Our Story
Three generations of the same family, the same trade, and the same promise to clients.
First Generation
Apel Apelian
Founder, Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon
Apel started building furniture and cabinets by hand as a teenager, learning the trade from his own father. His work earned him a loyal following, and by 25 he had saved enough to open his own shop. Clients knew that if Apel gave his word, the work would be ready exactly when he said.
Second Generation
Kevork Apelian
Founded Kitchen By Design in 2019
Kevork grew up learning the trade at his father's side and took over the family shop in 2002. The following year, he and his family moved to the United States and started over from the ground up, eventually building Kitchen By Design into a trusted Pasadena remodeler.
Third Generation
Apel Alex Apelian
Leading Kitchen By Design today
Alex grew up around the family shop and went on to earn a business degree from Cal State LA. After earning his contractor's license, he joined Kitchen By Design full-time, carrying the family's craftsmanship into its third generation.
In 2021, Kitchen By Design opened its showroom in Pasadena, a place for the same hands-on, one-team approach that has defined the family's work across three generations. Today, third-generation owner Alex Apelian leads Kitchen By Design, continuing the standards his father and grandfather set: careful craftsmanship, and a promise kept.