- Story by Sean McIntyre Photography by Don Denton
Andi Hook grabs a sparkling water from the fridge ahead of our interview. The kitchenB次元官网网址檚 white cupboards and shimmering appliances surround a sprawling central island, lending the space an air of elegant spaciousness.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 even room for young River to play on the floor while AndiB次元官网网址檚 mother, Jude, takes a phone call across the room.
ItB次元官网网址檚 unsurprising that Andi and her spouse Larry have created such a great kitchen for themselves. What is shocking is that we arenB次元官网网址檛 anywhere near the coupleB次元官网网址檚 home. WeB次元官网网址檙e at their office.
Granted, the warehouse setting along SidneyB次元官网网址檚 Mills Road and the sound of power tools from LarryB次元官网网址檚 workshop in the adjacent room betray the roomB次元官网网址檚 true location, but business at Hook & Hook Renovations and Design has been hopping since the husband-and-wife team set up shop three years ago, making the office somewhat of a second home.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e lived in seven or eight places since leaving California in 2008, and weB次元官网网址檝e felt totally accepted since we arrived here,B次元官网网址� says Larry.
Displaying her eye for detail and knack for precision, Andi notes it hasnB次元官网网址檛 been quite that many places, but she concedes the young family definitely has a healthy wandering streak.
Andi moved to California, where her mother began a home-design business, soon after graduating from high school in the Lower Mainland. She fell into the business naturally and soon found herself studying interior design in New York. Soon after she returned to the West Coast to work in the family business, she ran into Larry on one of her projects.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 hired him to do the cabinetry, and he never went away,B次元官网网址� she says.
The connection was instant, and the pair artfully combined AndiB次元官网网址檚 penchant for design with LarryB次元官网网址檚 skills in carpentry and cabinetry to start a business that has since seen them renovate homes across the continent.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e kind of like a one-stop shop,B次元官网网址� he says.
Larry, clad in work clothes and obscured by several layers of sawdust, stands in stark contrast to Andi, who is elegant, gracious and impeccably dressed. The advantage of covering the extremes is that clients instinctively know who to turn to when they have questions to ask.
B次元官网网址淭hey seek her out for design, and they automatically know IB次元官网网址檓 the contractor,B次元官网网址� Larry says. B次元官网网址淚t makes people feel comfortable because they realize theyB次元官网网址檝e got all these tools and knowledge at their disposal.B次元官网网址�
The couple opened Hook & Hook Renovations more than a decade ago on Prince Edward Island, where they began to specialize in the remodelling of historic homes as well as kitchen and bathroom renovations. With a newborn son in tow, the couple eventually decided to relocate closer to AndiB次元官网网址檚 mom, who had since moved north to the Saanich Peninsula. If that wasnB次元官网网址檛 enough of a reason, there was the alluring prospect of less snow, milder winters and fewer mosquitoes. The deciding factor, at least in LarryB次元官网网址檚 mind, was living a ferry ride from Seattle, home to his beloved Seattle Seahawks, a team his family has supported with religious-like zeal for generations.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 decided early on that we werenB次元官网网址檛 going to settle easily, but I think we both now agree that Sidney is the spot for us,B次元官网网址� Larry says.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 like our son to grow up in the same spot and have some roots here,B次元官网网址� Andi adds.
The couple has started renovating their own home in Sidney and a welcomed surge in business means the Hook family spends a lot of time at the office. Larry has crafted a ping-pong table and dart board in the workshop and young River already has his own little workbench set up near his dad.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 got his own set of tools, and he can probably use a drill better than some of the guys IB次元官网网址檝e hired,B次元官网网址� Larry jokes. B次元官网网址淚 feel fortunate that he likes that kind of stuff, because I work a lot.B次元官网网址�
In spite of the long workweeks, Andi and Larry appreciate the importance of setting aside time for the family. The Hooks enjoy hiking at Goldstream Park, Mt. Doug or nearby Horth Hill. If time is tight, theyB次元官网网址檒l pop out of the office to spend some time climbing on the rocks down at the seashore or a nearby park. Swimming lessons are every Wednesday, and the family tries to head out camping whenever the opportunity arises.
B次元官网网址淚 always find a way to incorporate myself into family life so theyB次元官网网址檙e not left wondering where Larry is all the time,B次元官网网址� he says.
Carving out that family time has been essential to maintaining a healthy and productive work life. As any spouses can imagine, working alongside one another in a stressful and emotion-filled sector like home renovations offers valuable lessons for married life.
B次元官网网址淐ommunication is huge,B次元官网网址� Andi says.
Talking things through with one another or with clients is also a large part of the business. Clients have varying levels of anxiety surrounding the building process and itB次元官网网址檚 crucial that elements on the design side correlate with the building phase. Having an idea of whatB次元官网网址檚 ahead, talking things through and offering reassurances are important whether youB次元官网网址檙e talking to apprehensive homeowners or a tired partner.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e able to blow things off super fast,B次元官网网址� Larry says. B次元官网网址淲e are both stubborn and strong minded, but weB次元官网网址檙e both flexible. There hasnB次元官网网址檛 been an issue that we havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to iron out together.
B次元官网网址淲hen IB次元官网网址檓 wrong, IB次元官网网址檓 wrong. SheB次元官网网址檚 never wrong, so thatB次元官网网址檚 all good.B次元官网网址�
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