The company that introduced the handle-free kitchen in 1960 is ready for a rebound from the recession.

And it’s got the goods to prove it.

Its SieMatic 3003 kitchen is an exercise in sleek, minimalist design – but one that mingles Steam Punk and French Industrial influences with modern antecedents.

“We want to contribute something,” says Hans Henkes, president and CEO of SieMatic Mobelwerke USA. “It’s like Le Corbusier and Richard Meier pushing the envelope in their time, with the use of materials and light for an enrichment of the environment.”

The 3003 offers architects and designers a toolbox of parts to create kitchens that merge the modern aesthetic with flexible functionality.

“It’s a handle-free kitchen, so when you’re working at an island or sink, the handles are not jabbing into your sides,” he says. “But it’s still utilitarian, with an easy open and soft close that has its benefits.”

In the 3003 toolbox are everything from finishes to cabinet height and width. Even handles are included. In its spec book, designers will find options and advice.

“It’s about how you as designer want to treat it, from an aesthetic or functional point of view,” he says. “It’s like: here are the components and here are the restrictions. We give the designer as much freedom as possible.”

A variety of 3003 finishes are a testament to that commitment. There’s a matte lacquer in 15 different colors, from white to truffle gray to black. There’s nickel, with a gold/bronze finish and a matte black and graphic gray. And there’s a wood veneer in natural oak, walnut and a matte black veneer.

“There are all kinds of possibilities,” he says. “Because there are so many options, we give advice but we don’t dictate.”

Henkes is setting his sights on rapidly growing real estate projects around the globe – from Jersey City to Hamburg to Rotterdam and even on the Yangtze River.

“We’re forging a path in design,” he says.

And in the process, they’re making the world a more modern place.

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