The Living Laboratory: Lessons from a 1980s Childhood in a 1920s House

I grew up in an 1920s wood-framed house—hardwood floors, natural siding, and a slate roof—on about three-quarters of an acre. It was a 1980s childhood in a 1920s setting, and it served as my first living laboratory. I learned early on that a property is something you don't just own; it’s something you evolve.

My father worked on oil tankers for the Merchant Marines, spending seven months a year at sea. To have the freedom to be with us, my mother started her own interior design and wallpapering company. I watched her gradually update every inch of that original 1920s structure. I still remember the visceral shock of coming home as a young boy to find our old kitchen in a rubbish pile in the backyard—I actually cried. I didn't realize then that the "mess" was just the middle of a transformation.

That yard became my first classroom. The old chicken coops, the sheds, and the sprawling gardens were where I first tried to bend nature to my imagination.

I must’ve been around eight, when I decided the yard needed a stream. I dug a long trench, envisioning it lined with heavy stones hauled from the old stone row and banked with transplanted ferns to make it look "natural." I ran the garden hose to bring it to life, and while the result didn't exactly match the "After" photo in my head, the impact was permanent. It taught me how water moves, how plants settle, and how stone anchors a space.

I spent my afternoons "disappearing." I’d climb a massive Hemlock that provided a perfect view of the neighborhood, or I’d crawl into the center of the massive Forsythia and native Lilacs. I "hollowed out" secret rooms inside their branches, building tiny walls of stone and mud to spy on my family through the leaves, feeling completely hidden by the world we had built.

Today, I see the same deep connection in my clients and their properties. Whether in the Saucon Valley or Historic Bethlehem, the "stay put" mentality is growing. Between a volatile real estate market and the deep emotional tax of leaving a home filled with decades of memories, many are choosing to stay in their legacy properties longer than ever before.

But staying in a home for a lifetime requires a shift from maintenance to strategic adaptation.

When we talk about "Aging in Place," we usually think of grab bars and ramps. But the landscape is often the first place where a home starts to feel "too big" or "too dangerous." My goal is to use the principles of Regenerative and Biophilic design to ensure the transition from a family garden to a "forever garden" is seamless.

Moving forward and as we grow, I am separating our "Strategy" from our "Execution" to serve you better.

Starting next week I will have a booking feature included in my newsletter and available on the website.

This will be for homeowners who want to take the lead on their own "Living Laboratory" but need a professional roadmap.

Ruggiero Landscaping remains our boots-on-the-ground engine. We continue to provide high-end hardscaping, full-scale garden installations, and our signature manicured maintenance services for commercial and residential properties throughout the Bethlehem area.

We design for the person you will be tomorrow—and the next family to call your property home—while deeply honoring the memories you’ve planted there yesterday. My mission isn’t to just maintain a property; at Ruggiero, we don't just manage properties—we protect legacies.

P.S. — The "Forever Home" Landscape Audit

If you are walking your property (or your parents' property) this weekend, look for these 2 "Quick Wins" to improve safety and wellness:

Thanks for reading as always!! Please Like and Feel free to comment or send me an email with any feedback. And if you know anyone who would enjoy reading, please share to social media.

Thanks again!

-Mike Ruggiero

I am currently finalizing the first edition of my newest resource: The Baby Boomer’s Ultimate Guide to Aging in Place. Much like my previous guides on sustainable lawn care and medicinal herbs, this is intended to be a "living document." I am sharing the best of what I know right now—from my 10+ years in the field and my research at Temple—with the commitment that these guides will be updated and expanded as I continue to build my knowledge in our "Living Laboratory." It’s time we stop just "maintaining" properties and start managing our legacies. Keep an eye on your inbox—my current subscribers will be the first to receive this inaugural edition.

For decades, the gold standard of property management was "sustainability"—a model focused on efficiency, performance-based compliance, and minimizing negative environmental impacts. In this framework, sustainability acts as a shield, protecting the environment from further damage.

However, as we move into 2026, the "leading edge" has shifted toward Regenerative Design. This is the "healer"model. Instead of just doing "less harm," regenerative design actively participates in ecological restoration to revitalize natural and social systems.

This shift is a high-performance strategy for the discerning homeowner. In the hot Lehigh Valley real estate market, these features are becoming high-ROI imperatives.

Managing a property for "Aging in Place" means viewing your land as a partner in your health, especially during the gray winters of Bethlehem and the Saucon Valley.

When we manage our properties as biological assets, we aren't just protecting a house; we are protecting the financial and physical future of the people inside it.

Thank you and please like, comment and share if you enjoyed this!! - Mike

The Wharton Online + Wall Street Prep Real Estate Investing & Analysis Certificate Program is an immersive 8-week experience that gives you the same training used inside the world’s leading real estate investment firms.

Use code SAVE300 at checkout to save $300 on tuition $200 with early enrollment by January 12.

Program starts February 9.

Enroll Today