By LEAH WEATHERSBY

As most homeowners know, home improvement is usually a family project. It's not surprising to see everyone pitch in when it comes to weeding or painting the kitchen, but in this era of big box stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot, it's a bit more unusual to see a family that works together to sell that shovel or can of semi-gloss.

Small home improvement businesses can be seen congregating on lots of Seattle streets, but there is one thing that's notable about the stretch of Lake City Way, north of NE 123rd: in this neighborhood, home improvement is all about the family.

Mobile Electric:

Mobile Electric Distributors Inc., located at 14050 Lake City Way NE, is well-known by local contractors, but it can also be a good starting point for amateur wirers who need - shall we say - a little more guidance.

"Mainly what draws people to us is our years or experience and knowledge of the product," said Colleen Hallett, who owns the business along with her mother, Lois Armstrong, her sister, Mikey Whitmore, and her brother Patrick Armstrong. Colleen's husband John also works at the store.

At Mobile, "years" means "generations." Hallett's father, Les Armstrong, (who passed away in 1997) started the business in the basement of the family's Broadview home over four decades ago. Armstrong would call on electricians with a truck full of supplies, hence the name.

The business moved to Lake City in 1963 and to its current location in 1967. In the mid-'70s the company began selling to individual, retail customers in addition to its wholesale business.

Still a family affair, Colleen Hallett, Lois Armstrong and Mikey Whitmore work at the shop. The Halletts' daughter, Tanya, is currently a First Lieutenant in the Army, stationed in Texas. She worked at the family store through her high school and college years (until 1999) and will be returning to help run Mobile Electric when she is discharged next year.

Watermill:

Watermill, a pool and spa supply store located at 14017 Lake City Way NE, was founded in Fremont in 1976 by brothers Jim and Joe Whitmarsh. Phil Whitmarsh, a third brother in the family of 10 siblings, joined the business shortly afterwards.

The Whitmarsh brothers wanted to to own a store that offered pool service (spas didn't become popular until the '80s) as wells as sales, unlike other companies that were de-emphasizing service at the time.

Twenty-six years and two moves later, the company still keeps a repair and a cleaning crew on staff. The brothers also opened a second branch in Yakima which Joe Whitmarsh took full ownership of. (He later sold the Yakima store to his nephew and a partner.)

Jim and Phil Whitmarsh sold the Seattle store in 1998 - however, they didn't stay out of the pool and spa business long. When the new owner informed Phil Whitmarsh that he wanted out of the business, the brothers reassumed control of Watermill.

Today, Phil Whitmarsh says despite the fact that business has been down from last year due to the recession, sales have recently showed signs of bouncing back.

Pioneer Woodworks:

When Richard Meyer, co-owner of Pioneer Woodworks, located at 12337 Lake City Way NE, opened his cabinet and furniture building company in 1976, he didn't know he was starting a family business. The former maker of wooden patterns used to cast metal just knew he wanted to make things.

"I wanted to build furniture and I knew I could because pattern-making is very precise," Meyer said.

But nearly a decade later, Meyer's brother Walter, who had been working as a stocker at Safeway, decided to buy into the company, making it both family-owned and operated.

United Jobbers:

United Jobbers, located at 13721 Lake City Way NE, is a do-it-yourself kitchen cabinet store, which opened its doors a year ago. Owner David Canto has developed a system of hanging the cabinets that allows homeowners to do their own installation, and a "toe kick" for cabinets that sit on the floor which automatically adjusts with the house as it shifts and settles.

Pacific NW Paint & Tile:

Pacific NW Paint & Tile, which opened on Lake City Way in 1998 after operating out of owner Jim Ivey's basement for 10 years, last year moved across the street to its current location at 12505 Lake City Way NE.

Ivey's company started as a contracting business, but when Lake City paint closed in the late '90s, it was an easy decision for the Nathan Hale High School graduate to open his business as a retail store in Lake City.

His brother, John Ivey, owns and runs Consolidated Carpet along with his wife, Karen. Consolidated Carpet is located just a few blocks down the street at 11724 Lake City Way NE.

Some other home stores:

Just a few more of the home improvement businesses on the northern half of Lake City Way (north of NE 123rd), include:

Appian Construction, 3110 NE 123rd St.

Owned by Nigel and Teresa Jones, Appian sells and installs concrete pavers, stone, and other materials for outdoor pathways and other projects.

Sterling Hardwood Floors, 14325 Lake City Way NE.

Estate IronWorks,14317 Lake City Way NE.