Catching up with Kara Hill of Marks-Woods
For those who don’t know Kara Hill, she’s a Northern Virginia native and director of marketing for Marks-Woods Construction in Alexandria. With a new family member in stroller, work projects and travel, she is one very busy lady. Although I’ve been at Stylebook for almost ten months, we still haven’t met so I gave her a call to learn a little more, and hear what’s new in the home construction and renovation world.
Rainbow: Where did you grow up and where are you living now?
Kara: I’m originally from Fairfax, I moved to my first apartment in North Old Town in 2009. My husband and I now live in the Southeast quadrant…we just hop from quadrant to quadrant. I walk to work and that has made everything so much easier. I have work-life balance and everything I need can be found within a ten-block radius.
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I went to Bishop Ireton and then Virginia Tech where I majored in English. I was really focused on writing, and later participated in a publishing program at NYU. I went from writing to editing to marketing. At one point, I was at a custom publishing house and worked with WebMD on their big magazine. I was there as things started to shift from print to more digital—but I’m still a huge fan of print.
I was also on the City of Alexandria’s marketing committee and approved grants for small businesses. In 2015, I ventured out and started my own marketing business to help small businesses that had no marketing support, and were too small for an agency. Marks-Woods was originally one of my clients, and when the pandemic hit and a lot of my smaller clients had to cut their budgets, Marks-Woods offered me a full-time position. I’m incredibly grateful for that and it was a wonderful opportunity because I had already been working with them and wanted to help them grow.
Tell me about work-life at Marks-Woods.
I began working with Marks-Woods in 2019, and joined full-time at the end of 2020. We’re very family-oriented and the team has doubled in size, with about 20 full-time and 50 in the field. We don’t outsource labor, our employees have benefits. I think they’re really great at trying to continually evolve while holding on to traditions and foundations that have made them successful. They try new things and new opportunities – and I have some crazy digital marketing ideas!
I’m really proud of the magazine I created, it’s a 100-page book that we give to prospects, clients and partners, and people love it. Marks-Woods is very committed to craftsmanship and taking the time to make meticulous design selections. They don’t cut corners, they’re very “old school” in that sense, while being forward-thinking.
What are the hazards of the job – always wanting to remodel your own home?
Oh yeah, it’s awful. I’m constantly thinking of ways I can trade a marketing idea for renovations. ;) I see so many beautiful home transformations—with new concepts from our designers that I could’ve never imagined. I’m very envious because we renovated our home in 2018, and we did it ourselves. I made some choices that weren’t the greatest. I wish we had hired an expert or professional.
Did you always have an interest in construction and renovation?
I always loved spatial reasoning and thought about architecture at one point. I’m that person who is always rearranging and moving furniture obsessively. And I truly love being surrounded by the old architecture and history of Old Town.
Share a couple of your favorite projects.
Our client Ali Hellmuth’s office – I’m straight up obsessed with it. The cabinetry, it’s dramatic and creative. She had an empty room in her house and we turned it into an office for her and her husband to share, with lots of storage. We moved a window, expanded another window, added French doors and added cabinetry with a deep blue paint.
Another project we worked on was with Convene Architecture at a home in Beverley Hills. It had Mad Men vibes…a bar with detailed wainscoting, beautiful gold tinted wallpaper and a lounge area opening to an outdoor deck…it’s one of my absolute favorites.
Where does a homeowner begin? Say I want to redo my deck or my bathroom? (asking for a friend. ;)
It depends. We see a split. Some already have architectural plans or an interior designer and they want a team to pull it all together – manage the project, the construction. Other people want the entire design build and we bring on the architect and we do 100 percent of the design, and the permits. We’re seeing more people with larger projects that already have architects. If someone has no idea where to start, they can come to us.
What has been one of the most innovative things you’ve seen in terms of design?
Smart technology everywhere, and especially in appliances. And really, strategic storage solutions. Taking your cabinetry insert to the next level, so you have a spot for everything you can think of, with not an inch of wasted space…especially for homes in Old Town and Del Ray where space is more limited. On my end, software is evolving like crazy with management programs that help us streamline and get the best price on products.
What’s a trend you’re loving?
Wallpaper…there can never be enough. People are also moving away from open concept, and realizing they need to have designated space. Not as formal as a formal dining room and sitting room, but they’re creating living areas, and defining their spaces more. This provides a better design experience and differentiates rooms. It reflects their personality and gives them the opportunity to take risks. I’m also seeing bolder colors, brighter wallpaper and all kinds of light fixtures.
What’s unique about Alexandria when it comes to renovation?
The diversity of homes: new developments, tear-downs and those building from scratch, and beautiful historic homes that are 200-plus years old. There is every type of architecture, and also every type of construction challenge…and we’ve seen many.
What’s been the biggest change for you recently?
My son David…we welcomed him last July, and my priorities are so different now. I’m able to make decisions faster because I have to be more decisive, there’s only so much time in the day. I walk him in Old Town in his stroller two to three hours a day, and have an even bigger appreciation for where we live. Between work being right here and the playgrounds and coffee shops, everything is so close. We go to Mae’s for croissants and Tatte for lunch. We walk along the waterfront, under the bridge…and stop by the tot lot on South Royal St. I don’t want to leave Old Town—ever!
See Also: Build, Buy or Beautify?
