Contractor Spotlight: Blake & Patrick
Blake and Patrick standing proud before a snowy home build!
J.T. Unique is proud to work with incredibly talented contractors on our wide array of projects. The dynamic duo, Blake and Patrick, are a team that keep our level of quality at a standard you’ve come to know and expect from us.
The two met while attending school for construction at Marshalltown Community College. They got to work on both residential and commercial construction projects, and fell in love with construction work. Upon graduating, both went their separate ways—although it wasn’t long before their paths crossed again in Iowa. Patrick moved out to Colorado to do some contract work and Blake found himself working in Florida. Blake headed back—with his brand new tiny house in tow—to work on his dad’s farmhouse renovation and ended up running into Patrick. After asking for his help on his personal tiny house project, you could say the rest is history.
The two really wanted to be able to work for themselves while also working on interesting projects for family members and friends. They started the farmhouse project in the summer of 2015 and by 2016 they had started their own business. They began doing work for both J.T. Unique and J. Thompson Builders shortly after that. For J.T. Unique, Patrick and Blake do a lot of finish projects in the shop. They’ve worked on big barn doors, trim, and cabinets for projects big and small. From homes to hotels—these two aren’t afraid of any challenge.
Aside from their joint projects for their business, the two stay pretty busy with personal projects of their own:
Blake & His Tiny House
Blake’s tiny house has been transported from Florida to Iowa!
What started as just an idea has now turned into a passion project for Blake. After researching the concept and mulling over different ideas, he finally bought a trailer off of craigslist for $350 and then they started to build his tiny house on it. The tiny house is 125 square feet with 10 ½ foot ceilings. There’s a sleeping loft where his bed resides, and the interiors are a current work in progress. With cork floors, a composting toilet, a boat heater, and a flat roof, this tiny house is full of personality and heart. Though he has stayed in it multiple times, he’s not currently living in it because there’s no running water or insulation quite yet. He looks forward to working on this project and adding fun touches such as shiplap on the walls and experimenting with flooring and cabinets. He looks forward to always working on it because, “a carpenter's house is never finished.”
Patrick & His Family Home
Patrick has a fiancé, a baby, and just bought a home that he is currently remodeling. He is excited about the challenge, though he knows it’s going to be a lot of work. He’s in the process of updating the bedrooms, the porch, the garage, and possibly finishing the basement in the future.
J.T. Unique is so lucky to work with Blake and Patrick, and we look forward to partnering with them on many more collaborations to come! Take a look at this hotel project that this dynamic duo helped us finish.