A brave new blog

02/01/2016  |  Kathy Marshall
A brave new blog

I am a lucky daughter from a special family. My father, Ed MacDonald, is a talented designer, cabinet-maker, mentor, son of a master cabinet-maker and grandson of a master cabinet-maker from the old world. With roots deep in South Boston, Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia, my family and I come to this craft honestly. I grew up on my dad's construction sites in Boston as early as I can remember. As a child who looked up to her father, nothing was as exciting as a new project. I still feel that same sense of exhilaration today. 

 

Well, here I am ... My first blog entry!!!  It's almost ten years since my father broke the news to me that he wanted to hit golf balls more than hang out with me and design kitchens ... ouch! But in truth my dad's retirement is so well-deserved, My dad and I had run a successful design firm on the South Shore of Massachusetts since 1993. 

 

As a child, I remember watching dad buy a 1900's shingle-style home and bring her back to life. This made such an impression on me at an early age. My dad pulled in the best talent to work on this beauty, and the crew became like family to me.  I would tag along as they re-pointed the stone walls, stripped the moulding and repaired the broken trim ... I LOVED IT!  Fast-forward to 2012 ... I had just finished my fourth "This Old House" project. It was the realization of a dream that started a long time ago, with a father who had a daughter, and a dad who encouraged her interests ...

 

So now you know a little about how this began, and how I came to do what I do today. It's my past, my present, my future ... and it runs through my DNA.

Kathy