Pardonnez our dust

Two days ago, Kathy Price-Robinson, who writes the "Pardon Our Dust" remodeling blog for the Los Angeles Times, asked her readers if they'd be interested in following the progress of a flood-damaged home in New Orleans' Holy Cross neighborhood:

I'm enthralled with this region and the fact that an estimated 50,000 storm-damaged homes need work. Whenever I see a 100-year-old home that needs help, I feel an almost irresistible desire to fix it up....

Would readers of this blog enjoy following along as Ariane restores this house? And to hear of her struggles as a community activist fighting against the area's rising crime? Or is this just too far from SoCal to be of interest?

Julie's readers spoke, and by an 89%-11% margin, wanted to know more. So she's gonna do it:

This kind of reminds me of the 18-month-long Dream Home Diaries in the New York Times, which followed a Boston couple's building of a $1 million dream home on a small island in Florida.

The difference here is that this is not a new home and Ariane doesn't have $1 million. Her budget is more like a wing and a prayer. And all this makes for a more fascinating story, at least to me.

Me too. This has the potential to be, as Julie wrote, a fascinating story -- a lot more fascinating than the millionth struggles-of-the-rich architecture-porn story in The New York Times.

Comments

[Jil]

Good on her, and I'll be following it. It should be interesting to read one that's about actually saving a house, instead of the usual designer porn.

[liprap]

Well, all RIGHT! Sounds like some good stories will be coming SoCal's way. Hope it's done well.

[Karen]

I hated that New York series..