@Playapixie have you considered a horizontal hive- another flow forum user @WillB has made a nice simple design for a horizontal hive incorporating regular and medium langstroth frames: Top Bar Hive Flow Forum Such a hive would be a dream to work on I think- everything at the ideal waist height- perfect for pixies- never have to lift a heavy box to look in one under it- and seemingly very easy to manage the hive size throughout the year.