an idea for a project and it’s going to be great! We have pinterest boards filled with ideas of beautiful stuff. Now what? How do we actually make this happen? As Architects we are always asked, “How do you do your own house projects?” Ben and I always have…

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METAL EDGING AND AN AWESOME NATIVE GARDEN!

Living in the Midwest we only get a small window of summer so it’s important that our yard is awesome so we can maximize the fun. When winters make this much snow, summer has to rock to make up for it! We have been working on this planting bed for as long as we have…

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KITCHEN TILE AND COUNTERTOP DEMOLITION! ASH SMASH!

Demolition is awesome! Demo could possibly be my most favorite part of DIY projects besides the end result. I love to bust stuff up. You can get an awesome workout from hauling stuff and swinging a sledgehammer. You can take out anger, frustration or a strong hatred of 2×2 and 1×1 countertop tile that you…

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Disclaimer

Designpetproject is a personal blog created, written, and edited by me, Ashley. These are my stories and my personal opinions. This website tells the story of what worked for me and my house. I am under no circumstances telling you all to follow my exact steps for your home renovation. Every house is different. I encourage you to do additional research on your own prior to beginning any DIY project. At Designpetproject we have successes and failures. Designpetproject cannot be responsible for injuries, loss, or anything else related to reader’s projects. All photos, comments and content belong to Ashley and she has the right to remove, edit, or change any of them at any time without notice. Written permission is required for the use of images or site content from Designpetproject. Failure to link back and credit Designpetproject is a violation. Did your eyes glaze over? Me too! Now back to the fun!

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