Dear World: Are You High? (And Other Things I've Been Wondering About Life)
10/08/2025
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hi, i'm ash!
Creator of the New Travel & Design Series, 'OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES.'
Travel writer & host, cultural explorer, and architecture & interiors freak.
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I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
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Oh sour grapes!!! That’s a ton of money!!! Though I admit I’ve never purchased a door before so who am I to say what is an appropriate price?? I do think the doors are a necessity however so you may be at the mercy of slappy the door guy, maybe he’ll throw in a free window?! Bahahah unlikely
I DO deserve a free window!!!! LOL. There’s this one window in the cottage that sits above the sink—and it doesn’t open. IT DOESN’T OPEN, DANI. I forever will never understand who made that decision. But that’s another one on my hit list!!!!!
My equivalent of your “Are you high?!!!) favorite phrase that I always want to trot out is:
“Were you raised by wolves?!?”
But I never seem to be faced with a person who:
– just committed a being-raised-by-wolves act,
– was raised by wolves, and
– speaks English,
all at the same time.
$24k is a LOT for doors, but, it’s about what your Vans would have cost your mom had she bought them for you way back then. I’m looking at their website, and yes, that’s what good doors seem to cost.
It’s like the Chanel suit you always said you would get yourself once you made enough money. (I got the Armani suit, wore it to death, and gave it to a protegee about 10 years after I had grown out of it and NEVER was able to fit in it again.) Get the exterior doors – they will make you feel good every day of your life, every time that you go in and out of either of your homes.
Then, watch everything he does when Window/Door guy hangs them, and throughout the entire process, and hang your own dang interior doors. Bet you can!
(PS I have been reliably told that what the Brits call “conkers,” or chestnuts, can keep spiders away because they either are afraid of how they look or how they smell. I haven’t yet tested this theory because a) I have a man who catches or kills all insects for me so I am lazy, and b) I can’t find any on the road because they are also good for eating and the owners of the houses where they fall gather them immediately. I am NOT looking up what your spider looks like because I will cower in a corner and never want to see you again…)
(PPS “Sour grapes” reminds me that I just was a panelist on a webinar talking about how interpreters should handle it when the speaker uses offensive language. It will surprise exactly no one to find out that I was the one in charge of the “swearing” facet of offensive language 🤣)
Wait, now I need to know: how DO interpreters handle it when the speaker uses offensive language?!?!?!?!?!!? Don’t leave us hanging, Julia!!!!!
You are so right about coming in and out of those doors and just wanting to make out with them every single time. Also: a Chanel suit is 100% on my bucket list someday. You are so sweet that you gifted your Armani to a protegee. I LOVE THIS AND YOU.
Also: I have a pest control guy come every month to spray the exterior for spiders and have not seen any in years! But this guy must have been one hell of a rebel. 🤣 RIP buddy.
Gosh, once a month… I don’t think I could live anywhere where it wasn’t one and done. The nightmares… 😱
There were 3 panelists: offensive language that doesn’t include swear words, offensive language being interpreted into your foreign language, and yours truly talking about swearing. In my case (and this is probably way too much detail…) I talked about culture, do they really know what they are saying, and what does your client/audience want. People found it useful, judging from the comments in the Zoom chat…
This is sooooo fascinating. I have always loved hearing about your work! Am having flashbacks to fun nights in Chile with friends who, when testing their English, started using lots of words found in, um….rap songs. And I was like, whoa whoa whoa guys. I don’t think you know what that means. HOW INTERESTING OF A PANEL, Julia!!! (Also: what does your client/audience want. Brilliant.)
I think that podcast episode may tirn into a series…🤭🤣
As a relative old-timer with an old house I’m renovating – let me just say there is no way I would fork out $12k for a door – no matter how fancy. That’s a ridiculous price. I replaced my entire roof for less than that in CAD dollars.
Yeah, that’s what I thought! It’s funny, I had no frame of reference to work off of! But soooo helpful crowdsourcing everyone’s opinion. Thank you, Christine!!!! (Also, I hope you love your new roof!)
I do love my new metal roof – it’s sapphire blue – so beautiful!!
Geez, that sounds like a hella of a lot for two single front entry doors. I think someone was running around my neighborhood trying to get folks to upgrade their front doors for like $5K, but they were not Anderson, so there is that…….Can’t you have the code entrance things put on as an after-market product by someone else?
