"When people say, ‘I love my house,’ it’s a great feeling," Katherine says. "The most fun houses are the ones where nothing has been done in years.  The homeowners have had the foresight to buy the house, then they take that risk.  When we finish, the updates look like they’ve always been there.  The ‘before’ and ‘after’ is what makes my day."

"I was fortunate to be able to be home with my girls in the early years," says Katherine. "I started [as a contractor] later, so I brought a degree of maturity. I was really ready to jump into something new, and at that age I had more nerve.  If I’d been younger I’m not sure people would have taken me seriously.  But it fit perfectly.  And my husband is great at helping out with the kids’ schedules and around the house."