Kathy Price-Robinson

Email: kathypricerobinson@gmail.com
Web: kathyprice.com

References

CURRENT INTERESTS

Continuing Education Units — Both articles and PowerPoint presentations
Remodel Features — Before & After profiles for magazines, newspapers and online
Tiny Living — Tiny houses, RV living, full-time RV travel
Shade — Protection on a heated planet

RECENT and BODIES OF WORK

Architectural Record—Selected Continuing Education Units

Roof Hatches Simplified: Safety, Convenience, Codes, and Fire Ratings (August 2024)
The Future of Hot Water in Commercial Operations: Tankless Water Heaters Save Energy, Mondy, and Space with Next-Level Technology (May 2024)
The WELL Building Standard—Commercial Office Space: A Real-World Project, Certification, and Products Used (April 2024)
The Climate-Positive Benefits of Concrete Outdoor Architecture: Recent Innovations in the Composition, Manufacture, and Use of This Resilient Material (August 2023)
Architectural Excellence with Insulated Metal Panels: Insulated Metal Panels Offer Environmental Benefits, Ease of Installation, and Potential for High Design (December 2021)
Impact of Decorative Glass and Mirrors on Commercial Interiors: Style, Sustainability, Durability, Safety, and Well-Being
The Foundation of Durability: The Next Innovation in Crawl Space Ventilation

Continuing Education Units — Representative Topics:
Accessible luxury kitchens
Kitchen ventilation
Outdoor luxury kitchens
Universal design in kitchens
Kitchen design trends
Modern tile innovations
Historic window replacement
Performance shading fabrics
Concrete sealing
Concrete restoration
Polished concrete
Cover boards for low slope roofs
Cover boards for exterior applications
Gypsum’s role in LEED v4
Vapor barrier in building envelope
Fabric tension structures
Recycled denim insulation
Foundation flood vents
LED bathroom lighting
Surface protection during construction
And more

Article — Home Energy Magazine — Ranch Style Teaching in Montana
Video — DSLD Homes — Homeowner Video Series
Video — DSLD Homes — Trade Partner Training Series
Video — Going Up Going Green — Video series on raised-floor homes
Video — Train2Build — On-the-Job Training: RRP Lead-Safe Practices
CEU — Online Educational Unit for Raised Floor Living — Options for Raised Wood Floor Foundations
Online Guide — The Appraiser’s Guide to Green Building Update — Funded by a grant from The Appraisers Research Foundation — (2012)
Video — New Orleans City Park — 5 Years Later: Recovery from Hurricane Katrina
Video — Alexis Marceaux — One Fish Music Video
Video — Book Trailer — The Fear Within: Spies, Commies, and American Democracy on Trial
Article — Green Building Advisor — Energy Auditing Class in Montana — (2011)
Article — Remodeling Magazine — Customized Remodels — (2011)
Article — Remodeling Magazine — Use of Translucent Panels — (2010)
Blog — AOL DIY Life — Featured Writer
Series — Just In Time Homebuilding Series — Louisiana State University AgCenter — 2008— 2009
Online Guide — The Appraiser’s Guide to Green Building — Funded by TARF — 2009
Blog — Pardon Our Dust — Los Angeles Times — 2007—2008 (800+ postings)
Book — Kitty Bartholomew’s Decorating Style — Rodale — 2005
Series — Pardon Our Dust — Los Angeles Times — 1997–2008 (100+ monthly features)
Editor — Notebook Section, Journal of Light Construction (1997-1998)
Series — The Way We Live — Santa Barbara News-Press — 1989–1996 (350 weekly features)
Series — Profiles in Faith — Santa Barbara News-Press — 1992–1994 (110 weekly features)

AWARDS AND GRANTS

2012 — Grant from Appraiser Research Foundation to update The Appraiser’s Guide to Green Building
2008—2009 — Grant from Appraiser Research Foundation for The Appraiser’s Guide to Green Building
2003 — Winner of the first annual Bivens Fellowship from the National Association of Real Estate Editors
2001 — Winner, Second Place, Best Series from the National Association of Real Estate Editors

EXPERIENCE

Housing writer and videograper for 20+ years, published in the Los Angeles Times, Remodeling Magazine, Upscale Remodeling, Better Homes and Gardens, Journal of Light Construction, Urban Land Journal, Multi-family Homes, Westways, Santa Barbara News-Press, Fine Homebuilding, Qualified Remodeler, Engineered Wood Journal, Appraisal Institute, Home.com and other publications.

