In 1988, from the home office of her 700-square-foot coach house in Chicago, CATHARINE FERGUS GARBER launched the Fergus Garber Group with only one associate— her 6 month-old son who often napped beside her in a file drawer or played at her feet. Much has changed since the early days of her career, but a few things remain the same: Cath’s dedication to her clients and craft and her keen ability to strike a balance between patience and persistence and flexibility and decisiveness.

Cath relocated with husband Dan to Palo Alto in 1996 for what was deemed a temporary move at the time. But after a mere two years, the couple fell in love with California and vowed to make it their permanent home. An avid outdoor-enthusiast, Cath was instantly captivated by the lush landscape and temporal weather which is evident in her work. Regardless of architectural style, Cath’s homes are inspired by their relationships to nature and the richness of earthly materials including exposed wood, rough stone, and wrought iron.

Cath credits a sixth-grade art assignment with unleashing her inner architect and calling her to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Middlebury College. She went on to complete her Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois Chicago, and it was during graduate school that Cath developed her appreciation for historic styles. Since then, she has led dozens of renovation projects on historic homes in California and across the country. At the same time, Cath likes to stay on top of the trends and best practices in new design and construction – together with her FGA team, she has designed over 100 forever homes for her dear clients.

“I find the problem-solving aspect of design to be stimulating. Often, it can force me to think and rethink a decision or detail which can result in a different idea or a totally new perspective. Staying open-minded and adept at working with the changing goals or constraints that come along, really make a design more thoughtful and, even better.”