Maple Valley Lawyers Open for Business!
On June 1, 2018, The Law Offices of Torres & Haroldson was “open” for business in Maple Valley. While Victor and Peter were able to provide legal services to their clients, they did so like so many attorneys just starting out and hanging their own shingle — out of their home offices. But, with a little vision, a little sweat equity, A LOT of help from their wives and families, and the help/support of other local businesses, Victor and Peter were able to turn what used to be locally known as the “Corner of Love” into the first official location for The Law Offices of Torres & Haroldson!
The Vision.
After Victor and Peter told their wives about their new venture, there was simultaneously a sense of anxiety and excitement. But, through it all, Misty and Meghin showed nothing but love and support to give them the solid foundation that Victor and Peter needed to get this off on the right foot. Truth be told, it was the wives who came up with the color scheme and decor — a modern and contemporary industrial feel with clean and open spaces. But, it wasn’t going to be an easy task to transform the Corner of Love into The Law Offices of Torres & Haroldson.
Investing with Sweat Equity.
It all started with a trip to Maple Valley Four Corners and the “Frederick Meyer” (as Victor’s buddy Eric Ferguson used to say) for cleaning supplies and paint.
Over an extended weekend, Victor and Peter traded in their suits and ties for shorts and t-shirts prepared to put in a little elbow grease. First, it was two straight days of cleaning and painting. That was followed by two straight days of furnishing and assembling the office.
Day 1.
Day 1 was priming the strong Corner of Love colors and painting the walls with the Torres & Haroldson colors. Peter painted the main color (I think it was called toasted biscotti, or something like that), while Victor did the priming and accent walls (sort of a baby sky blue, not with a Noon sun, but closer to early evening). Peter’s wife and kids came brushes in hand and did a really great job with the second coat of paint!
Day 2.
The next day, Victor and Peter did the finer more time consuming details. Taping and painting close to the ceiling and floor boards and the corners where the colors met. Did I tell you that the Corner of Love had black doors? Do you know how much primer and paint it takes to make a black door and frame a clean white? For-ever. More importantly, Victor’s wife did a phenomenal job with scrubbing the floors and cleaning the carpets.
Day 3.
Luckily, Misty and Kelsey scouted out some potential furniture options when they went shopping one day. They got Meghin’s buy-in, and the stylistic theme was a go. Now, all Victor and Peter had to do was go purchase them. Seems easy enough. But, you know what happens when 2 guys go shopping by themselves? Nothing good could come of this. And, of course, they bought some mismatched desks.
Day 4.
Tech — what the cool kids call computers and other office electronics — was ordered, and Victor went to town. Setting up and configuring computers and the cloud systems that are essential to the success of these Maple Valley lawyers. There was also the bit of waiting on Comcast internet installation and that infamous 4-hour window, but there is always something to do!
Days 5 – 14. . . .
It’s our first blog, so it’s a little embellished. The 4 days of transforming the Corner of Love was really more like 2 weeks or so. I mean, there’s only so much I can tell you and so much that you’ll want to read about cleaning, painting, and Victor and Peter sweating.
It’s Our Own Corner of Love.
Trust me, it was a lot of sweating. But, in the end, Victor and Peter–with the help of their families and other local businesses–were able to create their own corner of love that is now The Law Offices of Torres & Haroldson! Take a look for yourself with these before-and-after shots:
Drop by and say, “Hi!” We look forward to seeing you soon!