Welcome to Kate’s Nest In The Pacific Northwest! This is a blog about my experience building a nontoxic house that is safe for a chemically sensitive person. It is a collection of posts about the construction process (My Journey), plus posts containing useful information for anyone else who is thinking of building a nontoxic home (Food For Thought On Your Journey). There is also a reference section listing the books, blogs, and websites I found most helpful (Reference Materials). You can find these posts using the menu in the upper right corner of the website. You can find more information about me in the menu at the bottom of the page (About Kate).

This is not a how-to guide. I am not an architect, contractor or building biologist. I worked for 40 years as a public interest attorney, law school clinical instructor, and administrative law judge. I was shocked when I became disabled by a condition I had never heard of, and one of the ways I stayed sane while dealing with the upset and distress caused by disability was daydreaming about what features a house that was perfect for me might have. I managed to eventually build a house that had many of those features, and it has been safe for me since the day I moved in, immediately after construction ended. I have met other chemically sensitive people who were also able to build safe homes, and I hope to tell some of their stories here as well. I want this blog to be a place where other chemically sensitive people who are building homes can come for inspiration and a pep talk. We did it, and so can you!

The image above is of the Halls Hill labyrinth mandala garden on Bainbridge Island, WA. It was created by Jeffrey Bale, an artist from Portland, OR, and I discovered it early in my home’s construction process. The mandala felt like the perfect image to guide my progress, reminding me that the path to a healthy home is not a straight line. Each wrong turn can be corrected; it pays to go slowly; and it helps to have the company of a supportive companion, like my pet duck, Lucy. Also, if each element of the house is handled as carefully and thoughtfully as the stones were placed in this mandala, the result will be balanced and beautiful.