Preserving a bit of history – the city’s or your own

052716BlogB052716BlogAGabbing about green remodeling in historic homes and general remodeling projects with a green tint with Kate Ewing of Mosby Building Arts. Mosby Building Arts is a custom design/build remodeler here in the St Louis Metro area.

Turns out Tony and Kate know each other and Marla and Kate belong to the sorority and worked at their sorority’s national headquarters, yet they really didn’t know each other. Leave it to Tony to bring us all together!

Spring and Summer bring home projects. Many people don’t consider these projects as a way to “green” up their homes. In the same way, the companies working on these homes do not always consider themselves “green” companies. They may see the guiding principles of sustainability and “green” just as a better way to do things. Kate, as marketing manager for Mosby Building Arts, tells us that many of these companies got away from branding or marketing themselves as “green” once the term got a little over used. Those same companies got back to doing things the right way, and delivering a better product to the homeowner.

green-gab-play-ghc-300x300Kate lives in a historic home with a remodeling history of its own. Kate’s home is the result of a deep energy renovation by Patty Maher of Tiger Lily Development in St. Louis. Patty is known for her historic and energy-efficient/green renovations. Kate loves the older architecture of the home, but appreciates the sustainable design incorporated into the home. Seeing the before pictures was eye opening, especially compared to the finished product. Pictures above are not Kate’s home yet show the same transformation in another of Patty’s projects. The home was not certified officially, but was built to a little higher standard than the certification. Certification does help resale, yet building and renovating sustainably helps improve buildings. As a home in the city, the project qualifies for tax abatement. Kate takes us throughout the process of tax abatement and historic tax credits in the city of St Louis. Fascinating process, but also an important process that helps to rebuild the city.

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Kate also teaches marketing at Lindenwood University and Webster University, where she can bring her real-life experience to her students. She also frequently speaks locally on marketing. Kate has had an interesting career path, starting in the fashion industry. After that, she switched to the non-profit world, and then a turn in biotech. Educational marketing was her next stop until she landed at Mosby.

At Mosby, Kate marketing strategy and budgeting for the Mosby Design Build division, as well as Exteriors by Mosby, and Right Bath by Mosby, where Mosby lives their mission of being able to help their customers at every segment of the project.

The whole topic of green homes has a lot of emotion tied behind it, mostly thanks to being tied to politics. Too many people assume being green and building green means someone has a political agenda. This could not be further from the truth. While the politics play into the equation in some cases, for most of us, green represents a better way to build or live by wasting less, finding improved efficiencies and being mindful of choices.

For more information about Mosby Building Arts, visit their website at www.mosbybuildingarts.com. You can find Kate at kewing@callmosby.com.

Every week on iTunes and The Everyday Green Home Podcast, get the gab with us as we share what we’ve done, as well as tips for greening up your home, your job, your family and your life! Get in on the gab for why green matters – to you, your family and friends and your community.

For more information about the show email us at:  Marla at marla@thegreenhomecoach.com or Tony at tpratte@thesoundroom.com.

I’d love to speak at your next event – for ideas check out my speaking information.  Thank you and have a blessed day.