At Robins Hollow, we’ve learned that the best gifts — like the best houses — take time. Whether homegrown, handmade, or heritage-quality, every thoughtful gesture is a form of stewardship. This season, we’re celebrating the beauty of giving with intention.

At Robins Hollow, November marks the beginning of celebration season — when the rituals of care, planning, and gratitude overlap. From planning Sean’s birthday to our annual holiday party, every act of preparation reminds us that good celebrations start with thoughtful planning and end in joy.

Every old house keeps a story; ours begins with hoofbeats in the fog. The Ciderkeeper’s Return introduces Boo Spookinay — the ghost horse of Robins Hollow and the keeper of its oldest tradition.

Every fall at Robins Hollow, the “tighten the envelope” walk begins — drafts, cracks, and all. The cellar door finally made the list. What started as a quick repair became a season-long lesson in patience, craftsmanship, and why the best projects aren’t the fastest ones.

Hosting is part of a house’s legacy. At Robins Hollow, we’ve learned not to wait for perfection — the laughter, meals, and late-night stories are what make a home feel alive. This week, we explore the heritage of hosting and why every gathering keeps history warm.

People always ask, “Where do you find the time?” The short answer: we don’t. We make it, one weekend, one repair, one cup of coffee at a time. Because in old houses, progress isn’t measured in speed — it’s measured in stewardship.

At Robins Hollow, fall begins on the porch. From mums and asters to Sean’s annual “great pumpkin scape” (an unspoken rivalry with Martha Stewart), our porches become stages for seasonal rituals that blend tradition, community, and old house stewardship. Discover the rhythms, North Fork pumpkin patches, and small acts of care that make fall decorating more than just décor.

As the seasons shift, preparing a nearly 200-year-old home for winter becomes a ritual of care, persistence, and love. From stacking firewood to upgrading our wood-burning stove and sealing every draft, Robins Hollow embraces the rhythms of change while honoring its historic charm. Join us as we share the rituals and reflections that keep our old house warm, cozy, and ready for the cold months ahead.

Some houses capture your heart the moment you see them. Robins Hollow did just that. From the first step inside its 200-year-old walls to the day we got the call that it was ours, it felt like coming home. A house with history, hidden nooks, and endless possibilities — waiting for us to become its stewards.

When we began renovating our dining room at Robins Hollow, we didn’t expect a corner cabinet to spark such a debate. But this one—tall, charming, and definitely not original—became a symbol of the line we walk every day: preserving history while creating a home that feels like ours. In this post, we unpack how we made the call to remove it, why we’re selling it, and what it means to balance reverence with reinvention in an old house.

This week at Robins Hollow, we're tackling drywall and plaster repair in our historic dining room. Follow along as we patch ceilings, DIY our way through budget woes, and celebrate Lisa's first-ever drywall screw!

This week at Robins Hollow, we tackled a big old house design dilemma: keep or remove the not-quite-original built-in corner cabinet in our Victorian dining room? Here's how we made the call—and what we found behind the trim

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that when we commit to an 8-week project… it sometimes turns into a 24-week project. So the fact that Week 2 of the One Room Challenge is already teetering on the edge of full-blown scope creep? Not a great sign.

To be fair, the dining room isn’t the only thing demanding our attention this week.

We also took delivery of 110 five-foot skip laurels that we’re planting ourselves to create a privacy hedge along the property line (because what’s a relaxing spring project without a few hundred feet of shovel work?). And—because no old house project is complete without a dash of chaos—our well stopped working completely, leaving us without water. As in: no showers, no cooking, no flushing toilets. We’re currently weighing whether to dig a new well point or finally hook up to town water… while also trying to pick light fixtures.

So yes, things are a little hectic.

Join us for the One Room Challenge as we transform our Victorian dining room at Robins Hollow. Follow along week by week as we share our renovation process, design inspiration, and all the charming chaos of restoring an old house.

Tired of cheap, ill-fitting doors in your old home? Learn how we built custom doors for our 200-year-old Victorian house—plus tips on materials, hardware, cost, and DIY design. Discover why building your own door is worth the effort.