Home should be your favorite place, according to Leah Hook.
The Lynnfield resident and mom of three is the founder and principal designer of Gray Oak Studio, which specializes in curated interior design. It may be her calling, but it is not where she started.
“Some days, I am not exactly sure how it all came together,” she said.
The 43-year-old actually spent most of her professional career as an attorney, working for institutions like The Legal Aid Society in New York. She later returned to Massachusetts and worked as a criminal appellate attorney. That was until a friend approached her about her true passion for interior design and creative arts in general.
She said she took time to reflect on her desire to create and her wish for more time with her family. It just felt like the right time for a career shift.
“Being a litigator is hard on a family,” she explained. “No flexibility on your schedule, long hours, important critical work, you can’t really take a personal day on. It’s a different form of work ethic.”
“One of my last times in a courtroom, I had this moment in the middle of the argument where I was arguing with a woman, who clearly is an attorney 60-80 hours a week,” Hook recalled. “I did my absolute best and worked hard and felt like I did a good job, but not when compared to what my opponent was able to do, because of this being her singular focus in life. I just said this wasn’t fair to me or my clients I was serving. And I just knew I needed to make a decision.”
There was always some part of Hook that yearned to create. She said that when she was in high school, her dream was to become a professional photographer. Creativity was always brewing inside her, waiting to emerge. Amidst all her responsibilities, she was constantly taking on interior design projects in her own homes.
So in 2017, when Hook was 35, and pregnant with her third child, she started practicing law only on a part-time basis. After a decade in that field, she felt fulfilled with what she had achieved. With extra free time, she started to form Gray Oak Studio from the ground up with the help of two friends.
“It was just this small group of moms who had this personal passion and decided to take the leap together,” Hook said.
Over time, the other two moms stepped away, and Hook went all in on building her business full time. Now, she owns the design studio in Lynnfield at 12 Centre Court, along with a new retail shop, “Our Space,” which can be found in the front. She has six employees including two lead designers, three operations staff, and an intern who became a design assistant.
“Almost eight years later, passion can’t even describe where I am,” she said. “There is a whole new universe of joy I am able to experience. I am incredibly grateful. This next chapter has been so wonderful and it’s crazy to think about the overlap of both jobs [attorney and interior design].”
She explained that she is a creative with the workflow of an attorney, which proved invaluable when building her own business. Her logistical mindset and detail-oriented approach helped her create contracts and establish every aspect of her company. She explained being an attorney is “controlling the narrative and framing everything, and that is exactly how you convey design.”
Now when it comes to actually designing the homes, Hook said she is passionate about making spaces that are modern and beautiful yet functional and liveable.
“I believe in a space feeling elevated and buttoned up, but real dogs come in with muddy paws, children make messes… I want the space to hold up for families, whether that’s with the fabric or wood choice,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean it has to lack thoughtfulness or chaos. It can be magazine-worthy while being in the realm of nothing being too precious.”
Over the last eight years, the Reading native said she has defined her perspective and design approach. She knows what she likes, but she continues to learn and grow. Her next step? To refine Gray Oak Studio’s process and to ensure each client feels they are taken care of in every sense. Her consistent goal is to leave them with nothing to do except enjoy their new space.
“I’m a mom who was so excited to take a chance on myself, but I also have to say that my husband was beyond supportive,” she said. “He believed in me way before I believed in myself. Each and every step of the way where I have felt on my own, he has hyped me up to keep going.”
Leah Hook has one final message: You change your mind at any time or at any age.
“There is so much pressure on young kids to own and commit to one idea,” she added. “You’re allowed to explore. Not just at 7, but at 12, 30, 40 years old. What brought you joy 10 years ago might not bring you joy today and that is OK.”
