Michigan Builder On Growing Her Passion for Design into a Multi-National Home Building Business

Builder in 5 is our five-question series with the minds behind standout custom homes.

2. What did the design and build process of your own homes teach you about the custom home market, and how have you applied that experience into the work you do now?

Hoekzema: From the beginning, we felt there was a lack within the industry of a more enjoyable home-building experience. Early in his career, Kevin worked as a carpenter, framing large custom homes along Lake Michigan and in the Grand Rapids, Mich. area. He often saw clients who seemed stressed or even miserable with the overall process.

We came into this field with an excitement to offer a more flexible and fun approach, while also offering in-house, bespoke interior design. While Kevin's business major and construction background was an easy segue into founding a firm, my own liberal arts background was a less obvious launching pad and I was stretched greatly during our initial personal and client projects—but oh, how I loved the challenge!

The chance to do something fresh and different, especially in an area overflowing with Craftsman, Nautical and what we would call 'safe' design styles, was my driving force in creating our own design-forward custom home building identity. And it became very important to me to consider every detail down to the pencils and soaps selected. Details are the spark that make a home feel special, intentional, and cohesive.

3. Tell us more about your approach to custom home design. How has your style and process progressed over the years?

Hoekzema: Initially, we had a bit of an idealistic view: If we throw ourselves at this work, and give everything we have to it, everything will work out and everyone will be happy.

We realized, as time went on, that we are far better working in a team format with other talented individuals that operate from a process point of view, to support our own strengths of ideation, adaptability and vision-casting. It is our team that excels at many of the technical and logistical tasks that the world of construction and design demands.

We find it so rewarding to celebrate the wins and talents of the various individuals on our KLH and TEN teams and recognize how they bring new and valuable ideas to the table every day.

In terms of our style evolution, our initial goal was to deliver a distinctly fresh and modern aesthetic more indicative of Scandinavian and European influence than that of traditional American design. These were the days when Pinterest and Instagram were fledgling concepts, ones we quickly adopted and utilized, but far from the global design influences they are now.

We entered one of our early projects into a local Parade of Homes, a tour of locally built custom homes. This resulted in an impactful introduction to the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo communities (including a full sweep of design awards that year!) and put us on the map for our use of unique and custom details done in an unfussy, approachable way.

I think this difference in design perspective comes largely from my upbringing across the border in Canada, where shelter magazines and design influences come from Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec, and other places brimming with modern design talent.

We have been blessed to lend our aesthetic perspective to many different projects and client styles over the years, and continue to find great satisfaction in flexing new mental muscles as each project comes along. Case in point, a multi-year project on Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula where the client brief is a touch more traditional in style. We will be tying together the previous structure into a new expansive addition with classical design references for a refreshed, timeless and still inherently KLH end result.

4. What’s one decision that defines how you build?

Hoekzema: We bring clients in on the process all the way through to the end. We believe that our best work happens when we leave room for sparks of creativity to happen all the way down to the install of hardware at the end versus landing a plan at the outset of the project and never straying from it.

This style of building isn't for every client, just like every client isn't the best fit for us. We have found it is incredibly important to be thorough in the discovery phase with new clients to make sure that not only our aesthetic, but also our process resonates.

This kind of spontaneous decision could be a more interesting, playful placement of a light fixture—or bringing in a custom cabinetry detail once the overall layout and finish has been established—or reframing a structural detail to take better advantage of the feel and light in a space.

Through it all, communication is key and we've found our own system of sign-offs that works well to keep vendors and clients on the same page—save for those inevitable surprises that pop up along the way. As often as we can, our team works to spin such situations into something equally as good or even better than had been planned. Happy accidents that have sometimes become clients' favorite details when all the dust settles.

5. Tell us about a time you took a risk on a project and how it paid off. What can others apply from that?

Hoekzema: Eight years ago we were planning our own custom home and I was struck by the visual of an all-black home set in the snow. As we began communicating exterior specifications to our subcontractors, we got a variety of reactions, including a few questionable glances from the neighbors! But sticking to a strict palette of black siding, windows and metal roofing applied to a structure of "building block" shapes, almost child-like in their simplicity, caught national and even international attention. Specifically, a feature in Dwell Magazine that introduced us to a wider audience of like-minded clients also seeking modern design with thoughtful custom details.

The lesson here is, 'this above all: to thine own self be true' (my English major coming into play!). Go with your gut. Risks—when carefully considered—are absolutely worth the reward.

For more insights from the field, read our earlier Builder in 5 interviews, and reach out with suggestions on who we should interview next.