Doesn’t it? Haha, is it sick I want to go and meet the person who’s going door-to-door selling…doors? I’d love to hear how that’s going!!!!!! 🤣 I could def have the code thing put on afterward. I was really just trying like hell to have it DONE. You ever have that, where it’s something you’ve been needing to do for so long, that finally you just cave to whoever can GET IT DONE? This is my current personal hell, lol.
Hell, at 24,000 they don’t need to knock on that many doors, do they??? 😉 I’ve been there, you want to check the box, cross it off the list…..see progress.
I coughed on my saliva–because I gasped, not because I’m drooly–at the cost of those doors. Seriously, they’d better include European espresso machines that you key-code in on your way in or out the doors. I mean, yikes.
However, I then read about the need to custom-build the doors and door frames. Plus, there will be the wages for the nervous and hapless workers who have to pray they don’t find six other issues once they start exploring the wonders of your, ahem, vintage home. YOU, of all people, know that, Ash!
So does it feel like you’re paying for a heart transplant when all you need is a sliver removed? YES. Will those doors look amazing and like a huge adult “win” every time you see/use/caress them? (At those prices, something of an intimate relationship is starting.) Yes. Will you feel a weeny bit safer from wolf spiders? Never.
Because you asked for opinions, I’m going to vote that you pay the price. And that’s not easy for me because my daughter works for Pella Windows, and as great as Anderson Windows and Doors are, I do have my loyalties.
I’m suggesting you pay because you have some ginormous new projects in the works that will bring much joy and inspiration. Maybe just this time, your home construction education can take a break, so you can take a break?
Oh, to have a Pella door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t even want to know. 🤣 🤣 🤣 But, I do know they are the top top top. Thank you for giving me your opinion! I keep hearing about Window World but I have no idea what the quality is like, or what makes sense. It’s helpful to crowdsource this kind of thing!
Yes, I am high.
LOL!
Honestly- if you see the value in those doors, and it’s more than the cost, and you can afford it without compromising something else- go for it! (As a non-US person I have no idea what the deal is with the brand and I’m DEFINITELY too afraid to ask but I’d imagine they’re worth it and not just a status symbol- right? Right??) You could probably also start with one and see how you feel if you’re not 100% sure about committing to both- I mean if I stay in a place with a few arachnid buddies it really doesn’t worry me, so maybe your guests don’t need quite the same hermetic seal!
If you haven’t heard of this already, then something you might find useful in the future is to have a decision making razor- kind of a flowchart that you put things through like this that will pretty much make the decision for you. A simple one is ‘If it’s not a ‘hell yes!’ then it’s a no’- but a home improvement one would likely have a few steps ie cost vs over- capitalisation, disruption vs value, is it structural vs does that matter, DIY vs have to pay someone etc etc- it just saves on the decision fatigue that often kicks in around big projects!
Oh my goodness, I need a decision-making razor!!!!! I have heard of this in theory but never really messed with it much. But this would help immensely with trying to figure out where I should invest in the property vs calm the hell down. 🙂 My biggest frustration has been in not being able to find reliable contractors who actually show up and do the work; I’m laughing because it’s driving me crazy enough that I’m going to end up starting a woman-owned contracting company someday, I swear. 🤣 Thank you for this input, Nicki!!!!!!!!
Well… a woman owned company that recommends reliable wallpaper hangers to hang the amazing wallpaper that happens to also be manufactured by a woman owned company kind of seems to be the next logical step… just saying… 😉
Also the razer I used when I moved saved me absolute heartache because I had to get rid of a lot of stuff that I’d attached emotions to- I didn’t need to decide about anything, I just followed the flowchart I’d created and it got done! (And it can be whatever you decide you want it to be- the first part of that flowchart/razor was “Does this thing either bring me joy or have a use right now?” and if it ticked one of those boxes it stayed, otherwise it went through the rest of the system to find out if it could be sold, donated/gifted, or as a last resort thrown away/recycled)
Obsessed with this. Must research more. Can totally relate to things having meaning. I’m SUPER sentimental (way more than anyone might imagine!). And, heck yes to the wallpaper empireeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This happened to me recently, watched the salesman pull out ALL the tricks and even though I know them because I’ve been in sales, I write sales copy!! And I’m good at sales!!!! I still fell for it, like was in awe of it. But it was gutter covers not a door, for $9k that turned into $11k because the dude low key washed over the part about the 7% interest on top of the amazing deal of only $180/month.