EDUCATION

California State University Los Angeles, broadcasting and journalism major, GPA 3.4
Student teacher, Marshall High School, Los Feliz, Video Production

SELECTED WORKS

Before & After Remodeling Features, Los Angeles Times

4/3/2020 — Before & After: A master architect passes the torch in Malibu
10/11/2019 — Before & After: Rediscovering a forgotten John Lautner in Echo Park
11/30/2018 — Before & After: From mishmash to Mission style
9/29/2018 — Before & After: Nearby party houses inspire over-the-top but tasteful remodel
9/7/2018 — Before & After: Playing around with Toy Factory Lofts design
7/27/2018 — Before & After: Polishing a Pomona villa that had a ragged history

Pardon Our Dust Series, Los Angeles Times

12/20/08 — Reitz, Burbank — Kitchen remodel opens up work space without enlarging room
10/25/08 — Beville, Burbank — Rebuilding a home after a fluke flood
9/13/08 — Surmelis, Echo Park — HGTV’s Angelo Surmelis renovated kitchen in Echo Park home
7/6/08 — Moreta — Her remodleing theme: Start fresh, but keep it low stress
6/22/08 — Maurizio, Rosarito Beach, Mexico — On a budget, and on the beach
3/9/08 — Orelemann, Eagle Rock — Patience and maybe a protractor
2/17/08 — Johnson/Franke, Glassel Park — This face-lift is so 1941
1/13/08 — Nebalon, Hermosa Beach — Beach redo is a family affair
9/7/07 — Kanclerz/Coleman, Hollywood Hills — Kitchen remodel is a front-burner project
8/12/07 — Curet, Eastside Los Angeles — A large dose of charisma
7/1/07 — Jahnke, Claremont — Fire paves the way for a green remodel
5/6/07 — Doering, Santa Barbara — Turning a tract home into a model for green living
4/1/07 — Gomez, Long Beach — Building on his love of the avant-garde
2/18/07 — Petitti, Lake Arrowhead — A bright idea, it turns out
11/12/06 — Frazier, Leisure World — A career is rekindled by a condo remodel
7/9/06 — Mitsui, Mar Vista — A Mar Vista family’s journey to inner space
6/11/06 — Deboo, West Hollywood — After several takes, it’s right
4/23/06 — Palm Springs — They had a plan, then reality intruded
2/5/06 — McLaughlin, Thousand Oaks — Don’t add on, just go outside the box
9/25/05 — Foster, Long Beach — Nothing a few years and a dad can’t fix
8/28/05 — Toll, Sherman Oaks — A remodel done by remote control
6/26/05 — Neals, Redondo Beach — The dual-personality remodel: his and hers
5/8/05 — Kean, Los Angeles — Bought it bland, made it grand
3/27/05 — Rose, Eagle Rock — It’s her sanctuary of simplicity
2/20/05 — Balton, Mar Vista — Remodeler picks his poison
12/26/04 — Sun, Miracle Mile — Tranquillity in 400 square feet
9/12/04 — Koenig, Oxnard — This old thing? It’s a fixer of their dreams
6/27/04 — Ryavec, Venice — A color piece of Venice history
4/25/04 — Tovey, Granada Hills — What they always wanted: a door
2/29/04 — Hammerschmidt, Venice — The view was a fixer upper
8/17/03 — Schaaf, Long Beach — Sibling renovations spur a tale of two kitchens
1/26/03 — Beach, Sherman Oaks — A “quick sale” remodel sold them on staying
12/15/02 — Vaillancourt, West Hollywood — Writing their own script
