Brave Element

Brave Element Leaders in IKEA & Semihandmade Installation + Design. Proudly serving the Pacific Northwest from Seattle to Portland and more!
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This one gets its own hard post because DUH šŸ˜
06/17/2026

This one gets its own hard post because DUH šŸ˜

We have arrived at the end of this journey, and I could not be more pleased with the outcome āœØThis kitchen was beautiful...
06/09/2026

We have arrived at the end of this journey, and I could not be more pleased with the outcome āœØ

This kitchen was beautifully designed by and installed by the best in the biz (me ofc) - after a rocky start, arriving to the jobsite on the scheduled start date only to find I had no materials, in a panic I had to make a lot of phone calls, pleading for favors and rearranging my schedule.

Once the dust settled, and the materials arrived, I was able to get to work and I think we created a mid-century-inspired masterpiece šŸ‘ØšŸ¼ā€šŸŽØ

Thank you Shannon and Ryan for trusting me with your home and letting me pour my heart into my work with you ā¤ļø


šŸšØ I need everyone to stop what they are doing right now and join me in basking in the glory of how PERFECT this installa...
06/07/2026

šŸšØ I need everyone to stop what they are doing right now and join me in basking in the glory of how PERFECT this installation is šŸšØ

One thing that reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy grinds my gears is when installers canā€™t be bothered to dial in the door & drawer front adjustments to create a beautiful visual of straight and clean linesā€¦.

1 like = 1 celebratory marg for me

06/07/2026

I could not be more proud of how this built-in wardrobe turned out! Doing a job like this alone is an exhausting journey, but one that ends with a feeling of pride that I donā€™t get from anything elseā€¦ Itā€™s such an awesome feeling to know that something my team and I put together from the idea phase, all the way to completion, will now be enjoyed by our client for years to come.

One of the things I love so much about this hybrid model of ikea plus custom doors + products, is the puzzle aspect of it. The creative problem solving, the standing and staring at a wall for 45 minutes to make sure that my next move is the right one, and the sheer joy it creates when it all comes together.

I may bitch a lot about how tired I am, and how I need a day off and yada yada yada, and all of that does ring trueā€¦ BUT, man how lucky am I to be able to get to make a living by doing this thing that I love? It truly is an honor and a privilege ā¤ļø


06/06/2026

I love this so muchā€¦. Iā€™ve definitely installed these mixer lifts in the past in custom cabinets but surprisingly never in cabinetsā€¦

If you need this in your new Ikea kitchen, Iā€™m your guy šŸ‘ŠšŸ¼


Iā€™ve been dying to share this with you guysā€¦ For years we have been combating the most common question that we receive i...
06/04/2026

Iā€™ve been dying to share this with you guysā€¦ For years we have been combating the most common question that we receive in the planning stages of a remodel: ā€œwhat does an average kitchen cost?ā€

The answer is simple: ā€œThere is no average kitchen.ā€ - What is average to one personā€™s perspective is not average to anotherā€™s. We all have different preferences, expectations, priorities and budgetsā€¦ Iā€™ve gotten myself into hot water more times than I care to admit, by trying to appease our clients and come up with a number that I think an average kitchen might cost, and no matter how many times I have said ā€œyou canā€™t hold me to this number because you might have different expectations than averageā€ sure enough we go over the fake number they created in their head, and the result is, they are mad at me.

Well that comes to an end nowā€¦. My team and I created a guide to help determine where your expectations will lie and if we are a good fit for your project. We designed 3 kitchens, all in the same exact footprint, starting with streamlined, accessible finishes all from ikea, stepping up to a mid-range of upgrades without getting too crazy, all the way up to about as custom as you can get while still using ikea cabinets as a base for your kitchenā€¦

Each tier shows a total price for the kitchen displayed, including ALL fees from materials, to labor, tax and deliveryā€¦ even credit card fees! This is all-in pricing with nothing to hide. And the BEST part is, we broke it down to a ā€œper linear footā€ cost, to help you determine how much you can expect to invest on your own project, so you can adjust accordingly based on your budget.

