Long before we were ever bloggers (or blogs were even a thing) we were makers, DIYers and lovers of all things old and rusty.
Corey and I are seriously passionate about making stuff. Sometimes we make our own thing and sometimes we make things together. We always bounce ideas off of each other and more often than not, we discover we were thinking the same thing. Our ideas meld into one. Call it a marriage made in DIY heaven.
We were both makers even before we purchased an old house together. Corey was buying little tables and furniture at auctions for cheap and restoring them. Kristy was the crafty one, devouring her Martha Stewart magazines and attempting to replicate nearly every project in them, like these for example.
This Old House We Love
After living together in a one-bedroom 250 sq. ft. apartment (before it was chic to live in a tiny house) we knew we had to find a home to call our own… and fast! Our landlords knew we were looking and invited us over to look at their house. They hadn’t put it on the market yet but were planning to downsize soon. One look and we knew it was a perfect match. We had finally found the house of our dreams!
It was old with tons of charm and character. The structure was sound, but the inside needed some updates. That first year we scribbled all the projects and ideas we wanted to accomplish, line by line on a legal sized notepad. We divided the huge list into three phases. Ambitious, I know.
circa 1999
The list included things like removing old wallpaper, ripping out carpet, uncovering the hardwood floors, updating the kitchen, landscaping, bringing the electrical to code, painting and more painting – and here we are, still trying to check things off our list 14 years later!
I don’t even know where we are with our phases… maybe phase 72? But we enjoy nearly every minute. Our passion to make this house a reflection of our unique style has evolved into the very fabric of this blog. Our home is our place to express ourselves. This blog is our place to share it with you.
circa 2013
The Shop
As we started decorating our old house, we incorporated things we found at antique shops or flea markets. We took pictures of things we liked (this is before Pinterest – hard to imagine, right?!) and then came home and made our own versions… Pretty soon, our friends and family were asking us to make them stuff too… Sometimes we gave them the stuff off our wall and made another one for ourselves. I think we were just so flattered that someone liked enough to want it for themselves.
We got brave and opened up an Etsy shop, then braver still, and reserved a space in local craft fair. That was fun. We didn’t realize how much we would enjoy selling our stuff. There’s a tiny thrill when you realize someone wants to pay for something you created, painted or designed. Robb Restyle became more than a hobby.
People often visit our house or our Etsy shop or this blog and comment that they would never have thought to use a particular item that way. That makes us smile. If we can surprise someone with a piece that has a new upcycle vitality, then we call that a win.
We’ve also met so many great people through Robb Restyle who also share our passion and creative spirit! And, after adding a few kiddos to our family, this little endeavor is a great way for us to spend some quality time together in the workshop as husband and wife makers.
The Blog
And so our hobby became our lifestyle. That was 14 years ago and thankfully we aren’t done yet. Because really, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves without a house project staring us in the face.
A few years after participating in craft shows, we decided to start writing a blog. The blog began as a how-to for our shop projects and documented a few DIY projects around our house, but evolved to include artful furniture transformations, curated vintage goods and quick tips for restyling your home.
We love sharing our story and our passion with others. If we didn’t have a shop or a blog, we would still be picking, curating, making and decorating… our love for all things old, rusty, chippy and vintage runs deep in our veins.