EXPERIENCE
Twenty-five years of understanding what a space does to you — before it ever does anything for you..
Construction. Real estate. Design. And a background in biofeedback that explains why some spaces simply work while others never quite do. Every project begins with understanding what you're trying to create and designing an environment that supports it.
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About Cate Marie
Cate Marie was built from inside the industry, not from outside looking in.
Cate Marie wasn't built from a single profession. It was built at the intersection of several.
Most people experience a home through one lens.
A designer focuses on beauty.
A contractor focuses on construction.
A REALTOR® focuses on value.
A wellness practitioner focuses on how a space makes us feel.
I've spent my career working across all of those disciplines.
That's why I see homes differently.
The foundation began in commercial construction, working on projects valued between $10 million and $30 million alongside owners' representatives, architects, general contractors, and the skilled trades responsible for bringing every detail to life.
Those years taught me far more than how buildings are constructed. They taught me what drawings never reveal, where projects succeed or fail, and how thoughtful decisions made early influence everything that follows
Real estate added another perspective.
Real estate came next. A California real estate license added the other half of the picture: how buyers think, how a home gets valued, what actually moves a sale. It changed the way I looked at homes not simply as places to live, but as assets, investments, and emotional decisions. It deepened my understanding of what buyers value, what creates lasting appeal, and how thoughtful improvements influence both experience and marketability.
There's a third layer underneath both of those — over 25 years in biofeedback and integrative wellness, which gave me a working understanding of how a physical space affects the nervous system: what makes a room feel safe versus stressful, and why some homes help people settle in while others quietly keep them on edge. It's the same instinct that shows up in every project, not just what a space looks like, but what it actually does to the person standing in it.
Construction, real estate, design, and biofeedback may appear to be very different professions. To me, they've always been different paths leading to the same question: What creates an environment where people truly thrive?
Whether staging properties, remodeling my own projects, helping friends transform their spaces, or guiding clients through buying and selling, I was always drawn to one question:
How can this home better serve the people who live in it?
What began as a lifelong passion eventually became the focus of my work.
Today, Cate Marie brings together decades of experience in construction, real estate, design, staging, and wellness under one philosophy: that every home should be beautiful, functional, and intentionally designed to support the people who live there. The work today is centered in the Coachella Valley.
THE LESSON
One lesson changed the way I see every project.
Early in my career, I watched two commercial developers build nearly identical projects.
Same market. Same opportunity. Same conditions.
One succeeded. One failed.
The difference wasn't design. It wasn't budget. It wasn't materials.
The difference was this:
One builder asked what needed to be built.
The other asked what people needed to experience.
That distinction has shaped every project I've worked on since.
Because a home isn't a structure.
It's the setting for your life.
When you understand that, every design decision becomes clearer.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
That perspective comes from experience.
The ability to see a home's full potential - and the path to get there - comes from working across every discipline that touches a home.
Not just design. Not just construction. Not just real estate. Not just the way a room makes you feel.
All of it. Together.
That perspective is rare, and it makes every Cate Marie project better.
Commercial Construction
Major Project Sales
Residential Remodeling
Home Staging
Interior Design
Landscape Design
Real Estate
CREDENTIALS
A Career of Professional Affiliations,
Memberships, and Accreditations
held over the course of my career.
LEED Accredited Professional
U.S. Green Building Council
American Institute of Architects
AIA Member
U.S. Green Building Council
USGBC Member
Design-Build Institute of America
DBIA Member
Women in Construction
Conference Speaker
Licensed REALTOR®
Previously Licensed
Biofeedback Specialist
Natural Therapies Certification Board
HeartMath Clinical Certification
HeartMath Institute
Current Member
One Last Thing...
By now, you may be wondering...
Who is Cate Marie?
Every part of this company has been created with intention—including its name.
While my career has been shaped by decades in construction, real estate, design, and wellness, the heart behind Cate Marie comes from someone much closer to home.
My mom.
Throughout my life, she has been my greatest source of encouragement, unwavering support, and quiet inspiration. Long before I looked at homes through the lens of health and longevity, she taught me to appreciate them through the lens of possibility. She watched HGTV before it was trendy, loved wandering estate sales in search of hidden treasures, and had an extraordinary gift for creating beautiful, welcoming spaces with warmth, character, and intention.
Looking back, I realize she taught me something far more important than decorating a home.
She taught me that the spaces we create shape the lives we live within them.
The name Cate Marie is my way of honoring that influence. It combines our middle names—Catherine, hers, and Marie, mine.
Today, Cate Marie brings together two lifelong influences: my mother's appreciation for home and my life's work understanding the environments that help people thrive.
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Let's talk about your goals.
Whether you're selling, buying, or reimagining the home you already have, every conversation starts with understanding what you're trying to accomplish.