ABOUT THE GRIT & POLISH
Hi! We’re Cathy and Garrett.
We’re not-quite-high-school-sweethearts, although we met in the seventh grade, DIYers, old-home renovators, and parents to three pretty awesome kids.
For more than a decade, we’ve been renovating old homes in Washington state, bringing a fresh-meets-vintage approach to each one, DIY-ing everything we can, and making it up as we go.
Here on The Grit & Polish, we share our homes, renovation projects, trusted sources, and plenty of DIY successes and failures. We’re so glad you’re here!
IT STARTED WITH A FIXER-UPPER
Our Start to Renovating
We bought our first home in Seattle in 2008. It was a fixer-upper, and we had no idea what we were doing.
Over three months, we renovated the house by learning as we went, buying the essential tools, and asking friends and family for help. Before long, we translated those new skills into our next property. And then the next—and the next.
After a decade of spending our nights and weekends renovating, we quit our 9-to-5 jobs in Seattle and moved our family to an old farmhouse in the country in eastern Washington.
Today, we spend our days as parents, renovators, landlords, and content creators—and we’re still always in search of a fresh adventure and a fixer-upper.
OUR APPROACH
Old Homes, Thoughtfully Updated
We believe old houses should feel warm, hardworking, and full of character, not frozen in time.
We save original materials whenever we can, choose quality and timeless finishes, and do as much of the work ourselves as possible. We want every room to work for the people living there while still feeling right for the house.
Our projects aren’t about getting everything perfect. They’re about learning, trying, fixing our mistakes, and creating homes that feel lived-in and truly ours.
OUR HOMES
More Than a Decade of Renovations
What started with one Seattle fixer-upper grew into years of restoring, remodeling, renting, and living in old homes across Washington state.
We’ve kept several of the properties we renovated as rentals, sold others when it was time to move on, and even completed our first—and only!—flip for an HGTV pilot.
Every house has taught us something new.
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The Farmhouse
We lovingly restored this beautiful 1912 farmhouse for seven years while calling it home.
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The Poplar Cottage
Our smallest house and biggest remodel to date, this cute little home will eventually open its doors to guests.
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The Hill House
Follow along as we turn this in-town fixer into our family’s “this stage of life” home.
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The Dexter House
Our most urban home—and one of our all-time favorites—the Dexter House is now a charming Seattle rental.
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The Porch House
Our first—and only!—flip, this 1900 house starred alongside us in our HGTV pilot and thankfully stayed in the family.
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The Ravenna House
We renovated every square inch of this rough-around-the-edges 1926 Tudor and called it home for two years.
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The Bryant House
This compact 1920 bungalow in a sweet Seattle neighborhood became one of our first renovation projects—and a longtime rental.
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The Tacoma Converted Garage
We brought a little Grit and Polish style to this converted garage with bright whites, natural materials, and a rustic, industrial edge.
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The Six Day KitchenReno House
We transformed this original 1940s kitchen into a timeless, modern-country space in seven looonnnnggg days.
A few things about us:
We grew up together in small-town Ellensburg, Washington, but didn’t start dating until high school graduation.
We’re parents to three awesome kids.
Garrett has a PhD in biochemistry. Cathy has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and structural engineering.
Cathy is a sourdough bread baker, and Garrett does most of the cooking in our house.
The quest for financial independence and early retirement has been a meaningful part of our journey. We go into detail here.
In 2017, we starred in an HGTV pilot called Master Plan. It was a fun—and completely surreal—experience. Learn more about it here.
So glad you are here
Follow Along
We’re still renovating, learning, and sharing as we go. Head to the blog to catch up on the latest project, or start with our practical guides for renovating an old home.
Looking to work together? We’d love to hear from you.
