True Tales From Old Houses

In this episode, Preservation Month continues with another State of Restoration check-in and a look at one of the most overlooked forms of historic preservation: historic cemetery and headstone care.
First, Stacy checks back in with the State of Restoration project, where one theme starting to emerge is that preservation often follows money.
Then, she is joined by Justin Frost from Past Preservation to talk about historic cemetery preservation, headstone cleaning, and headstone repair. They discuss proper gravestone cleaning methods, common preservation mistakes, and the difference between helping and accidentally causing damage. Justin also shares what inspired him to begin this work and what continues to motivate him today.
With Memorial Day approaching, this episode is especially helpful for anyone planning to visit family gravesites, volunteer in a historic cemetery, or learn more about proper cemetery preservation and respectful headstone care.
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 Justin/Past Preservation LLC on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
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 week's episode, Stacy kicks off Historic Preservation Month by revisiting the State of Restoration voicemail project, sharing updates from Utah and the Pacific Northwest. 
Then, she chats with Emma Shay about her 1924 Craftsman bungalow. They get into how Emma's first house, what she calls an "old house on easy mode," sparked a love and respect for old houses. That experience now shapes the thoughtful decisions she's making to preserve charm and character without overcomplicating the process.
Before wrapping up, Stacy shares listener feedback on last week's Good, Better, Best segment on hot rooms and ties up a few loose ends with a couple of follow-up thoughts and practical takeaways.
Mentioned in this Episode
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Friends of Suomi Hall - Astoria, Oregon
Follow Lauri @forsstromhouse on Instagram
Follow Emma Shay on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
Enter to win Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings by John Lundin
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 week's episode, Stacy shares a few updates from Blake Hill House and finally settles the Minisode name question.
Then, she works through a listener question using the Good, Better, Best format, tackling a common old house challenge: rooms that get too hot in the summer. From simple adjustments to more involved solutions, she breaks down practical ways to improve comfort without losing sight of how old houses are meant to function.
At the end of the episode, Stacy reflects on a video that's been circulating online and why it didn't sit quite right. It's a conversation about the responsibility that comes with sharing "expert" advice, especially when character-defining features are involved. We all have a role to play—expecting better information and holding companies accountable, even when they carry a legacy that makes them feel untouchable.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Enter to win Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings by John Lundin
The Case for Historic Windows (book)
Velvet Thermal Blackout Curtains (affiliate) 
Cellular Shade (Cut-to-width available in store)
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

This week's field trip episode started with a question Stacy couldn't shake: Why is there a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of nowhere, Idaho?
The Sun Valley Lodge isn't just any hotel. It's a grand, carefully designed resort surrounded by mountains and ranchland. When Stacy realized Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the architect behind many of the lodges in the National Parks, was involved, it explained the design—but not the decision to build it there.
So Stacy sat down in person with historian John Lundin to learn how Sun Valley came to be.
He shares how Union Pacific Railroad, led by Averell Harriman, built an ambitious destination from scratch during the Great Depression. It was a bold, "if you build it, they will come" kind of idea.
From opulent hotspot to wartime reinvention to decline, and back again, the history makes one thing clear: building Sun Valley was only the beginning.
Mentioned in this Episode
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
Join Stacy on Substack
Visit Sun Valley Lodge
Enter to win John Lundin's book (Rafflecopter has shut down! I'll put instructions for how to enter to win on 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 week's episode, Stacy shares a mid-season update, tying up a few loose ends, and sharing what's coming up at Blake Hill House, including this summer's window restoration workshops.
She also walks through her outdoor spring to-do list, highlighting the seasonal tasks that come with caring for an old house this time of year.
Then, Stacy introduces a new Q&A format, Good, Better, Best, and uses it to work through common old-house challenges. From musty odors and dampness to uneven floors, she breaks down practical options and explains how to approach each one.
The episode ends with a few thoughts about renaming the Minisode.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
The Sprung Dance Floor (book) by Steve Jordan
Rubio Monocoat soap (one bottle lasts forever)
Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap
Krud Kutter cleaner/degreaser
Join Stacy on Substack
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).