Katie Marks

Katie Marks

Katie Marks is a California-based author who loves finding cool life hacks, sharing them with friends, and diving headlong into craft projects. If there is a garden somewhere, you can probably find her outside playing in it. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and being a full-time nerd. Don’t be fooled by her profile picture: She is a person, not a vegetable, who has written an incredible amount of insightful articles for Networx.com.

Among her written works, Katie has written about Earthships, which are highly sustainable buildings created entirely from recycled and natural materials, typically integrated together in a seamless whole (see her article “Extreme Earthships in Extreme Places” for more details: https://www.networx.com/article/extreme-earthships-in-extreme-places). She has also written about dressing up a home with wainscoting, in which she recommends adventuring into using unusual materials such lincrusta, hemp, sewn paper, fiber, and mosaics, if you are wanting to achieve a more unique look than that of wood paneling.
(https://www.networx.com/article/dress-up-with-wainscoting).

For those wanting recommendations for the best paint colors for the exterior of their home, I’d suggest checking out Katie’s article entitled “Go Bold With Exterior Color” (https://www.networx.com/article/go-bold-with-exterior-color), where she provides images and slideshows of homes that take advantage of the more saturated parts of the color wheel. This article provides exciting ideas for color schemes for those who have too big of a personality to settle for painting the exterior of their home in a dull grey or beige hue.


Katie also gives simple day-to-day tips for activities such as storing food properly (https://www.networx.com/article/store-food-right) and starting gardens (https://www.networx.com/article/gardeners-start-your-seedlings), where you can really see her passion for gardening shine through her writing.

See more of Katie’s articles below for more life hacks, home improvement tips and gardening how-tos!

Photo: No. 29 Design/Hometalk

5 Hot Basement Remodels

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 14, 2014

Basements. They can be dank, sour, horrible holes in the ground, grim utility areas, or...spacious, light-filled, beautiful spaces for lounging, watching movies, hosting guests, playing...

Photo: Nikos/Flickr

Gardeners, Start Your Seedlings

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 14, 2014

Spring is springing, y'all, and it's FINALLY time to start your seedlings for your Cleveland garden if you haven't already. You want to get things going as soon as possible so you can...

Photo: whitneybee/Flickr

Uses for Wood Chips

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 13, 2014

As I write this morning, the warm early March sun is beaming down and I can hear the sound of a neighbor's chainsaw busily at work a few acres away. While this weather might be deceptive,...

Photo: Ella's Kitchen Company/Flickr

Store Food Right!

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 12, 2014

Growing and storing your own food is an excellent way to cut food costs and enjoy the bounty of spring and summer in the fall and winter, when your options might feel grim. Stocking...

Photo: xpSquid

Bust the Rust!

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 10, 2014

An old, rusty object can look picturesque, but you don't actually want rust taking over the objects you use and rely on every day, including tools, locks, fixtures, and so forth. The...

Photo: Bradley Gordon/Flickr

BPA-Free Plastics May Not Be Safe

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 10, 2014

In 2008, the news burst on the media everywhere: common plastics contained potentially dangerous levels of bisphenol a (BPA) an additive that could be hazardous to consumer health....

Photo: Efi Kalaitzidis/Flickr

Showers of Delight

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 07, 2014

Until recently, “enjoy” was not a word most people associated with showers. Enjoyment meant long soaks in the bathtub. Showering was a utilitarian experience, used to...

Photo: Toshimasa Ishibashi/Flickr

10 Curious Uses for Altoid Tins

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 06, 2014

The Altoid tin is one of the most iconic packages in the world -- or at least, some corners of it. For those who enjoy fresh breath, these "curiously strong" mints are a must-have,...

Photo: University of the Fraser Valley/Flickr

Hiring a Plumber

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 05, 2014

If you're thinking of hiring a plumber, whether you need an emergency Los Angeles plumber or you're thinking about a long-term project, there are some things to know before you dive...

Photo: Palomino/Morguefile

Drought Tolerant Plants for 2014

Posted by Katie Marks | Mar 03, 2014

Think a drought-tolerant garden has to be all dull colors and straggly plants? Think again. If your Dallas plumbing is groaning over the miserable, dry heat, that doesn't mean your...