10/6/02 — Roberts, San Pedro — Calling it their bluff
9/15/02 — Gonzalez/Jenkins, Del Rey — The price is right on vacant home
9/1/02 — Hall, Brea — Leaving nothing to chance
8/16/02 — Denchasy, Venice — Finding his inner chef
7/21/02 — Stango/Gonzales, North Hollywood — Mission statement
6/12/02 — Christian, Los Feliz — Den of festivity
5/26/02 — Van De Yacht, North Hollywood — Modest kitchen remodel: It’s top-drawer
5/19/02 — Van De Yacht, North Hollywood — With the work in full swing, glitches and stress mount
4/14/02 — Richards, Downey — Do-it-yourself wizardry
3/17/02 — Chang, Long Beach — From junkyard to gem
2/17/02 — Kohout, Pasadena — A Victorian victory
11/18/01 —Hammerschmidt, Venice — The right ingredients
9/23/01 — La Plante, Newport Beach — A marriage of two styles
7/15/01 — Lackey, Hollywood Hills — A “fixer” becomes a keeper
6/10/01 — Shall, Westlake — A clean break with the past
5/20/01 — Sciore, South Pasadena — Following in her blueprints
3/11/01 — Mabari, Los Angeles — The second time around
9/3/00 — DiFrancesco, Westminster — My blue haven
8/6/00 — Farrell, Carona del Mar — Stay Young – Remodel
6/11/00 — West Los Angeles — The Green House Effect
4/16/00 — Goldman, Santa Monica — Beauty unboxed
3/19/00 — Noller, Whittier — Garage transformed into family room
2/6/00 — Rabuchin, Pacific Palisades — Extended family room
12/5/99 — Liebeler, Hollywood Hills — Awash in Elegance
10/31/99 — Nordlund, Woodland Hills — A room with a view
9/2/99 — Brun-Sanglard, Hollywood — From darkness, he creates beauty
7/22/99 — Wakil, Silver Lake — Color Capers
6/24/99 — Wolfe, Mission Viejo — Homemade haven
4/29/99 — Kirkpatrick, Manhattan Beach — The big flip-flop
4/18/99 — Insull, Pasadena — The art of compromise
1/28/99 — Zee, Santa Barbara — Letting in light and lush vistas
10/3/99 — Taylor, Corona — Making quick work of a remodel
9/13/98 — Regan, Manhattan Beach — Ugly to Elegant
8/2/98 — Hornstein, Hollywood — Designer turns home for resale into her own
6/21/98 — Moussalli, Palos Verdes Peninsula — P.V. home buyers put up a good front
5/31/98 — Struthers, San Clemente — Shake Charmer
3/15/98 — Berstler, West Los Angeles — That was then, this is wow
2/8/98 — Salaya, Long Beach — Back to the ’20s
1/11/98 — Henry, Thousand Oaks — Cooking up a dream
12/28/97 — Lieberman, Westwood — When remodeling becomes a “dig”
12/21/97 — Mini Twelve Step House, South-Central L.A. — A fresh start
10/26/97 — Arroyo, Sherman Oaks — Splendor in the Oaks
7/20/97 — Mosher, Pasadena — Sun room is the cat’s meow
6/8/97 — Rice, Torrance — The little pink house grows up

Remodeling Q&A Series, Los Angeles Times

6/17/07 — Pick right materials for deck
3/4/07 — They’re floored by all the gaps and cracks
2/11/07 — “Popcorn” removal is no pice o’ cake; leave asbestos to pros
1/21/07 — To paint, pave, must you get permission?
11/26/06 — Pick healthful indoor building materials and breath easier
11/12/06 — Many try to make the cut, but fail
10/29/06 — Renovate all at once, or in steps?
7/23/00 — Weigh upheaval as well as value of major upgrade

