Katherine Everett was born Kathleen Olive Herbert in 1872 in Cahernane House, County Kerry.

Everett had a difficult and unhappy relationship with her mother, leading her to leave home as a teenager living with relatives or others as a companion.

[1] During her life time, Everett became renowned for the designs and renovations of houses and gardens, primarily in England.

[4] More recent examinations of her autobiography have viewed it as a queer text, particularly in relation to the unorthodox way in which Everett lived as a woman supporting herself and her children.

[7] She recounts episodes during the Irish Civil War, where she travelled across Ireland to salvage furniture from the houses of Lady Ardilaun.