WE ARE CODY AND WENDY ARNOLD RECENT EMPTY NESTERS—EMBARKING ON A BOLD NEW CHAPTER. JOIN US AS WE RESTORE AND REIMAGINE A NEARLY 100-YEAR-OLD TUDOR-STYLE HOME, BLENDING TIMELESS CHARM WITH MODERN CREATIVITY. FROM DESIGN INSIGHTS TO RENOVATION ADVENTURES, WE’RE SHARING THE BEAUTY, CHALLENGES, AND DISCOVERIES OF BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO THIS HISTORIC SIXTH STREET GEM IN THE HEART OF NUGGETT HILL. WE’RE SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!
As I sit here, exhausted from working late (again), aggressively willing my coffee to bring my body back to life, I want to be angry. Angry that the work isn’t getting done fast enough on the main house, frustrated that certain subs can’t seem to just do their dang job, and generally annoyed that another day is slipping by with what feels like zero progress.
Well… seems I’m already failing miserably at my 2026 one-post-a-week challenge. Cool. Cool. In my defense, a LOT has happened in the last month between moving into the cottage, all the work happening on the main house, and an ice storm that our pug, Aliza, refused to poop in. However, today Cody is traveling, and I’ve finally found a (conference-call-free) pocket of quiet time to process my thoughts.
The first decision I made for this cottage was the tub. I knew she had to be saved from the main house renovation, and although she would have been great in one of the guest bathrooms, I wanted to be able to share her with our guests. Moving her was another thing altogether. I think it took four men to get her out, with a pit stop in the dining room for a few days.
We have a big job ahead of us to make this house our home, but it’s easy to see why we fell for her—here are a few of the historic details that won us over.
