Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

This week’s episode is part personal story, part building-science wake-up call. Ashley shares a tender reflection on her dad’s legacy, her family’s roots in small-business grit, and how those early years walking construction sites shaped the work she does today. From there, she unpacks one of the biggest misconceptions she sees in renovation projects: the near-total disregard for what’s happening inside our walls.

If you’re planning a renovation, whether you’re adding a small addition or tearing your home back to studs, this episode gives you the foundational lens you need before choosing fixtures, finishes, or appliances. You’ll learn why building envelopes fail, how architects and builders often miss critical details, and what questions every homeowner should be asking to protect the longevity, comfort, and health of their home.

CHECK OUT THE CCC

send us an email at hello@awakeningspaces.com to learn more about the conscious construction container where you can become the empowered leader of your own project.

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

In this episode, Ashley sits down with architect Kelly Grace, known online as The Non-Toxic Architect, to explore what it truly means to design homes that support human biology, emotional well-being, and long-term resilience. Kelly shares how her journey into non-toxic design began through her own family’s health challenges, and how that opened the door to deeper work with circadian biology, grounding, natural materials, and building assemblies that actually breathe.

Together they unpack the uncomfortable truth about modern code, the gaps in residential enforcement, and why so many “standard” design decisions quietly undermine the health of the people living inside. From bedroom placement and sunlight exposure, to grounding rooms, sauna design, permeability, mold prevention, and even surprising materials like granite and spray foam, this conversation is a masterclass in building homes that heal.

If you’re building, renovating, recovering from environmental illness, or simply curious about how your home shapes your biology, this episode will expand the way you see every wall, window, and beam.

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH GUEST

Instagram |Facebook | Youtube | Website

Kelly Grace is the Managing Principal at Travis Price Architects based out of Washington D.C. Kelly received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Catholic University of America. After graduating, she went on to work for a construction on Capitol Hill for several years, before landing at Travis Price Architects full-time.

Kelly is dedicated to designing healthy, high-performance buildings, using non-toxic products to promote wellness and efficiency. Her firm specializes in holistic modern residential, innovative commercial and institutional architecture. Kelly and her husband Matt live in Davidsonville MD with their three children Atlas Adelyn and Roark twenty chickens and a great pup named Blue

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Dr. Emily Kiberd, chiropractor, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Thyroid Strong, to explore the deep connection between autoimmune disease, mold exposure, and the environments we live in.

Emily shares her personal journey through Hashimoto’s, multiple mold remediations, and what it truly takes to rebuild health and trust after environmental illness.

Together, they unpack how to build resilience in the body, why so many women struggle with fatigue and weight loss resistance, and the misunderstood role of strength training in healing. This conversation goes beyond symptom management, it’s about reclaiming safety in your body and your space so you can thrive again.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (functional medicine doctor)
• Dr. Neil Nathan and Dr. Jill Crista (mold and environmental illness experts)
• Thyroid Strong program by Dr. Emily Kiberd
• Primal Trust, DNRS, and Your Daily Health app (for nervous system regulation)
• Conscious Construction Container by Awakening Spaces

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH GUEST

Website | Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook

Dr. Emily Kiberd, chiropractor of 18 years, mama of two, and founder of Thyroid Strong, knows firsthand what it takes to heal from mold. After five mold remediations over the last decade, she discovered that addressing mold exposure was the missing link in putting her Hashimoto’s into remission.

Now, she’s on a mission to help women heal their bodies and their homes, because it’s not a matter of if you’ll be exposed to mold, but when. The goal? To build a body so resilient that you can thrive no matter your environment.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

This episode invites you to slow down and bring more intention into your home this holiday season. Ashley explores the often-overlooked ways that our modern holiday habits, from twinkling LED lights to endless tech gadgets, can quietly impact our health, our nervous system, and the energetic balance of our space.

You’ll learn how to reduce EMF exposure, choose healthier lighting, and align your home with the natural rhythm of winter, a season designed for rest, reflection, and regeneration. Ashley shares simple, practical steps to create a conscious Christmas that nourishes both your body and your spirit.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Awakening Spaces Blog: EMF Research and Resources
• Episode with Cathy Cook on Dirty Electricity

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Jonathan from JF Healthy Homes to explore the invisible energies shaping the spaces we live in, EMFs, dirty electricity, geopathic stress, and more. Together, they unpack how modern technology affects the body’s natural rhythms and why true healing begins by re-rooting ourselves in nature.

