David (center) and Richard Hendrick grew up in the family business, Custom Kitchens, started by their father, Arthur Hendrick (left).

Brothers David and Richard Hendrick learned the art of kitchen design from their father, Arthur Hendrick, who founded Custom Kitchens Inc.

“We grew up in the business,” David Hendrick said. “When I was a sophomore in high school, I was an installation helper, a truck driver and I delivered cabinets. Richard and I both did that.”

Arthur Hendrick opened the kitchen contracting company at U.S. 1 and Mountain Road in 1957 before moving the company in 1968 to its current location at 6412 Horsepen Road in Henrico County.

He learned about kitchen appliances while working at the former Thalhimers department store.

“Thalhimers taught him how to take care of the customer,” David Hendrick said. “He wanted to bring that same care and customer service to Custom Kitchens when he opened it in 1957.”

The Hendrick brothers became full-time employees after graduating college — David in 1977 from Virginia Commonwealth University and Richard in 1980 from James Madison University.

“We both started in sales training,” Richard Hendrick said. “After a couple of years, we got into the sales end of the business.”

Both became certified kitchen designers.

“Dad said that he needed another designer,” David Hendrick said.

The Hendrick brothers have grown their business through referrals.

“That’s the lifeblood of the company,” Richard Hendrick said.

The company primarily sells its kitchen and bath services to customers in the greater Richmond area.

“We have done some work in the Northern Neck,” David Hendrick said. “A lot of the time if we have done a kitchen for someone in Richmond, they will ask us to do the kitchen in their cottage.”

The majority of the company’s business is concentrated on remodeling.

“In the old days, we did a fair amount of new construction, but that has died off,” Richard Hendrick said.

In 2002, the company added bath design services, which is now a growing segment of the business.

“It was a natural progression,” Richard Hendrick said. “It’s the same type of products and we use the same sub-contractors.”

The company expanded its showroom in 2009 by 1,200 square feet.

Company sales rose 20 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2011.

“We are seeing much more activity,” Richard Hendrick said. “People want to spend money. We are very optimistic about continued growth.”

Custom Kitchens sells a wide selection of cabinets from manufacturers such as Heritage, Crystal and Omega and commercial-style appliances made by companies such as Wolf and Sub-Zero.

“People see the appliances on HGTV and say ‘I want that for my kitchen,’ ” Richard Hendrick said.

Dennis Rapp, owner of the Richmond-based construction company W.J. Rapp, has used Custom Kitchens for a variety of projects.

“I am very happy with the work they do,” he said. “They are organized and they follow through. They are aware of trends and different products.”

Missy and Clarke Chase of Richmond used Custom Kitchens to design their kitchen and bath.

“Their work is exemplary and they are very customer friendly,” Missy Clarke said. “Everything went very smoothly. They scheduled things so there was no lag time.”

The Hendrick brothers see customer service as their priority.

“We have a good system in place. Our main goal is to put the customer first,” Richard Hendrick said.

Most of Custom Kitchens’ employees have been with the company for at least 15 years.

“We have one employee that has been here for over 35 years,” David Hendrick said. “We are like a family.”

Steve Hairfield, regional sales manager for Crystal Cabinet Works in Princeton, Minn., finds the Hendrick brothers to be “extremely professional.”

“Their designers are very confident and creative,” he said. “They go out of their way to make the customer happy.”

Register online under our seminar link.

Thinking about a special remodeling project?
Be sure to join us for great ideas, inspiration and insights.
We’ll get you started on your remodel project.

• Thursday, April 12th, 11:30 am
• Thursday, April 12th, 5:30pm
• Saturday, April 14th, 10:00 am

Topics to be discussed:

• Our design process and you
• What you can expect during the renovation
• The projected time frame for your project
• What to estimate for costs
• Trendy vs timeless looks

 Future Kitchen and Bath Seminars: September 6th, 11:30am & 5:30pm   September 8th, 10am

Why should you hire a professional designer for your kitchen or bath project? The internet and the home networks suggest that you can do everything yourself. But they often don’t explain the intricacy of design and planning, or warn you about the high cost of making an innocent mistake.

So the reason to work with the pros is simple. It’s because a kitchen or bath project is a complicated job. There’s plumbing and wiring and lighting, and ergonomics, and flooring and walls and working space, and appliances and storage, and a zillion other things. You probably wouldn’t try to build your own car, or take out your own appendix. But like building a kitchen, the success of those tasks requires a trained, experienced pro who knows exactly what’s required, where to get the right tools and materials, what order to do things in, and what to do if something unexpected happens.

An NKBA* certified designer must have a demonstrated, comprehensive grasp of design principles and construction processes, is skilled at assessing your needs and desires, has up-to-date information about products and materials, knows local and national safety and regulatory standards inside and out, meets high standards of professional conduct, and is required to complete continuing education to maintain certification.