Anyway, $12k a door is for people who drip money like they’re flinging water from their hands.
Go pick out a door from Home Depot or Lowe’s and find a nice handyman to install it, even with the custom built frame I bet it costs $3k or less.
i KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!!! I, too, was in awe! He is well-trained. And….gutter covers for $9K!!! 😱 (Though I get that pain, I have sooooo many pine needles around here. Am always cleaning gutters!) That reminds me, I need to get a gutter installed over the back door of the cottage. They put them everywhere else, except over the part that matters???? This is half the reason why the frame needs replacing there, because there has been water pouring onto it.
I measured the ONE door that is standard and found one on Home Depot and am going to do it as a trial, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$12,000 for a door is insane. I can’t believe you’re even thinking about it. Shop around a bit. Ask your local friends if they know of a handyman who works on older houses like yours. I bet you’d get a better price, and have someone local to call for the next project that pops up. There’s always something needing fixing on houses.
I think you’re right. I’m calling them today to cancel. Has been helpful to hear that THIS IS NOT A NORMAL PRICE, LOL. It’s so hard when you don’t know what the going rate is for things!
I have been renovating my house myself (and as aside, told my realtor and family that moved already that I would be done by June, 1 and move with them soon. Well…it’s basically like those Reno shows where they are 6 months behind and I am living at the job site with a Japanese style floor bed.) so I decided to hire out to replace the old door with double doors and the 6 bay windows. An Anderson competitor did that whole presentation and how the heat stays in and 3 hours later they had quotes of like 108k for all the windows (which are all new) and 48k for 6 windows and the door. That 3 hours is very likely why I am 20 weeks off schedule for this Reno.
My cousin sold windows for years and he called the big window cartels a word that starts with R and you find them on a particular list that may or may not be on the Attorney General’s desk and has yet to be released.
I felt my neck sweating as the presentation went on. They try to get you to sign at the end of the presentation. And they want your spouse there. She kept asking me if I thought she could join us and to see if she could come out of her meeting to see the samples. So I finally Uncle Phil’d her out the old saggy front door because I had projects to finish. Then a week later they will call and say we will be working in the area or rather than market to new buyers they will just spend the money on you and can offer you 20 thousand off or some absurd number lower than their “best” price from a week earlier.
I got a local renovation crew to do it and it was about 11K with all new exterior trim (have you seen the price of PVC these days).
Sorry to rant but I don’t think window sales folk get enough of a bad rap. We know used car salesmen and lawyers and Sam Bankman-Fried are not to be trusted but window and doorspeople don’t get the hate they deserve. And I wanted to help change that.
No way!!!!!!!!! Okay, this is really eye-opening. Wow, no kidding. $11K with all new exterior trim?!?!?!?! You know, there IS this local shop here that does this stuff, but they *only* sell to contractors. Which is cool, if I had a contractor who could do this. Maybe I just need to do some more digging. I’ve been frustrated with local contractors because they’re just so unreliable. I had a guy coming to fix toilet and sink first on Tuesday, then cancelled, and then on Wednesday, then no show. So it’s just been so aggravating, that you WANT to do business with a bigger company who you know is going to show up, but I think not at these prices, hahahaha. Thank you so much for sharing this, Chris!! And, good to see your face!!!! (Also: woodworking!!!!!!!!! I have a friend who is seriously getting into this; it’s so cool to see!)
I’m a day late – was in a WiFi free situation- way off the grid and far from a good cuppa Joe. Anyway, $24,000 for two doors is extremely high and renewable by Anderson has extreme marketing techniques (which part of the inflated costs pay for). Both Pella and Marvin have better products. However, as a seasoned (old????) Feng Shui practitioner, let me tell that the front door (and the path leading up to it and the accoutrements surrounding the area) have a huge impact. The best analogy I can provide is that the front door says as much about you to visitors as your website, business card, phone greeting, etc. it should reflect you and your personality, and, how you’d like to be seen and have your house be seen by the . It’s first impressions baby! Choose wisely.
