We have always been a home based business. It provides a lifestyle we enjoy. For many years I dreamed of the perfect shop to work in. We even purchased three properties through the years, but for various reasons it simply wasn't meant to be. I continued to work in our small garage or on our customer's sites. We had to pay our dues. and wait until the time was right. I kept dreaming and sketching ideas, waiting for that time.
In 2000 we relocated from Vancouver Island to Chilliwack, BC. My workspace was downgraded to a carport and a small room in the basement for a studio. I dreamed even harder of the idea work space. In 2003 we found the perfect property, on the edge of the small town of Yarrow and yet surrounded by farmland. Mountain vistas framed the landscape. I drew up the plans and showed them to Janis. She looked at them and shook her head. I was devastated. Then she looked me in the eye and told me to make the shop BIGGER. We would live in the old farmhouse until we could afford to build our dream house. In the meantime t=he dream shop would go ahead. I went back to the drawing board and drew up the final plans.
While we could have built an inexpensive, utilitarian steel building, we instead decided to build something much more imaginative. We would be looking at this building for many years to come. It also had to give our customers a clear idea of what we did inside. The construction was of concrete filled blocks of styrofoam, which provide awesome sound and heat insulation. The exterior is of sculpted Concrete, allowing us to give it a fairytale look with oversize timbers and colorful rock work. A giant twelve foot tall dragon flies over the planter out front. Massive, riveted, magic doors dominate the center of the building. This is no ordinary place.
The shop sits at the rear of our small acreage, 300 feet behind our house. Each morning as I come off our porch this is the site I see. I grin a little grin and job out to the shop to go to work. I'm a lucky guy for I get to live my dream - every day.
-grampa dan