We are Heather Ferguson and David Chiu. In 2002, we decided to do what most couples who have settled down, made it legal, and bought a dog do; we purchased our first home. Our 97 year old Craftsman style bungalow is located in West Adams, one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods.

West Adams is a racially and economically diverse area that offers some of the finest houses in Los Angeles. You will find elaborate Italianate mansions, beautiful Craftsman homes, ornate Victorians and street after street of simple bungalows. Our neighborhood is truly bungalow heaven, although some people in Pasadena might disagree.

To call our home a “fixer” is understating the situation. Our home needed everything; by everything I mean a new foundation, new sewer lines, new roof, new electrical, updated plumbing, asbestos siding removal, original wood siding patched or replaced, the front porch rebuilt, the enclosed back porch ripped off and rebuilt, windows restored, landscaping, burglar bars removed and an exterior paint job. And, that was just the outside.

The inside hasn’t been any easier. We have gone room-by-room, restoring one room at a time. Under 18 layers of paint – yes, 18! – we found beautiful Douglas fir woodwork. We also found crumbling plaster, missing light fixtures, a few mummified rats, a kitchen floor covered in 5-inch thick plaster of Paris and black hardwood floors.

Being complete novices, and complete idiots, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We have done a lot of work on the house ourselves, but hire people to help us when in over our heads, which happens often. We have learned an amazing amount and met some wonderful people along the way.

After 7 years, we are half way done. We could have finished restoring the house, but decided to take a sanity break from working on the house a few years ago. We still have some large projects ahead of us. I am dreaming of a restored kitchen and bathroom. A small confession, we’re still brushing our teeth in the bathtub seven years later!

This site started as a blog in 2003 to document all the changes and work being done on our house. Since then it has grown into a way for me to share with you all the things and people who inspire me.

If you have a house project or story that you would like to share contact me at:
heather [at] 1912bungalow [dot] com.