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Hive Kitchen Remodel Interview

Hive Kitchen Remodeling design work 9. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come.

Another IKEA Installer and all around design and remodel company in the Seattle area is Hive Kitchen Remodel. We listed them in our article Inspiring Interior Designers for good reason: they understand the value of customizing IKEA cabinets. This week we cover popular kitchen design trends and what clients expect out of custom cabinet doors.

Specializing in Custom IKEA Kitchens

Tell us a little bit about the history of your company.

So we’re doing, we have this website dedicated just to IKEA, just because we had so many customers requesting the wonderful IKEA box. And, um, but we do general contracting. So Hive Kitchen Remodeling is the DBA of the bigger company and we do everything. Did you know, big renovations alongside with kitchens and bathrooms. Basements, the whole thing.

We’re based in the Seattle area now. Though, we recently relocated here from Virginia. It was quite a move across the continent. Yeah, we absolutely love it here. The West Coast is perfect. It is great.

Hive Kitchen Remodeling design work 8. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come.

Well, you kind of touched on it a little bit, so you don’t just do kitchen or bathroom remodels. You said you do like additions and full home remodels?

Absolutely. Yes, we do. Yes, we do. Not as often. Of course. You know, most of the times our requests are kitchens and bathrooms. But we we we take care of complete renovations. We also do we’ve done on quite a few of house flips. And as you can imagine, you know, you rip everything to the studs and redo the whole thing. So we have a very active with the any construction aspect.

Custom Fronts on IKEA Cabinet Boxes

So you started as more of a general contractor and you said then you saw the need for IKEA products. And you got into specializing in that?

Absolutely. We know IKEA inside and out right now. And we also do work, of course, with custom cabinetry quite a bit, actually. Right now I’m here picking up some doors, for a custom kitchen. But most of the times, I think maybe 80% of work is IKEA.

Hive Kitchen Remodeling 4. Inspiring Interior Designers.

And we really can’t stop. I think we’ve been doing IKEA pretty much since the beginning. It’s been 17 years now and it’s awesome. Now, a rough difference in price per square foot for like a custom custom cabinetry versus IKEA? Of course, custom cabinetry is definitely more expensive, maybe I would say 30% to 40% more expensive. And it adds up on a large kitchen, of course.

So I guess that’s why IKEA is so popular. That’s why you guys are so busy. Custom doors on IKEA cabinet boxes is genius. And, I have to say I absolutely love your doors. I’m sorry that I have not discovered you earlier. The prices are great, the product is fantastic. It’s gorgeous. I’ve just dropped off your sample box to another customer to help them in the design and selection process. And I think they’re going to go with Dendra Doors. And it’s a large kitchen. And I would love to use Dendra Doors in that kitchen because the pictures of that kitchen are going to be phenomenal.

Hive Kitchen Remodeling design work 7. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come.

Slim Shaker IKEA Kitchen

What would you say is some of the most popular like doors styles and finishes that you see? What are most of your clients wanting in their kitchen?

I think more and more the slim shaker is gaining popularity for sure. It’s such a contemporary door, but it still works in a more traditional house. I personally love it is beautiful. It adds interest is not just a simple flat door, ultramodern door.

ABC Modern completed this beautiful IKEA Kitchen Remodel using our Silt SmartMatte Shaker Slim doors. In the master bath they used shaker slim fronts in Super Real Walnut Laminate. ABC Modern - IKEA Kitchen Remodel Shaker Slim in Silt SuperMatte 9.

Yeah, I love the new slim shaker. We’ve definitely seen that, you know, on our end too. I would say, you know, 80% of the orders that we take are for veneer, painted, and laminate Shaker Slim doors. Do you see certain colors that people gravitate towards more?

Wood tones or anything like the blue country look. People wanting blues. Blue. Blue shades of blue. Typically and with your product, I think it is the Denim SuperMatte. My next job is going to be a very large kitchen and she’s considering she initially considered an all blue kitchen. But I think I was able to persuade her to going with more white and blues along with them. Yeah, we’ve done a few of those, and they turn out really beautifully. A Kitchen island in Denim is a nice accent without it being too much.

Modern Kitchen Cabinet Trends

Are there any kitchen design trends that you would be happy to see disappear off the raised panel?

Yeah, we’ve gone: “Let’s not work with the raised panel doors anymore.” That door style has had its glory days, but I think it should be done. People should be done with them.

Hive Kitchen Remodeling design work 5. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come.

Definitely. I’ve been with Dendra for a little over three years now. And, in the beginning when I first started working here we would a few raise panel orders here and there. These days we rarely get anyone asking about them.

Obviously IKEA doesn’t offer the Shaker Slim in their selection. And we find the custom thermofoil products seem to be higher quality than a lot of what IKEA offers. I mean, in terms of even, let’s say even if IKEA would come up with a slim shaker, right? I don’t know if they will pick up on the trend.

the Advantage of Dendra Doors

Again, the quality of their doors don’t compare to what you have to offer, to the quality of your product. So even if they would come up with it, it would still not necessarily be the same quality, and their doors are thinner. Again: IKEA, it’s a great compromise on cost. But the IKEA fronts still don’t compare to a custom door.

That’s what having the IKEA boxes and then customizing the fronts provides. You can get the look of a custom kitchen without having it be that price tag, which is something else. Are there any door styles or finishes that you’d like to see used more? Maybe something we don’t currently offer?

Hive Kitchen Remodeling design work 6. For Homeowners, finding inspiration for the design of a new kitchen or remodel is the most important step of the project. Most of us plan to live in these spaces for decades to come.

I went through pretty much all of your door styles. I think you do a good job, an excellent job covering what people want and need. My personal style would be mid-century. I know that you do offer a lot of beautiful veneers, for example. People are really, really pleasantly surprise whenever I show them those options.

Walnut veneer; more walnut veneer options. I think that clients would really like to see more of that. Definitely more Walnut and White Oak options. Younger people would navigate a little bit more towards the white oak. And the older generation, looking for more traditional look, definitely prefer darker woods; different types of walnuts.

Written by Todd Zimmerman

Producer of the John Webbccast

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