Home-Buying Strategies Series, Los Angeles Times

4/20/03 — Janssen, Los Angeles — Renovation loan can be the right fix
9/1/02 — Hall, Brea — Leaving nothing to chance

Features, Los Angeles Times

Certified Continuing Education Units

The Design Advantages of Engineered Polymer Roofing
Who’s In the Kitchen?
Underfloor Service Distribution
The Great Office Awakening: Flexible spaces and work-centric lighting
The Flawless Guest Experience
Design and Specification of Sustainable Custom Ironwork
Decorative, Dynamic Resinous Flooring Systems
Style and Substance: Architectural Stone Veneer
Becoming Sealer Savvy
Demystifying Liquid Surface Treatments for Concrete
Exterior Design 101 for Remodeling Contractors
How to Specify High-Pressure Decorative Laminates
Concrete Waterproofing
Metal Roofs and Walls for Achieving Net Zero
Impact Rated Fiberglass Doors for Severe Weather Events
Sustainability and Glass Facades
Modern Ceramics: An Ancient Industry’s Surprising Embrace of Technology
Steel Framing for Composite Decking
Building a Better System with Roof Boards

AOL DIY Life

Create the Look: Jennifer Aniston’s Platform Bed
Create the Look: Jessica Alba’s Entryway Mirror Shelf
Create the Look: Lance Armstrong’s kitchen
10 ways to love your valentine during a home remodel
How much will that remodel add to your home’s resale value?
New lead paint regulations: do they go too far?
Do you qualify for home improvement tax credits?
Does it pay to remodel your home?
Avoid a Thanksgiving visit from the plumber
Wackiest things found in drains: part two
Carving tools: a turkey day guide
Mouse control, the humane way
Weatherstripping doors and windows: fall maintenance
The Vanilla Ice Project: Our revealing Q&A with the rapper-turned-remodeler
Protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning
How to unclog a toilet
5 not-so-scary plumbing fixes
The dangers of laundry detergent overload
9 causes for leaky windows
DIY Warrior: refurbish a concrete porch
DIY Warrior: how to distress wood
DIY Warrior: how to clean an oscillating fan
3 game-changing green technologies
Cost vs. quality: cordless drill/drivers
10 uses for leftover house paint
The Daily Fix: remove a broken key from a lock
The Daily Fix: remove oil stains from a garage floor
The Daily Fix: how to repair holes in aluminum siding
The Daily Fix: how to unclog a toilet
The Daily Fix: repair loose and cracked caulk
Price Patrol: swimming pool maintenance
Price Patrol: replacing a toilet
Price Patrol: build a patio
Price Patrol: installing laminate flooring
DIY Product Pick: the 17-year light bulb by GE
DIY Product Pick: Frog Tape, the fool-proof painter’s tape
DIY Product Pick: 2P-10, the super duper glue
DIY Product Pick: the drain that never clogs
10 free services at The Home Depot
10 free services at Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores
Making News: Obama outlines “Cash for Caulkers” program
Making News: does your home contain tainted drywall?
Making News: California adopts first statewide green building code
Making News: “Not So Big House” author teams with Marvin to design sustainable window
Making News: new dimmer switch eliminates flicker in CFLs
DIY Diary: ingredients for a successful remodel

Remodeling Ideas: Realtor.com

Tuning up “the tiny” — Venice, Calif.
An avid cook gets her kitchen — St. Paul, Minn.
Back to the ’20s
Backyard haven
Bath bonanza — Milwaukee, Wis.
Color coordinated — Los Angeles
Craftsman charmer — San Clemente, Calif.
Designer turns home for resale into her own — Hollywood, Calif.
DIY dream kitchen — Corona, Calif.
Down to the basement — Dayton, Ohio
Dream kitchen comes to life — Thousand Oaks, Calif.
An affordable kitchen remodel — Calif.
Color coordinated — Silver Lake, Calif.
The flip-flopped house — Manhattan Beach, Calif.
From ugly to elegant — Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Garage gets a new life — Whittier, Calif.
From gross to graceful — Bethesda, Md.
Her room now has a view — Woodland Hills, Calif.
A low-cost Cajun kitchen — Shreveport, La.
Makeover magic — Santa Monica, Calif.
Making home work for a family — Charlotte, N.C.
Merging two homes into one — Pasadena, Calif.

