- Story by Erin McPhee Photography by Don Denton

Erik Larsen didn91裸聊视频檛 have to look far to find a suitable mission statement for his Victoria-based boutique construction firm.

Having completed a bachelor of arts degree in English literature at the University of Victoria before switching gears entirely to pursue a career in the construction industry, he was always inspired by the words of countless literary masters.

And inspiration, as well as personal motivation, was precisely what the Victoria native was striving for. Just after he launched his own company, the Larsen Group, in 2008, the economy crashed, severely limiting local construction work.

91裸聊视频淚 had the time to go back and look at Thoreau in particular, who I had always loved out of all the transcendentalists because he was such a practical guy,91裸聊视频� said Erik. 91裸聊视频淭he whole idea of profit extending beyond the monetary 91裸聊视频� where do you profit in your life? 91裸聊视频� and letting that reframe how you see the world and approach problems. A big piece of that was me trying to sort through my own anxieties and depression over a lack of work, but also it gave me direction and focus.91裸聊视频�

Over a decade later, the Thoreau quote is still featured prominently on the Larsen Group91裸聊视频檚 website, expressing to future clients who Erik is and why he does what he does.

It also helps keep Erik, a 40-year-old married father of two, grounded. The Gonzales Bay resident says he and his wife, Catherine, an executive at Island Health, continue to make a concerted effort to balance their demanding work and home lives.

91裸聊视频淲e learned a few years ago that we91裸聊视频檝e had to leave our work at the door and allow the jobs to not define us as individuals but to support a happy home life,91裸聊视频� he says.

Erik is proud of the fact that the Larsen Group gives him the freedom to be more present at critical times with his growing children.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very easy to start a company and then have it own you, and I91裸聊视频檓 proud to have been successful and to have happy clients and happy employees and also have it not control and dominate my life,91裸聊视频� he says.

When they91裸聊视频檙e not busy with work or school, the Larsen family can be found on the mountain year-round, skiing or snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking during the warmer months. They also enjoy spending time in the personal oasis they91裸聊视频檝e created in the backyard of their 120-year-old, three-storey home. Since moving in 11 years ago, Erik has devoted countless hours to renovating it.

91裸聊视频淲e did quite an extensive hardscaping, multi-deck exterior job with a nice firepit and hot tub and there91裸聊视频檚 a big kids91裸聊视频� character-style home in the back, a kids91裸聊视频� playhouse,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淭he creative angle of that was a lot of fun 91裸聊视频� from design and construction. There was a lot of concrete that I was out there pouring myself. It came together really well. It91裸聊视频檚 great to have. The whole yard is another room to the house. We spend a ton of time out there.91裸聊视频�

Next, Erik plans to turn his attention to the inside of the house, which is shaping up to be slightly more challenging.

91裸聊视频淪tarting with something that91裸聊视频檚 that old is, I would say, a lot less fun,91裸聊视频� he laughs. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a ton of head-scratching and it91裸聊视频檚 taking me a few years just to get my head around the engineering and to try and sort it out.91裸聊视频�

Erik is definitely up to the challenge, however, coming from a long line of woodworkers, carpenters and tradesmen.

91裸聊视频淓ven my grandfather was a woodworker,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淓veryone always had shops. At a young age there are pictures of my dad and I when I was three and four in the shop with him. He would build boats, constantly renovate the house, small appliance repair, you name it. It91裸聊视频檚 always just been a natural thing.91裸聊视频�

Erik91裸聊视频檚 siblings have followed a similar path. His brother is a custom furniture builder and his sister is an interior designer, and they often collaborate on professional projects.

And now Erik91裸聊视频檚 eldest child, nine-year-old Kai, seems to be showing a similar interest in maintaining the family legacy.

91裸聊视频淜ai has an engineer91裸聊视频檚 mindset and is really fascinated with architecture and buildings in general,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淗e loves the Vancouver downtown library. Stuff like that really blows his mind. My father was a draftsman and a city planner as well as a carpenter, so it definitely runs in the family. It wouldn91裸聊视频檛 surprise me if Kai decided to go down that road. And my daughter Ella, 7, is all about dance.91裸聊视频�

Erik is incredibly proud of the team he has created with the Larsen Group and their wide-ranging skill set, allowing them to handle every facet of a renovation, from design to construction to hand-built furnishings for rooms.

91裸聊视频淥ur distinguishing factor is our in-house suite of services,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淏eing able to take on a project and handle the majority of the items gives you a massive degree of control over the progression and the costing of the job and I think that91裸聊视频檚 a huge benefit.91裸聊视频�

Maintaining an expansive service list is incredibly important to Erik and speaks to another aspect of his company91裸聊视频檚 mission statement. By allowing his staff more opportunities to be creative and to do different things, he hopes he91裸聊视频檚 feeding their respective passions for the work. By prioritizing this approach, which is more old-world in nature, Erik is intentionally revitalizing the classic role of a carpenter.

And he hopes Thoreau would approve.

Take a look at what Erik and the .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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