Our Company

Rivendell provides complete woodworking solutions for your home and business. As a one-stop shop, we offer superior services for every stage of your project. Whether you’re starting with design or finishing off with installation, our inspired team of experienced professionals can take your vision from concept to complete.

We specialize in high-end residential custom cabinetry and millwork, including kitchens, baths, home offices and game rooms, as well as media cabinets, bookcases, paneling and moldings. We both build and install our creations, working closely with owners, designers, architects, and contractors to create spaces that turn houses into exquisite homes.

Family owned and operated for over 40 years, Rivendell has built a trusted reputation based on the quality and integrity of our work. Kanda Alahan began the business in 1975, initially crafting delightful toys and fine furniture out of his home, where his sons served as rocking horse test pilots. By the early 80s, he had moved into a commercial space and shifted his focus to custom cabinetry.

In the following decades he was joined by his sons, Nandi, Jeremy and Kendiah, who have since become incorporated owners of the company. Kanda has credited his sons with “being the driving force behind the growth of the business.” Together, they’ve expanded their wood services and created unique products. They may be long retired from the imaginary cavalry, but their children still ride the same wooden steeds.

Rivendell’s work has been featured in books, such as Trends Perfect Kitchens and Great Kitchens, and periodicals, including Sunset and San Francisco Chronicle Magazine. We’re longstanding members of The Professional Trade Association for Cabinet Makers and Custom Wood Workers (CMA) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). We’re part of the PureBond Fabricator Network, a partnership of businesses using sustainable, formaldehyde-free wood products, and have attended Build It Green meetings as part of our continued commitment to environmentally friendly products and procedures.

Our Founder – Kanda Alahan

Kanda Alahan studied at Sonoma State University, the University of Southern California and the University of Vienna, Austria. After graduating from college, he discovered his wasn’t into working for someone else. He wanted to channel his creative energy into self-employment, so his woodworking hobby became a business and Rivendell was born.

He started selling toys inspired by his sons directly to customers at California craft shows and then at boutiques throughout the country. Within a few years, Kanda realized he wouldn’t be able to make a reasonable living as a

toy vender, so he expanded into custom cabinetry.
His first kitchen was in a house built by his brother. His one-man company continued to grow, and when his sons were old enough, he welcomed them into what has become the family business.

For the past 14 years, Kanda has developed his personal speaking and leadership skills as a member of Toastmasters International. He also belongs to Business Network International (BNI), where he supports other professionals in the local community.

In his free time, Kanda enjoys reading about history, geography and current events, hosting family gatherings with his grandchildren and traveling with his wife, Kamala, in their RV. He’s an accomplished home brewer as well, with his own special beer… the “Rivend-Ale!”

Our Owners

Nandi Evje

Although Nandi has been working with wood for more than 30 years, he now spends more time with people than product. His experience building in the shop, drafting in the office and installing in the field make him a perfect project manager. Part of his job is to act as the client’s liaison. He enjoys discovering what will make the customer happy and then working with his team to make it happen.

A graduate of U.C. Berkeley with an Arts degree, Nandi uses his knowledge of both aesthetics and the woodworking industry to combine form and function in Rivendell’s designs. He also studied AutoCAD at Diablo Valley College to incorporate the architectural element. He loves the challenge of creative engineering.

Nandi paints and draws for pleasure, but his primary medium is sculpting. He sculpts weekly with a group at Pixar, where he has had the opportunity to meet amazing artists. He’s a proud husband and father who likes to hike and camp with his family. They recently took up indoor rock climbing with the goal of taking that into the outside world as well.

Jeremy Evje

A master craftsman with over 20 years of experience in the woodworking industry, Jeremy currently spends most of his day drafting and engineering in the office. However, as the former shop foreman, he’s still hands on with some of the more complex custom projects.

Jeremy has prioritized education, integration and modernization in Rivendell’s development. After studying architecture at Diablo Valley College, he became a Certified AutoCAD Associate in 2012. Inspired by an instructor, he also learned 3D modeling and rigging, which can be used to create virtual prototypes and presentations. Jeremy has attended workshops in Southern California, Las Vegas and Colorado to run the company’s CNC router… technology he investigated and advocated for.

Jeremy’s most challenging build isn’t for a client though, it’s a guitar for himself. He started playing at 13 and hasn’t stopped since. His discipline is classical, jazz and metal music. Jeremy enjoys spending time with his wife and talented young daughter, who inherited many of his artistic abilities. He plans on teaching her how to draw and play guitar too!

Kendiah Alahan

After graduating from high school, Kendiah started working at Rivendell as an apprentice. He learned quickly under his older brother’s tutelage and diligently worked his way up to becoming shop foreman himself.

Kendiah attended Diablo Valley College, where he took a course in AutoCAD. Along with on-the-job training, this taught him how to assist with drafting and engineering projects. He now splits his time between the shop and the office.

Creating and building is an exciting and satisfying process that Kendiah feels fortunate to facilitate. He loves how custom woodworking begins with a board and ends with something beautiful. Each experience leaves him eager for the next.

Kendiah is a competitive person and enjoys a good challenge. He plays basketball and online games, often besting his opponents as part of a team. He also tests his strength and stamina with activities like weight lifting and indoor rock climbing. Here he contends with own accomplishments, pushing to make progress. One of his biggest goals in life is to strive for constant improvement, both inside and outside of his work at Rivendell.