Zen Living Kitchen & Bath

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To date, the company has successfully executed thousands of projects in the region. They boast state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that cover an expansive 500,000 square feet. These facilities incorporate cutting edge technology and machinery, complemented by meticulous handcrafted craftsmanship.

Today, Zen Living offers an extensive array of European contemporary and traditional cabinet solutions, all available in a great assortment of colors and finishes to suit the client’s taste and budget.
Zen Living extends its expertise to crafting cabinetry for an array of spaces, such as laundry rooms, entryway mudrooms, living rooms, bars, closets, and various other types of custom cabinetry.

What distinguishes Zen Living within their industry is their unique infrastructure, setting them apart as a vertically integrated entity. By manufacturing and supplying their own materials, Zen Living can provide these products at a competitive price. The cost savings attained from eliminating intermediaries are passed on directly to their clients.

“When they started the company, the founders of Zen Living saw a unique opportunity,” says Amy Ford, Vice President, Operations. “Every other cabinet company at the time had extreme mark-ups because they didn’t manufacture their own products, and there are a lot of costs associated with going through a middleman. The founders of Zen Living wanted to find a way around that. They wanted to provide premium quality cabinets at a fraction of the cost.”

According to Amy, the founders of Zen Living were a “maverick group of designers, woodworkers, and cabinet makers.” In addition to providing cabinets for a lower cost, she says they also wanted to “bring design expertise to kitchen design using modern technical execution, inspired by an international catalog of unlimited finishes and selections.”

Being vertically integrated has allowed Zen Living to maintain control over the quality of their products from inception to completion. They procure their materials from suppliers globally and process them in-house at their two production facilities.

In both facilities, Zen Living adheres to rigorous North American quality control standards. Amy emphasizes that manufacturing in Vietnam provides access to an outstanding talent pool of generational cabinet makers and craftsmen. Their sister factory has the capacity to manufacture 50 kitchens a day, enabling swift turnaround times for large-scale and multi-family projects.

That quick turnaround time is important, Amy adds, because these days multi-family projects are Zen Living’s specialty. Those projects can range in size anywhere from 10 to 1,000 units. Amy says they generate most of those projects through word of mouth and repeat business, and she believes what those clients love about Zen Living is their combination of quality and efficiency:

“We can manufacture, supply, and service our clients with great products within strict timelines,” she explains. “Once clients see what we can do, they usually keep coming back.”

When it comes to their reliability and timeliness, Amy credits more than just the capacity of the company’s manufacturing facilities – she also says they have an “amazing team,” which largely consists of longstanding employees. Amy has personally been with Zen Living since 2019, but she says a lot of her colleagues have been there even longer. They have developed professionally during their time with Zen Living, and their commitment to the company is reflected in their output:

“Everyone here is very dedicated to what they do,” she says. “They care about what they do. They care about delivering quality, and they care about meeting timelines. I don’t think that’s usually the case in our industry, but it’s the case here.”

Zen Living’s team also includes an in-house install team – according to Amy, that’s also the exception rather than the rule.

“We’re different from a lot of our competitors who use subcontractors,” she explains. “We have our own in-house team who are trained in our product. They know how it works. If minor revisions are required on site, they can make those revisions quickly because they understand the product so well. That means we’re not delaying the next trade coming in behind us.”

One more thing Zen Living does differently than a lot of their competitors is they use ¾-inch-thick melamine furniture board for their cabinet material, which is thicker than the industry standard of 5/8. That means their cabinet boxes are “a bit heavier,” Amy says, but also “a lot sturdier – so they are more durable, they are not going to bend, twist, or warp, and they are easier to install.”

Over the years, clients have recognized the many options that elevate Zen Living’s product over the industry standards and as previously mentioned, they have rewarded them with repeat work. Most of their biggest clients, Amy says, have been working with Zen Living for at least six years, and she says many clients go back even further.

Again, she says that loyalty is a credit to both the company’s quality and reliability.

Always adapting

Presently, Zen Living Kitchen & Bath encompasses three divisions. Within their original division, the company continues to work closely with builders and developers in Western Canada, taking them through every step of the process from estimating and design all the way through to delivery and install. That has long been the company’s specialty, and they intend to continue growing their reputation and presence in that market.

In recent years, however, Zen Living has also sought to expand their client base and service offering, and to that end they have created two new divisions – Zen International and Zen Express.

Zen International is dedicated to offering the largest selection of cabinetry and custom millwork to developers and builders across the United States, while Zen Express, a supply only division, seamlessly offers superior quality products directly to homeowners. This division is designed to offer a convenient three-to-five day turnaround time, allowing homeowners the flexibility to either undertake self-installation or collaborate with a contractor of their choice.

Moving forward, Zen Living will be focusing on expanding those divisions, as well as evolving their countertop offering. Currently, that offering encompasses a diverse range of countertops sourced from reputable suppliers such as Baystone, Hanstone, Casearstone, and Silestone, and they are set apart as a countertop provider by their swift turnaround times. According to Amy, they can they deliver within five days from the templating date, providing customers with a “streamlined process to have everything seamlessly completed through Zen Living, eliminating the need for multiple companies.”

Over the years, the company’s countertop offering has already undergone a notable evolution. For example, in addition to serving their retail customers, they have expanded their services to cater specifically to their multi-family clients.

“This strategic enhancement not only broadens our clientele but also plays a pivotal role in enhancing builder timelines,” Amy says. “By seamlessly integrating countertop solutions into both residential and multi-family projects, we contribute to a more efficient and streamlined construction process.”

“Furthermore, our commitment to providing exceptional value is evident in our extremely competitive pricing. We understand the importance of cost-effectiveness in both residential and multi-family projects, and we have positioned our pricing structure to align with industry standards while ensuring that our customers receive the best possible value for their investment. This evolution in our countertop offerings reflects our dedication to adapting to the changing needs of our clientele and continually enhancing the overall customer experience.”

Lastly, as part of their vision for expansion at every level of the company, Zen Living will be looking at launching another warehouse in eastern Canada. Their current warehouse in Calgary comprises about 100,000 square feet, and Amy projects their next warehouse will be a similar size:

“That will help us reduce timelines out east, which is very important to us,” she concludes. “That’s one of the reasons Zen Living has been so successful in Alberta, and we want to replicate that in the east. We want to be able to supply and service our clients out there with great products within strict timelines, just like we do here.”

For more on Zen Living, their wide range of cabinet products, their cabinet making process, and more on what sets their products and process apart – and to get in touch with their expert team, including Amy – visit https://www.zen-living.ca/For more on Cabinet Express specifically, including the latest news on their products promotions and exclusive offers, visit https://www.cabinetexpress.ca/