John McDonald turned from screenplays to cabinetmaking, opening a custom cabinet shop in Duarte, California. But it was his venture selling high end cabinetry doors matched precisely to IKEA's catalog that made him a star. Listen as the founder of Semihandmade tells his story March 22 in the lead off to Cabinets & Closets 2016 Expo and Conference, in Pasadena, California March 22-24.  To see McDonald in person, register for the Conference at Cabinets & Closets 2016.

Semihandmade's high-end replacement doors for IKEA cabinets catapulted the firm to the Inc 500 list of fastest-growing privately owned U.S. companies. Semihandmade ranked No. 489 overall, and showed almost 1000% growth from 2011 to 2014.

ARTICLE Semihandmade Debuts Custom Ikea Doors at KBIS 2015 Semihandmade offers custom doors that fit IKEA kitchens, bathrooms, closets and media cabinets. The thirty-plus finishes include everything from sequence-cut veneers to bamboo and even reclaimed lumber.

Started in 2010, the Duarte, CA-based manufacturer has grown from sole proprietor status to now forty employees spread over 14,000 square feet of production space and three Southern California showrooms.

Doors for over 1,500 IKEA projects will ship this year alone in every style from paintable MDF and textured melamine, to high-gloss colors and sequence-matched veneers. Premium handmade offerings include collaborations with cutting-edge companies like Mirth Studio (floor tiles), Art of Board (recycled skateboards) and Stikwood (reclaimed lumber).