From using an AM radio to detect “dirty” LED lights to discussing ancient wisdom around building placement and biogeometry, this conversation bridges science and spirituality in a refreshingly honest way. Jonathan also opens up about his own healing journey, balancing business, family, and health, while offering grounded encouragement for anyone feeling overwhelmed by toxins or information overload.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Ashley’s EMF research blog: https://awakeningspaces.com/2025/03/31/emf-research/

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH GUEST

Website | Instagram | Tiktok

Jonathan Farrar is a building biologist and healthy home advocate who runs an environmental consultation company called JF Healthy Homes. He began his journey through many health struggles of his own, the most recent and ultimate one being moving into a house with toxic black mold which made him and his young children and spouse very sick. Through his struggles and strifes, he has found building biology and is on a wrecking path the help other families live better.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Frank Wetenkamp, natural builder and co-founder of Living Craft, to explore the marriage between high-performance building science and soulful, regenerative craftsmanship.

Together, they dive into the heart of natural plasters, clay, lime, and beyond, unpacking how these ancient materials not only transform the way a home looks and feels but also how it supports our health and nervous system. Frank shares approachable insights on how to make healthier material choices in both new builds and remodels, what it actually takes to plaster over drywall, and why small, simple, intentional homes may be the most sustainable form of luxury.

This episode is for anyone dreaming of building or remodeling with consciousness homeowners, designers, and builders who want to reconnect craft with care.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH FRANK

Living Craft IG | Living Plasters IG | Facebook | Website

Frank is the Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Living Craft. Frank started working as a carpenter while in high school. His passion for building led to a degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Architectural studies. A Natural Building Certificate course at Yestermorrow Design Build School set him up for a move back to residential construction.

Now as a Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) he strives to find the right balance between modern techniques, building science, and natural materials. When he isn’t building, Frank likes to spend time outside with his family.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

In this episode, Ashley sits down with Kendra Seymour, co-founder of Change the Air Foundation, to unpack the invisible yet widespread crisis of mold and indoor air quality. Kendra shares her family’s personal battle with toxic mold, how it transformed her life’s work, and the step-by-step process every homeowner should understand when it comes to inspection and remediation to the crucial (and often skipped) post-remediation verification (PRV).

Together, Ashley and Kendra bring clarity to a confusing industry, highlighting what ethical remediation should look like, how to protect your investment, and what’s being done at the federal level to protect families, especially military families living in unsafe housing. This is a must-listen episode for anyone facing environmental illness, building a new home, or simply wanting to live in a space that truly supports their health.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube | Website

Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH GUEST

Website | Instagram | Youtube | Facebook

Kendra Seymour is a Co-Founder and Vice Chair of Change the Air Foundation and a passionate advocate for improving health by improving indoor air quality. She oversees foundation initiatives, with a special focus on raising awareness, outreach, and fundraising. As a mother of two, Kendra discovered hidden mold and water damage in her home were harming her family’s health. After years of research into mold and indoor toxins, and a lot of hard lessons-learned, she became dedicated to helping others by building awareness in online communities and collaborating with fellow advocates to educate the public around the importance of indoor air quality.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨

Send us a text with your questions, thoughts, and/or a love note regarding the podcast episode to help us know what to create more of!

What does it really take to build a fire-resilient, high-performance home in today’s world of rising costs, unpredictable supply chains, and evolving codes? In this episode of The Awakening Spaces Podcast, Ashley sits down with Marcela and Hector, engineers, owner-builders, and founders of Efficient Build, to unpack their journey of designing and building their own wildfire-resilient home in the Colorado mountains after being evacuated during the Marshall Fire.

They share what they wish they’d known before starting, from the materials they’d choose differently to how to navigate post-COVID construction costs and supply chain chaos. You’ll learn how they balanced fire resistance with healthy home design, what it really costs to build high-performance, and how to stay patient, creative, and resilient through years of hands-on work.

If you’re dreaming of building a home that protects your family, honors the land, and reflects your values, this conversation will inspire you to take the next step with both realism and heart.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families reduce mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. Her clients gain homes that are not only functional and beautiful, but truly support their well-being and peace of mind.

Curious about how we can help with your project? Explore our offerings here.

CONNECT WITH EFFICIENT BUILD

Youtube

Spanish IG: https://www.instagram.com/losefficientbuilds/

English IG: https://www.instagram.com/efficient_build/

Hector and Marcella are Custom home builders in the Rocky Mountains (only) of Colorado. We thrive on being efficient in material utilization as well as energy efficiency. We are self funded to avoid the ups and downs of interest rates and not having to deal with banks. We thrive in a customer-free environment.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend and leave us a rating/review! Thank you for listening ✨