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Hello
We get a lot of questions about the house, the history, and some of the stranger things we’ve uncovered along the way, so we’ve gathered the most common ones here.
This is where you’ll find a bit more context about who we are, how this all started, and how we think about preservation, storytelling, and living in a very old house.
What is Living in History?
Living in History is where we share our experience living in and restoring a historic home. It’s part renovation, part preservation, part storytelling, and part real life. We document the process, the challenges, the discoveries, and the history we uncover along the way.
Who are you and how did you meet?
We’re Courtney and Matt, the couple behind Living in History. We met in college at the tender ages of 20 and 21 and bonded over a shared love of old houses, design, and history.
Our first date was to Donnie Darko: The Musical at an experimental theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, followed by dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Courtney had just turned 21 and promptly bought underage Matthew a drink, and the rest is history.
We eventually got married in Oklahoma, where Courtney is originally from, and now we have three kids, a crabby chihuahua named Buffy, and a historic house that keeps us very busy.
We both work in reality television. Matt is a story producer (he’s the one who turns real people and real moments into a narrative), and Courtney is a casting director.
Where is your house located?
Our home is located in Los Angeles County. We’re intentionally a little vague about the exact neighborhood or address for privacy and safety reasons, but we’re happy to share the general historical and architectural context.
How old is your house? What style is it?
Our house was built in 1893. It’s an Italianate-style vernacular hipped cottage from the Victorian era, with many original details still intact.
Are you professional historians or preservation experts?
Nope. We’re not formally trained historians or preservationists. That said, we both work in storytelling and research for a living, so we take accuracy, sourcing, and context seriously. We do our homework, consult experts when needed, and try to be thoughtful and responsible in how we restore and share the house’s history.
What’s the story with the antiques and items left behind?
When we bought the house, we casually suggested that the sellers throw in a few of the antiques we really loved, not realizing that the intention was for everything to be left behind.
The non-profit we bought the house from had been gifted the house and all of its contents after the death of the former occupants. The non-profit felt strongly that the items should stay with the house, and that they were part of its history.
Because of that, we’ve been very intentional about preserving, displaying, and caring for as many of the pieces as we can.
Do you sell the antiques or items you find?
Sometimes, yes. We keep many of the pieces that feel closely connected to the home’s story, and others we restore and thoughtfully rehome.
We have an eBay page where we let go of some of the smaller items to help fund the ongoing restoration. We try to do that carefully and respectfully, and always with an eye toward preserving what feels most meaningful to the house itself.
Who is “Secret Stalker”?
“Secret Stalker” is our nickname for someone who lived in the house in the 1970s and 80s and was closely connected to it for many years.
The property was later gifted to a non-profit by her brother, and we purchased the home from that organization.
She has an incredible memory for the home’s history and the very colorful cast of people who lived here over the years. From time to time, she sends us letters filled with stories, details, corrections, and observations about the house and its former occupants.
Some of her mail is genuinely insightful and historically valuable. Some of it is very specific and idiosyncratic. And some of it is, honestly, a little creepy, strange, or unsettling. Taken together, it forms a kind of accidental archive from someone who still feels deeply connected to the house. And we enjoy the hell out of it.
Is what you share on social media actually real?
Yes. Everything we share is real.
Because we both work in storytelling for a living, it’s second nature for us to document what’s happening around us and to make sense of it through narrative. From the beginning, we wanted to document the process of restoring the house. What we didn’t expect was to find secret rooms, uncover long-hidden personal archives, or end up in ongoing correspondence with someone deeply connected to the home.
So while some of what we share can feel surprising or unlikely, none of it is invented. It’s just the result of living in a very old, very layered house where a lot of unexpected things come with the territory.
Storytelling is second nature to us. But the stories themselves are real.
What do you do when you’re not working on the house?
We love to travel, scuba dive when we get the chance, and drink a lot of coffee. We’re big believers in balance, which for us means equal parts restoration projects, family time, adventures, and sitting down when we can.
Can I use your photos or videos?
Most of the photos on our website were taken by Jenn Spain Photography (before photos) and Lacey Wood Photography (after photos). Those images are not available for use without permission from us and the photographers.
For anything else, please reach out through our contact page to discuss licensing, features, or collaborations.