Iā€™m so proud of this guide that we made and we have already put this into practice with great successā€¦ you can find this on our website under ā€œcost examplesā€ and we will also have printed versions of these for you to have when you come visit us at our Georgetown Studio.

Thanks for looking and please share with your friends who are considering ikea for their upcoming projects!

You went through a full on kitchen remodel with new cabinets, new counters and you splurged for a ā€œpanel readyā€ or ā€œinte...
06/01/2026

You went through a full on kitchen remodel with new cabinets, new counters and you splurged for a ā€œpanel readyā€ or ā€œintegratedā€ dishwasherā€¦.. butā€¦.. your dishwasher doesnā€™t actually look integratedā€¦. Hereā€™s why:

- first and foremost, itā€™s lack of care from the tradespeople who are responsible for it looking integratedā€¦ a plumber (typically) has no interest in the final aesthetic of your dishwasher. Their job is to make sure it is properly plumbed and functions with no leaksā€¦ your cabinet installer (who isnā€™t me) doesnā€™t understand the importance of proper placement of the door panel sitting on the dishwasher door, and usually tries to get this done as quickly as possible

- your floor is not level. Ever. IDGAF if you paid your flooring person to level the floor. They didnā€™t. It is not level. You got played. It takes proper care, attention to detail, and lots of patience to adjust the dishwasher to perfect alignment, especially when the floor is super out of whackā€¦. Instead of pushing through, your tradesperson passes the buck and says ā€œitā€™s not my problemā€

- your counter installer used a perforated metal strip at the top of the cut out in place of where a plywood sub top would have been 10 years agoā€¦. Most counters nowadays do not require a sub top, and it seems as if counter installers do not understand that integrated dishwashers can and should be mounted from the sides. This metal strip restricts the dishwasher from rising to the proper height.

- your custom cabinet door company didnā€™t supply you with the correct size door panel. Appliances will come with specs with a range of sizes for the door panel. Custom door companies will supply you with the smallest size of this range unless otherwise specifiedā€¦. If you are using ikea cabinets, the DW door panel should be 23-7/8 x 29-78

- Ultimately, everyone involved from start to finish overlooked the details in their portion of your project that would give you the best resultsā€¦. This is easily one of the most avoidable issues to remedy, simply by CARING about your clients and the over all quality of their new kitchen.

Also I recommend using Bosch for your new DW. They rule.

šŸ“Vancouver, WA
05/31/2026

šŸ“Vancouver, WA


This one deserves a hard post for SUREā€¦ A few years ago these fine folks had a beautiful custom home built on Mercer Isl...
05/29/2026

This one deserves a hard post for SUREā€¦

A few years ago these fine folks had a beautiful custom home built on Mercer Island. The builder leaned on using Sektion cabinets with custom frontsā€¦. You know very well I think thatā€™s a great ideaā€¦

HOWEVER! - unfortunately they seriously lacked experience in design using ikea, as well as how to order the correct sizing in custom frontsā€¦

To make things worse, they brought in subs to install who had no experience in using IKEAā€¦ After being completely exhausted from fighting with the builder, they conceded to hire a separate contractor to fix & finish this kitchenā€¦. Wouldnā€™t you know itā€¦ā€¦ THAT contractor also couldnā€™t get the job doneā€¦

Feeling defeated, the clients came back to Semihandmade to ask for some advice and THANK GOD the advice given to them was ā€œYou should call Wesā€

They did, and here we are, with a beautiful and complete kitchen, the way it was meant to look all alongā€¦ Iā€™ll spare you the very long list of all the repairs, replacements, adjustments, etc that we had to make to get this up to par, but let me tell you what, it was a JOURNEYā€¦

Iā€™m REALLY proud of my work here and I hope they love their new kitchen now that I have worked my magic šŸ™‚ā€ā†”ļø


05/22/2026

Alright Alright Alright we are done with phase 1 of this projectā€¦. Of course this has not been without its challenges but it as always I overcame all of them and it is looking absolutely stunning āœØ

Will be returning in a couple weeks after counters are done so I can install the appliance garage, handles, and Iā€™m also building a closet in another bedroomā€¦

Stoked to see this come together!

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