When you work with the certified pros at Custom Kitchens, you don’t just get a great team of knowledgeable people to bring you wonderful ideas, and to guide you through the overwhelming job of making your dream space happen. You get ease, and efficiency, and confidence, and all the fun of watching your life improve without all the worry of wasting your money or having to figure it all out yourself. And that’s the best reason of all.

          It’s the underlying planning, and the decisions about space and arrangement, and the relationship of every part to the whole – the way the space supports what you want to keep there and do there – that makes your kitchen great.

          The beautiful cabinets and the fine countertops and the lovely paint colors, like what you see in the Custom Kitchens showrooms, are what everyone will notice first. But those things are not the first part of the equation.

          Your kitchen is great when it’s a breeze to cook in, easy to keep clean and organized, and perfectly lit. It’s great when you are always happy to be there, and everyone you like to have in there with you is comfortable, too.

          So before we even think about cabinet style or flooring materials or countertops or color scheme, we help you analyze the function, and flow, and storage, and how you want to live in the space.

          Our focus from the start is on you – your dreams, your family, and your way of life. First, we make it work. Then the colors and materials and style choices pull it all together to make a beautiful, coordinated whole.

          Good planning – guided by well-trained, fully qualified people who know how to do it. That’s where great design begins.

        Custom Kitchens was proud to be the lead sponsors this year, offering a $25,000 kitchen remodel as the Grand Prize in their fund-raising raffle. The big winner was Brenda Johnson, a retired school teacher from Chesterfield. She has dreamed of remodeling her kitchen for years, studying programs on HGTV and collecting ideas and information.

        Over the last few months, Richard Hendrick, our president, has designed her new kitchen around all her plans and dreams. In just a few weeks, we’ll install her project. We’re using Crystal Cabinets, one of our premier lines, to anchor her new space. Also included in the Grand Prize are new appliances, granite countertops, tile backsplashes, a new floor, and all the plumbing and electrical components of a complete, first-rate kitchen. We are thrilled to be able to make Ms. Johnson’s dream come true, and to support this fine organization and all it does for our community.

Custom Kitchens helps the environment in many different ways.

-Re-usable cabinets, tops, and appliances are taken to Habitat for Humanity HomeSTORE. Our clients receive a tax deduction for their contribution.

- Appliances that are past their useful life are recycled.

- Cardboard from the packaging from the new cabinets and appliances is recycled.

- Sample cabinet doors and counter samples are used by a local wood worker for recycled products.

- All used recyclable office products, including paper, plastic, aluminum are recycled.

- The above efforts cut down on the amount of waste going to our local landfill.

Custom Kitchens carries a full line of green products.

- Green Core by Crystal is Renewable wood fiber with no added urea formaldehyde resins, low emitting finishes, certified by the FSC, and is made in the USA.

- SubZero/ Wolf are Energy Star Qualified Appliances. Did you know that even the large PRO 48 unit uses less electricity than a 100-Watt bulb?  http://www.subzero-wolf.com/resources/livingkitchen/SubZeroWolfGreenFact.pdf

- IceStone manufactures durable surfaces of recycled glass and concrete.

- KWC faucets offer a dual flow option to reduce water usage.

Custom Kitchens, Inc is proud to help preserve our environment by being “green.”

CHIP of Greater Richmond enriches the lives of children and the community by providing comprehensive services, in partnership with parents, to improve the overall health, well-being and independence of families.

This event was a part of a fund raising auction benefiting CHIP of Greater Richmond. The winning host invited 20 guests to enjoy wine and food prepared by Custom Kitchens’ chef Wes Holland.

Doing good in the community while having fun in our kitchens!

Hanover Habitat for Humanity’s Family Festival & Build Day
Saturday, May 21   10AM – 2PM
Farm Bureau Center at The Meadow Event Park • Free Parking & Free Admission

 WIN a $25,000 KITCHEN REMODEL!

 Join us rain or shine as we build* panelized wall sections for three (3) future Habitat homes in Hanover County!  Also featured will be a green building expo, family entertainment including kids workshop, live music and a raffle drawing for a $25,000 kitchen remodel by Custom Kitchens, Inc!  Over $32,000 in prizes will be given away!  Raffle tickets begin at $7 each and are available now.  All proceeds will benefit Hanover Habitat for Humanity.

 For more information about this event or to purchase raffle tickets, visit www.hanoverhfh.org, call 804-569-6108 or stop by our ReStore Monday – Saturday 9AM-5PM at 8177 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville, VA  23111. 

 *Must be 16 or older to build.  If you are 16 or 17 and plan to attend without a parent, download a waiver form from our website and bring it with you.