Building With Community: A Conversation With Kate Wood of Worth Preserving

By inside + out | May 21, 2024

Some people step into a fixer-upper and immediately realize its full potential, falling in love with the very idea of taking on such a project. Kate Wood specializes in just that. Let us introduce you to your go-to resource for home rehabilitation projects, especially historical homes.

There’s nothing more satisfying than peeling back layers of carpeting and acoustic tiles to get at “the good stuff” – Kate Wood, Worth Preserving

INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY is pleased to present an ongoing series of exclusive interviews in support of Kingston Design Connection and Ulster Habitat For Humanity’s Building With Community Series. Today, we catch up with Kate Wood of Worth Preserving to learn more about her career as a Historic rehabilitation strategist and real estate broker. Stop by the Fuller Building this Wednesday, MAY 29th at 6 pm to learn trade secrets from Kate Wood as she shares her excitement and tips for preserving and reimagining historic homes.

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF HISTORIC HOUSES | Worth Preserving
A Home Improvement Speakers Series | Kingston Design Connection
Date: Wednesday, May 29th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Fuller Building | 45 Pine Grove Ave, Kingston, NY

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And now, let’s get to know Kate Wood…

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Kate Wood: I grew up in a 1927 Tudor-Revival-style house in New Jersey that was our family’s home base for crisscrossing the country on summer vacations to historic house museums, battlefields, and national parks. My goal from a young age was to live in New York City and attend Columbia University’s historic preservation program. In 2007, a friend tipped off my husband about an abandoned house in the Hudson Valley that he thought we should look at because it was such an unspoiled time capsule. We thought, why not just take a look? We bought it, and that was our first full-scale historic rehabilitation project.

Tell us how Worth Preserving got its start and how you find properties. What is it about old things, home in this case, that you love so much?

After Columbia, I went on to lead a grassroots advocacy group in NYC because I wanted to make the world a better, more beautiful and sustainable place by stopping developers from tearing down old buildings. That’s a tough job in the face of so much money and power. After grinding away at that for nearly 20 years, I decided to become a developer, rehabbing neglected houses in the Hudson Valley and helping clients whose values align more with mine.

Old houses tell stories. They are a direct line of communication from the past to the present. We can learn so much from them about thoughtful design and how to build things that will last for hundreds of years. Well-built houses can evolve and grow like trees through the centuries. I have so much respect for their resilience.

Kate Wood and Worth Preserving

What inspired your interest in old houses, and what was your personal journey?

Growing up, my family was always working on house projects. Caring for our home was just part of everyday life. Both of my parents were educators, so our road-trip vacations were learning adventures, with lots of time in the car for reading. One of my brothers became an architect in Denver, and the other is a park ranger at Grand Canyon. So, something rubbed off on all of us.

When I was 17, I remember opening a magazine and seeing a full-page ad for the National Trust for Historic Preservation featuring an architectural drawing of Lyndhurst, the historic house in Tarrytown. At that moment, it all clicked—I was going to be a preservationist!

As preservationists, planners, and problem solvers who focus on historic homes in the Hudson Valley, we often wonder when we should restore or reimagine a home.

The first step in my process is to identify the character-defining features of a house. What makes it special? What is “worth preserving”? Old houses are always accumulations of layers from different periods, so I try to “read” the story of how they were originally built and how they have evolved over time. Restoration means bringing something back to its condition at a specific moment in time. While I might recommend this for certain features – restoring windows to like-new working conditions, for example – in most cases, I think preserving the layers and letting elements show their age is appropriate. Rehabilitation is a form of reimagining because it marries the old with the new. Again, old houses are quite resilient – they can handle thoughtful changes to make them meet today’s standards without erasing their history.

What are some of the challenges of bringing buildings into the 21st century?

Energy codes are a challenge. I study building science, and it’s hard to find advice directly addressing retrofitting old houses without destroying features like original windows and siding. Some products and methods used to waterproof and insulate old buildings can do more harm than good because you start with an imperfect envelope. Water finds its way in, and it can’t get out.

Also, people often don’t realize how many assumptions they make about “good” design. It’s not a fixed thing. Ideas about privacy, light and air, decoration and space in general have changed with social systems and technology. My position is that if you don’t like the floor plan, ceiling heights, window sizes and locations, and decorative and other stylistic features, you should really consider buying a different house because you’ll be pushing against the grain and trying to make it into something it’s not. I believe in flexibility, but it’s essential to understand and appreciate the starting point.

Who is your ideal client?

I’ve been so lucky to work with “ideal” clients who share a sense of humor and adventure regarding old houses. It’s definitely not all fun and games, but the best clients maintain perspective. They don’t try to rush the process, communicate well, believe in investing in quality materials and skilled labor, are curious about history, and see themselves as stewards with a responsibility to provide their houses safe passage into the future.

What has been your favorite project to date?

Are you asking me to pick a favorite child? My house is, as I say, “profoundly modest,” but it’s special to me because my husband and I did so much of the work ourselves. I love a challenge, so I’m enjoying a complex project involving an abandoned train depot in Copake. We need special permits from every agency imaginable, plus we earned approval for historic tax credits, so the bar is set high. The owner is a saint – the very definition of an “ideal client” – and the team (including an architect, interior designer, historian, civil and structural engineers and timber framing expert) is extraordinary.

What is one question you’re constantly asked or the biggest misconception about your business or what you do?

Who can do the work? There is a real shortage of skilled trades professionals – people with the craft, knowledge, and experience to work on old houses. I encourage people to learn about the Campaign for Historic Trades and other efforts to build the pipeline and create training opportunities.

The biggest misconception about historic preservation, in general, is that it’s focused on the past. It’s actually very future-oriented. Preservation is a conscientious form of development that uses existing resources to address current and anticipated future needs.

What about the Hudson Valley makes it unique to live + work here?

The Hudson Valley has historically attracted creative, curious, hard-working, and visionary people. Past generations have created beautiful buildings and towns surrounded by some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. I feel a sense of community and common purpose with neighbors who share our responsibility to preserve these resources.

Kate Wood and Worth Preserving

What impact does your business strive to have on your community?

Worth Preserving provides mentorship to property owners to remove the uncertainty and stress of caring for old buildings. The more people we can help, the better buildings will fulfill their purpose as quality housing, commercial assets and places for gathering.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

All of the building trades – plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, window restorers, plasterers, tilers, etc.- are involved, as are architects, interior designers and engineers.

What is missing in the area that you wish we had?

There is a shortage of skilled labor all over the country. The Hudson Valley, in particular, has the historical resources to support a thriving preservation construction industry.