Discovery Company — TLC

Discovery Company — How Stuff Works

Bob Vila.com

One warranty for everything

Daily Press

Tips for women on working with home contractors

The Times-Picayune

Orlando Sentinel

The Hartford Courant

Builders test their metal: Steel-framed panels could change the way homes are built

Appraisal Institute: Valuation Insights and Perspectives

Remodeling Magazine

Ruff-ing It: Creating a Dog Nook

— Personalized design of a mudroom creates a dedicated spot for the client’s dog.
All-Access Pass: Accessible Sinks

— For clients who use a wheelchair, nothing beats a bathroom sink with legroom underneath.
All-Access Pass: Showers

— Accessible showers demand special products and techniques.
All-Access Pass: Cents & Sensibility

— In a tight economy, saving money on cabinets could mean the difference between a client signing a contract or not.
All-Access Pass: Cabinet Savers

— To find out what your clients need, encourage them to visualize how the kitchen will work in different scenarios and ask plenty of questions about how they intend to use the space.
All-Access Pass: Universal Design in the Bathroom; Affordable Cabinets in the Kitchen

— Bathroom design with accessibility in mind; kitchen design that gets clients the most bang for their buck in cabinets.
Getting Personal: Ways to Add Personal Touches to a Project

— Incorporating individualized design details tailored for the homeowner into the project without compromising the home’s resale value.
See-Through Style: Design With Translucent Panels

— Translucent panels provide separation of spaces while still allowing light to penetrate.
Selling the Mantel: Fireplace Mantel as Striking Focal Point

— More than just adding warmth and beauty to a room, a fireplace mantel can provide a little drama and focus.
Have a Seat: Making the Most of Small Spaces to Provide Cozy Kitchen Seating

— The banquette: A design idea for maximizing seating in a small space.
Trusted Handoff

— The day that Jim Fisher met and hired Pete Valentino — the man who would ultimately buy his remodeling business — came about as a result of two factors: analysis and enterprise. The analysis was done by Fisher in the mid-1990s after he observed the manner in which most contractors retired: by…
Sustainable Cabinets

— Designers and homeowners have a range of green cabinet options to choose from.
A payoff for green practices

— Green building principles are not just a feel-good happenstance at Allen Associates in Santa Barbara, Calif. Rather, a quantifiable number of green elements are required for each project, and green efforts beyond the minimum can raise an associate’s quarterly bonus.
Curved composite deck shows creativity

— Julia and Dave Bodell must have good karma. How else to explain their great luck in being asked to build one of the most remarkable decks in their careers, a $250,000 multi-toned, multilevel Trex deck and arbor at the Los Angeles Arboretum?
Key accountabilities set firm’s bonus schedule

— There’s no mystery about bonuses for associates at Allen Associates in Santa Barbara, Calif., which does an annual volume of $21 million in upscale remodeling and new construction.
Lakeside House Remodeled Skyward

— Scott and Jennifer Ericson remodeled their home in Lake Oswego, Ore., two years ago, but the family’s remodeling challenges originated in 1957, when their low-slung bungalow was built in the midst of a lakeside building boom.
Steps toward carbon neutrality

— While politicians in Washington, D.C., debate whether or not the U.S. should try to address global warming, architects and contractors are taking steps to do just that.
Three to Watch

— Deep in the minds of many remodelers, one big question looms: What happens to my company when I retire?
Sheltered courtyard additions create quiet, safe play spaces

