Cassie McDowell

Cassie co-founded brick&batten in 2017 with her sister, Alli, but her love of home design was born years earlier. Cassie’s passion for design can be traced back to her childhood, when she’d accompany her parents on road trips through small towns in search of inspiration for properties they would buy, fix up, and sell. 

Prior to launching brick&batten, Cassie worked as a fourth grade teacher, but her love of design, architecture, home renovation, and open houses inspired her to pursue a new career. When writing for brick&batten, Cassie aims to empower homeowners to make the best informed decisions for their property. She knows from experience how challenging home renovation can be, and when she writes, she puts herself in the shoes of every homeowner with similar frustrations.

Cassie currently lives in Florida with her four children, an old dog, and her loving husband. When she’s not working, Cassie is most likely checking out a nearby open house or traveling to learn about the latest house trends.

Blogs by Cassie McDowell

Does a Carriage Style Garage Door Suit My Home?

Carriage style garage doors have become increasingly popular and we can definitely see why…but they don’t suit every home’s style.  Standing the test of time, they were around before cars and the traditional garages we see today.  When people used horse and carriage to travel place to place they needed a barn type structure for ...

14 Curb Appeal Tips From the brick&batten Pros

14 Curb Appeal Tips From the brick&batten Pros A beautiful home exterior can make or break curb appeal.  We asked our professionals their top curb appeal tips and some are so simple we had to share! Whether you’re selling your home, moving into a fixer upper and need ideas, or just want to love your ...

The Pros and Cons of a Wooden Door

There are many pros and cons of a wooden entry door.  A wood door is gorgeous! Many brick&batten clients ask for wood.  We are all drawn to the warmth a wooden accent brings to a space.  They are certainly a timeless classic and very popular for many homeowners; however, wooden doors do have their issues.  ...

Front Porch: If You Build It, They Will Come

Why do we say if you build it they will come? Not a baseball field but a front porch.  My parents live on an island…remote by most people’s standards.  They take a boat to go almost everywhere and they have been retired as long as I can remember.  When they committed to island life full ...

Why I Chose to Use an Exterior Home Designer

Having an interior designer interested in an exterior home design was exciting for us and a little bit nerve wracking! Shannon Loeffler was just that client… Shannon is an interior designer from Charlotte, North Carolina.  She is creative, with an experimental style. On her SJL Designs website, Shannon says her chief objective is to incite ...

Thinking About Painting Black? 10 of Our Favorites

Are you thinking about painting your home exterior black? Dark paint is ON TREND for 2019. We are sharing 10 of our favorites… they are rich, warm, inviting, and ready to be discovered! This striking choice is being used on various home styles and asked for by different personality types. Dark paint breathes new life ...

12 Tips for Home Exterior Design in 2019

12 Tips for Home Exterior Design in 2019 We have cultivated some projects and come up with 12 tips to help with your house exterior design.  A beautiful house exterior is just as important, if not more important, than a beautiful interior.  Maybe it’s time to show your house some love with simple changes that ...

6 of Our Favorite Summer Porch Ideas

There is absolutely no reason to spend a fortune on an architect to rip your home apart, change your roofline, demolish your kitchen, and devour your free time wishing you could just go back to your peaceful life!  It’s the little things that can make a huge difference in curb appeal and more importantly, your ...

House Exterior Fails and Fixes

Have you fallen victim to these simple house exterior fails?  Maybe it’s too much House Beautiful or wine with the neighbor… Whatever the reason, you’re smarter than that!  Take a step back.  Evaluate.  And let’s get to work on fixing these house fails with simple changes.   House Fail #1: If it doesn’t fit, don’t wear ...