Spark

As Calvin students, Liz Tenyenhuis Hoekzema ’03 and Kevin Hoekzema ’04 never dreamed they would co-found two of western Michigan’s successful design and build firms, KLH Custom Homes and Ten Design Studio. But a passion for designing and building their own family homes led to a shared mission to create “spontaneous, rad, and modern spaces” for others.

“We favor clean lines, sculptural, playful details, and highlighting moments of shadow and light,” Liz explains. “We believe in leaving space for sparks of inspiration and creativity as we go.”

On paper, starting a design-build firm shortly after the 2008 housing market crash appeared risky. But the married entrepreneurs took a leap of faith anyway and founded KLH Custom Homes, primarily serving clients in western Michigan.

Their modern, family-friendly aesthetic quickly gained an international following, and in 2015 they added Ten Design Studio, an architectural plan and interiors firm that has served clients in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Neither Liz nor Kevin could have anticipated being where they are today.

At Calvin, Liz majored in English but felt unsure about a career path, until a personality test at her first job pointed her toward design, something she really hadn’t considered. Kevin, meanwhile, switched from business toward a pre-med path. The years following Calvin were far from smooth for him. “I was so directionless post Calvin. I lacked any clarity with my career—I had four completely different jobs before we started our companies,” he says.

The Hoekzemas, however, believe those early twists and turns taught them to be flexible and open-minded about God’s plan for their lives. As it turned out, Liz did have a gift for design; she fell in love with the process when the couple built their first house in Grand Rapids. A move to Kalamazoo for Kevin’s job led to designing and building a second, more modern home, which Liz blogged about, gaining a small following. They sold that house and planned a third. But shortly after the couple had their first child, Kevin suddenly lost his job. Once again, they felt deeply uncertain about the future.

“This was the point where we very clearly saw God’s hand in our story,” Liz says. “One day at Bible study, I was approached by a fellow leader who read my blog and asked if we built custom homes for clients. It felt nothing short of providential and, for us, life changing.”

“It was stunning, everything happened so quickly,” Kevin adds. “Within a few months I had my builder’s license, a truck, and an LLC under our newly created business name. We had endless passion, but no significant contracting experience. It was the best of times, but also the hardest of times.”

To succeed, they leaned into their broad Calvin education, Kevin’s experience in carpentry and business, and Liz’s creativity and eye for design. “I think Calvin prepared both of us to be able to engage with a wide variety of people and think on our toes. We learned to draw from a breadth of knowledge and experiences,” says Liz, who relied on her strong background in communication and writing, for example, to craft a clear brand presence for their two firms.

The Hoekzemas, now a highly sought-after duo in the design and build world, have climbed the ranks of their industry, and their work has been featured in prestigious publications such as House Beautiful, Dwell, and most recently, The New York Times.

Staying open to creativity, inspiration, and learning as they go remains at the heart of their business philosophy; it’s served them well in family life, too. “Owning and running a business carries a lot of weight,” Kevin says. “Couple that with being married with four kids and working together—sometimes we just sit in silence for an hour after a long day.” The Hoekzemas say it’s taken them years to find that just-right balance between running their businesses and being fully present to their four children.

Success hasn’t felt formulaic; instead, the Hoekzemas say, amid the challenges, they continue to delight in the unexpected story God writes with their lives.