Frankfurt renovation.
Three wall constraints.
One continuous line.

The Schäfer family wanted warm tones, a quiet, continuous space, handle-free fronts — and an island three people could cook at. What the room imposed in return:

Three large folds.

• Ceiling beam with three columns. A 9 cm-deep beam drops below the ceiling, around 166 cm long, centred between columns W4 and W14. A third column W18 sits on the left wall. Industrial tall cabinets run frontally into the beam — jump in the top edge, filler panel, visible step. In front of every column, classically a filler box — the wall stays visibly folded.
• Narrow niche W11, bottom-right. A 78.8 × 17.6 cm shallow niche in the bottom-right corner. Too narrow for a standard cabinet — and too valuable to leave as a dead end.
• Stair pitch top-left. Between walls W1 and W2 a stair-pitch slope around 30 cm deep at a 45° cut pushes into the room from above. Standard tall cabinets collide with the slope — either they lose 30 cm of height, or the cabinet doesn't fit into the position at all.

Move 1 · Beam and tall-cabinet line | continuous birch-grey façade.

The tall-cabinet line sits with its top edge exactly 9 cm below the ceiling — flush with the beam. Two tall-cabinet panels stand side by side in the same plane: one conceals a column, the other is a fully usable cabinet. The wall cabinets join in, the whole produces one continuous birch-grey façade. Island and sink step forward as a smoked-walnut accent — no jump, no filler. From a viewing angle the eye doesn't notice the ceiling beam until the second look.

Move 2 · Appliance wall | one front, three solutions.

The appliance wall is given vertical channel grooves in the front material, which serve as the handle-free opening. Three tasks are solved in exactly one front plane: on the right the stair pitch disappears behind the tall pull-out larder cabinet, on the left a narrow cabinet conceals another column, and between them sit the refrigerator, steam oven and warming drawer with built-in freezer below — all flush in the line.

Move 3 · Niche W11 | open shelves with indirect lighting.

Instead of a dead-end cabinet with fitting panels: the 78.8 × 17.6 cm niche becomes an open shelf wall. Indirect LED lighting back-lights a ceramic rear panel. Every millimetre of depth visibly used — no volume wasted, no filler concealing.

Underneath the shelves, a T-shaped base cabinet — set into the floor plan like a Tetris piece. A drawer on the front; T-shaped insert shelves underneath, claiming the otherwise dead space behind the adjoining wall. A T-corpus, a drawer, and T-shaped insert shelves in one element — not available as a module.

What does an architect-designed kitchen cost in a Frankfurt renovation?

Premium architect-designed kitchens start at €14,999. The Schäfer renovation shown here came to €37,000 including all appliances (BORA downdraft hob, Quooker, steam oven, warming drawer), ceramic worktop and installation. The architect's planning work worth €5,000 is included in your first offer. The total depends on room size, front material and appliance package — you receive an honest assessment in the free initial consultation.

How does an in-existing-building renovation handle wall constraints, columns, and stair pitches?

Every plan begins with millimetre-precise 3D measurement. In this documented case there were three wall constraints: a ceiling beam with three columns, a 78.8 × 17.6 cm niche, a stair pitch 30 cm deep at a 45° cut. Each fold was solved architecturally, not concealed with filler panels. A cut list to the in-house CNC mill replaces the module grid — no standard cabinet, no filler strip.

How long does a kitchen renovation take, from measurement to installation?

From 3D measurement to finished installation typically 12 to 16 weeks. About 4 weeks for planning and order confirmation, 6 to 10 weeks for production (CNC mill, front fabrication, appliance delivery), and 1 to 2 weeks for installation and final acceptance. Renovations with drywall or screed work extend the timeline accordingly.

What is the difference between a custom-built kitchen and a modular kitchen for renovations?

Modular kitchens come in three or four standard widths. Where the room deviates from the module grid, 5 to 25 cm filler panels are inserted. Custom-built kitchens are cut to the millimetre from measurement data — 3 to 5 mm air gap to the wall, no fillers, no visible jumps at folds. More on this in the guide The Five Most Expensive Mistakes When Buying a Kitchen and in the detailed FAQ section.