The Women of This Old House

Deborah Hood, Producer, This Old House television show
I plan the making of a television show out of the building of a house. My job skills—communication, organization, and problem solving—serve me while working around my own homes—an 1880 Victorian and a 1950s beach cottage—. I strip paint and repair woodwork, while my husband (an elevator constructor) handles plastering, plumbing, and electrical. We both garden. I've worked on nine TOH house projects to date, and while some are more memorable than others, all have taught me valuable lessons about life and home improvement.

The Concord Cottage was a "girl power" project. We had two generations of female homeowners, and most of the key players—from the architect to designer to the structural engineer—were women. In the end, our favorite man, Tom Silva, built the project, but all of that amazing female talent helped to create one of TOH's most charming and detailed houses.

Another favorite project was Bermuda. This one was all about the guys—guys in SHORTS. We learned that, with the right team, we could meet any challenge—like that of renovating a captain's house 600 miles out at sea, in a historic district in three months when it really should take nine. Selecting a builder with wide influence and vast resources made all of the difference on this job.

I've attended a few TOH volunteer days over the years. One of them is an annual project when our entire staff gets fixes up a house for a low-income family. Under Tom's direction, Kevin and I built this outdoor handrail to make one homeowners' front steps more manageable. These volunteer days remind you how important it is to give back—and how much fun it can be while working with friends doing something you love.

Right now, we're working on a brand new green building project in Austin, Texas that will air Feburary 2007. It's been a fun challenge to work with locals to cut through the hype to find the best strategies and materials for this bungalow remodel. Green building is teaching me that it's hard to be a purist, that compromise is necessary, and that—when it comes to the environment—doing something is better than doing nothing. All of those lessons apply easily to life as well.

Isa Markevitz, Production Coordinator, This Old House television show

Having worked on both Ask This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop, I find myself at home on the Emmy award-winning This Old House. For the past four years, I have coordinated and managed various facets of the show's production, from procuring props to arranging on-camera personalities, as well as overseeing product orders and travel itineraries for the cast and crew. Working alongside producer Deborah Hood, I serve as a liaison between the homeowners whose houses are featured on the show, the building contractors and the production crew to ensure everyone's needs are met, within deadlines and budgets. Not quite a homeowner just yet, I will have plenty of furniture to outfit my future home, as I continue to be inspired by master carpenter Norm Abram. My most recent projects include refinishing an antique walnut writing desk and building an Adirondack deck chair made of solid mahogany.

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