$12K is absolutely a ridiculous price for exterior doors. I’m a veteran of home renovations. When I have no idea how much something costs, I get multiple quotes to compare, at least three. You’ll find that the brand name companies are going to charge premium prices – it’s marketing b.s. I mean, doors are glass, wood, foam, and hinges. Yeah, I know prices have gone up in the days since the pandemic, but unless those hinges are solid gold, they believe you’re a sucker.
That local place that only sells to contractors? Ask them to give you names of the contractors they recommend, then call those guys.
Definitely go to Home Depot and Lowe’s and find out how much their doors cost with installation- but do not use their installers as you have no idea about the quality of the people they send to do the work.
I live in Florida where building code dictates doors and windows have to be hurricane impact resistant- it’s specialty glass and the suckers are heavy as shit – and they are more costly than the regular stuff. A friend got quotes recently to replace multiple windows and the prices ranged from $60K to $15K – for basically the same thing.
Unless it’s an emergency, take your time, do your homework and save yourself some $$$.
I bought my first house in 2017 at the ripe age of 43 (I just turned 50 on Sunday!). The house had been updated some time in the 80’s (having been built in ninteen hundred and sixty-six. The sunroom that had been attached in the 80’s is built by, none other than, Anderson Windows. I felt so luxurious. I felt like I had one hell of a damn good sunroom attached to my house. I also wanted to somehow brag about this, maybe casually allow one of the window stickers to appear at the edge of a social media image? Come to find out, by now, they probably all need replacing.
Baaaahahah I think have the same sunroom! There are Andersen windows there, but weirdly, NONE OF THEM HAVE SCREENS. Nor even tracks for screens, really. So now I need to figure that out. 🤣 Can relate!!!!!
Ash, this had me nodding and laughing — “spider the size of your car” is now burned into my brain. Your blend of chaos, self-awareness, and charm makes even a $12,000-door crisis feel like a masterclass in storytelling. You’re absolutely right — growing up isn’t about getting better, it’s about getting braver.
Here’s to more buffalo chips, fewer wolf spiders, and maybe just one door (for now). -Kelly
Hey Ash, slow to the party. My brother-in-law owns a door-and-window company in Massachusetts. If you get me the measurements, I can ask him what the going rate is for the product and custom install. This can give you some intel moving forward.❤️
SHUT UP, he does?! No way!!!!!!!!!! Well, I’ll tell you what, I got a quote from Window World – more on this on Friday – and what a freakin’ difference. Like, night and day. So I hope they aren’t junk, but it seemed sooooooo much more reasonable!
Also, this makes me laugh bc once and a while “Roof King” comes to mind and I wonder if you’re still working with them! And now you’ve got the doors and windows, too. 😉 Maybe you should specialize in home construction industry!
Bahahahaha, I can ask him about Window World. Do your due diligence. I’d be suspicious if it’s too much of a difference. But again I’ll ask.
Roof king never panned out. Their loss. But I did a workshop at our local chamber last Thursday, and I killed it. I have 6 appointments this week with small businesses that want to work with me. 🙂 Real Estate broker, Lender, Skincare Spa, Jeweler, Insurance broker, and a Title company.
I still want to come see that farmhouse someday. Love…love the wallpaper.❤️
HELL! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just the other day I saw an interior designer posting a serious question on social media, asking if people thought she really needed a newsletter. And I thought to myself: gosh, what a great example of NOT TAKING YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE FOR GRANTED. It can be easy to assume everyone knows how! But, they really don’t. And the companies you just mentioned will benefit SOOOoooOOOooooOOoo much from YOUR knowledge. Yes, B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also my god do we have to hang. I’ll get my ass out to AZ someday again. Sending love from PA!!!!!!!!
My brother-in-law said Window World is a national brand but to do your research because they differ depending on where you live.
YES…LET”S HANG!!!!
Welp. you lost me at “spider the size of my Toyota Corolla.” For a millisecond I thought, “I thought she was living in the countryside? In Pennsylvania? When the fuck did she move to Australia?” Because I’ve heard about the spiders OVER THERE. Dog sized. Mack truck sized. Put-a-saddle-on-it-and-ride-it sized. Wolf. Huntsman. They all give heebie-jeebie vibes. Sorry, what was this post about? Windows? Doors? Something see-through? LOL