— When Austin, Texas, contractor Shiloh Hartman was asked to remodel an architect’s personal home, he was apprehensive. “Often there is this thing between architects and builders,” Hartman says. “It would be a challenge for me working on an architect’s house. That’s their dream. It would be even more..
How to transition projects successfully from design to construction

— In a sloppy or rushed handoff, details worked out by the designer and expected by the client can get lost like sand through the boards of a deck. Although a flawless handoff is key to a successful project, the foundations for it are laid long before the pre-construction meeting when the actual…
Taking outdoor living to the highest levels of luxury

— In the beginning, outdoor living was the only option. Early humans then took shelter in caves and huts, and with the progress of civilization retreated to cottages, condos, tract homes, and mansions. Eventually, humans ventured outdoors again, to cook on tin barbecues and nap on aluminum loungers…
An outdated, claustrophobic bath is transformed

— During the months that it took David Shall and Susan Corzilius to get a $65,000 remodel of their master bathroom, one moment stands out as especially gratifying. It was an August evening in their Southern California home. After five months of planning — and the day before construction began — Shall…
Hartman Baldwin has cultivated a loyal high-end clientele

— When builders Devon Hartman and Bill Baldwin founded their company in 1978, the young duo had one overriding goal: to do jobs that were, according to Hartman, at the “absolute top end.”
Customized One Week Bath

— When a salesperson from Tarzana, Calif.-based One Week Bath visits potential clients, they lay out the choices — 4 styles of cabinets, 10 finishes, several solid surfaces — as well as the parameters — no structural work, no moving of plumbing or electrical. Such a tight program helps in two ways:…
Upgrading a duplex in Los Angeles —When Leanna Sun bought her tiny, rundown duplex in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles, it did seem like a miracle. As a divorced mom who was between jobs, Sun’s prospects of home-ownership had seemed bleak until she finally found the right property.
Looking back at company changes

— The Big50 is a remodeling business excellence award for best practices. Every May, REMODELING inducts 50 new companies who have set the standard for professionalism and integrity through smart marketing, exemplary business practices, unique design, and extraordinary impact on their community or the…
Knatz and Mulvey team with Devereaux, an ex-foe, for a remodeling job

— When Geraldine Knatz and John Mulvey set out to renovate their 1936 Long Beach, Calif., home — with its exquisite leaded glass windows, clipped gables, and charming shingled roof and walls — the one person Knatz knew to call for advice was a man she had just spent months battling in court.
Different perspectives about running a business

— Not all remodelers come to the business by way of the craft. In the examples collected here, the ability of four individuals to adapt skills and expertise from other vocations enabled them to overcome a lack of hands-on construction knowledge and build successful remodeling companies.
Basement library addition for the overflow of books

— Two major remodeling jobs on a modernist house in sunny California elevate practical storage spaces to works of art.

Book Reviews

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Simple Home Repair
Remodel This! A Woman’s Guide to Planning and Surviving the Madness of a Home Renovation, by Laura Meyer and Robyn Roth Perigee
About the House with Henri de Marne: How to Maintain, Repair, Upgrade and Enjoy Your Home, by Henri de Marne
All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House, by David Giffels, William Morrow
52 Weekend Makeovers: Easy Projects to Transform Your Home Inside and Out, Taunton Press
Affordable Remodel: How to Get Custom Results on Any Budget, Fernando Pages Ruiz, Taunton Press
How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding & Maintaining Your Home, by Charlie Wing, RSMeans

Travel

12/20/09 — Los Angeles Times — Helping to rebuild New Orleans
9/2/09 — Los Angeles Times — Snowball fight in New Orleans

APA Wood: The Engineered Wood Journal

Thinking Small: The future of nanotechnology in the forest products industry
CORRIM Update: New research provides more proof of the environmental merits of wood products
Talent search: the challenge of finding and keeping high-performance employees

Professional Remodeler

Journal of Light Construction

Books

The Lead Carpenter Handbook (editor), Hanley-Wood

Personal Growth

Los Angeles Times, A weighty reality check

EMAIL KATHY