Nikolay, some people think minimalist interiors are boring. Yet, they’re incredibly popular. Why do you think that is?

An interior can be boring if it’s limited to white furniture against white walls. Moreover, in such a sterile space, any accidentally left-behind item will immediately become visual distraction. But the key characteristic of a Scandinavian interior isn’t perfect cleanliness and emptiness, but simplicity and tranquility. Furniture in such an interior shouldn’t overwhelm the room. Its purpose is to serve as a backdrop for brighter, more personal items: dishes, decor, books—life.

Kitchens without upper cabinets are in high demand these days. What other unconventional solutions do you personally like??

Kitchens without upper cabinets visually unclutter the interior. They’re also typically less expensive, requiring fewer materials and fittings. However, this solution isn’t suitable for every space, as the lack of upper cabinets requires other storage options. Personally, I like the idea of combining all the main storage into a single wall of tall tall cabinets, leaving only a lower base and perhaps an open shelf for decorative items.

Another trend in recent years is tall cabinets with tilt-and-slide fronts. When open, they’re positioned within the frame, providing access to the work area or appliances, while when closed, the kitchen looks like a seamless, monolithic wall. At Nordic Kitchens , we offer these systems as ready-made standard solutions, so we can sell them at a reasonable (relative to the market) price.

Many international suppliers have now suspended deliveries to Russia. How are you getting out of this situation?

The products haven’t disappeared completely, but the supply channels have changed. We purchase the necessary items through trusted importers, build up stock, and simultaneously test high-quality alternatives.

If we talk about the lower price limit for high-quality furniture, what amount are we talking about? There are currently offers for 400,000 rubles and 1.5 million—and yet they seem identical.

A kitchen for 400,000 rubles and a kitchen for 1.5 million can indeed look virtually identical. For example, one could be made of natural veneer, while the other could be made of high-quality imitation veneer. Visually, they will be very close, but the difference in price can be significant. And not every customer cares about overpaying for the naturalness of the material.

In general, the furniture market is quite objective. Price depends on materials, fittings, contents, quality of production, and the complexity of its technological development. Therefore, a kitchen for 1.5 million is not necessarily overpriced. Perhaps it simply uses solutions that aren’t needed by everyone.

We managed to maintain an affordable price not by skimping on quality, but by standardizing. We developed and verified all the main modules and technical components in detail in advance, so we don’t include the cost of designing furniture from scratch in every order. It’s important to correctly determine where we can cut corners without significantly compromising quality, and where we shouldn’t. You can choose a more affordable finish or standard sizes, but don’t skimp on structural reliability, quality workmanship, fittings, and assembly.

Tell us about the company’s achievements that you are particularly proud of.

First, we made choosing a kitchen truly simple. We created a system of ready-made design solutions that makes it easy for clients to choose and virtually impossible to make a mistake. All colors, textures, and collections of Nordic Kitchens are pre-designed and coordinate with each other. Essentially, we’ve already done the most difficult design work for the client; all they have to do is choose what suits them best.

We’ve also managed to create a recognizable and distinctive product. The paradox of the custom kitchen market is that most of them end up looking the same. Our kitchens stand out from the crowd with their design, captivating style, and easy to remember.

And thirdly, thanks to standardization, we have been able to make good design quite accessible. Pre-developed solutions simplify the selection, design, and production, which means we can reduce costs without sacrificing quality.

This system allows us to work with customers across the country. Although our showrooms and official representative offices are currently located only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, our furniture is ordered from across Russia. We organize delivery through transport companies to almost any point in the country.