We are Greg + Ashley Brown, and thanks for visiting our blog! This is where we talk about renovating, decorating, and living in our first house, a 1970’s brick ranch right outside the city limits of Richmond, Virginia. And yes, which happens to be the seventh house on the left. Before we get too far about the house, here’s a little about us…
I’m Greg and I’m 26 years old. I’m a Chief Systems Architect, but when I say that, everyone seems to think I make drawings of buildings or something. I’m actually an IT Administrator of sorts. Basically, if it has to do with computers, I’m responsible for it, so most people just call me an “IT guy”. When I’m not working my day job, I like to play guitar and computer games. I love math and physics, and I enjoy recreational coding from time to time. Yep, I’m pretty much your stereotypical geek. When it comes to our house renovations, I spend most of my time keeping Ash’s feet on the ground… like explaining why we can’t install a television that descends from the ceiling. Yeah. We make a good team.
I’m Ashley. I’m 26 and when I’m not working on projects around the house, writing for the blog, I take on occasional graphic design work over at Ashley Brown Design – something I love almost as much as renovating our house. Needless to say, things stay pretty busy around here at the Brown house. Even though I’m not a professional interior designer, I’ve been an enthusiast long before I even knew what interior design was. Yep, I was the kid with the perfectly arranged Disney stuffed animals, alphabetized coloring books, and the categorized and color-coded sticker book. I’m constantly jotting down ideas or sketching room layouts in notebooks (hence our notebook blog design!). I also enjoy classic TV shows (particularly I Love Lucy) and curling up with Greg, Bentley, a blanket and a good black and white classic movie – I’m a complete sucker for Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Katharine Hepburn, and Cary Grant films.
Last but certainly not least, there’s Bentley, or spunky dog. Actually, he’s more like a part of the family than just a dog. He’s an energetic, 5-year-old Pomeranian and a handful, to say the least. Bentley’s crazy about peanut butter, his prized tennis ball, his rubber dog and BFF Rufus, and has an odd obsession with his t-shirt collection. Read more about Bentley and see him in action here.
We originally met at church and a few years later both graduated from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee in 2007. Greg double-majored in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration while Ashley double-majored in Advertising and Telecommunications and also earned an associates in Art Design. After graduation, we moved back to our homes here in Richmond, and on December 29th, 2007, we became Mr. + Mrs. Brown. After cozy apartment living for a little over two years, we decided we were ready to take the next big step: home ownership.
A few weeks before closing, we made the decision to start a blog about the demolition, renovation, decorating, and everything else that comes along with remodeling and living in our first house. Are we professionals? Nope. We’re just a graphic designer/housewife and an “computer geek”, who are sharing our adventures (and misadventures) with the rest of the world.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions that come through our inbox:
What paint color did you use in your living room (guest bedroom, laundry room, etc)?
For the run down of what paint colors we used throughout the house, click here.
When do you publish new posts?
We post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We post the occasional giveaway Tuesdays and even sprinkle an Etsy Thursday in here and there. Yay for schedules! I feel better when things are more organized, don’t you? When a new post is up, we’ll be sure to let you guys know via Twitter and Facebook.
Who designed your blog?
The blog was designed by yours truly. Basically, Ashley does all of the graphic design stuff and Greg does the programming and makes it happen. We make a good team.
What are your advertising rates?
For advertising rates, please contact us.
Do you design websites and/or blogs for other people/companies?
Ashley occasionally takes on graphic design work over at Ashley Brown Design. Due to our busy schedules, and brain power capacity, we do not design websites/blogs at the moment.
What fonts do you use on your site?
The “Seventh House” and sidebar titles is Museo Slab 500. The tab titles and tagline font is Champagne & Limousines by Lauren Thompson. Anything you see in handwriting, like “on the Left”, is Ashley’s handwriting (we’re hoping to have the font available for download in the future). Oh, and the content text is plan ‘ole Arial.
How do you design your His + Her favorite things boards?
We use a mixture of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. If the product photos need to be edited (the background taken out or cropped), that’s done in Photoshop. When it comes to laying it all out, Illustrator is used to put all of the pieces together (you could also easily do the layout in Photoshop though!). As for Greg, he normally just gives me (Ashley) his list of favorites and I put his board together for him. Of course, I always make sure to show him his board and get his “seal of approval” before it’s posted.
Where did you get the Rare Prints wall art in your living room?
Ashley bought it at Pottery Barn almost two years ago and unfortunately, they don’t carry it anymore. It’s such a shame because it’s so awesome and we get this question at least four times a week!
What kind of camera do you use?
On the blog, you’ll find a mixture of photos taken with our iPhones, a Sony Powershot, and a Canon 5D.
What breed of dog is Bentley?
Bentley is a full bred Pomeranian. We rescued him from a puppy mill when he was eight weeks old. Four years later, he’s like a member of the family.
Have a question? For more information about submissions and how to contact us, click here for the 411.
We are Greg + Ashley Brown, and thanks for visiting our blog! This is where we talk about renovating, decorating, and living in our first house, a 1970’s brick ranch right outside the city limits of Richmond, Virginia. And yes, it just happens to be the seventh house on the left side of our street. 
