By Donna Heiderstadt
An informative discussion about the top features of European kitchen furniture — including modular design and eco-friendliness — took place at KBIS 2025 on Feb. 25 as part of the Native Trails-sponsored Sustainability track at NEXTStage. The session, titled European Kitchen Furniture – Ecodesign for Sustainable Products: What It Is, Why It Matters and How It’s Different, was moderated by Ken Busch, Publisher of Material Intelligence, and featured four panelists: Jeremy Parcels, Principal Designer at Lakewood, CO-based Parcels Design Studio, LLC; Alina Selbach, Head of Business for TUV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH; Dwayne Lusk, Principal of Lancaster, TX-based Kitchen Logistics; and Jan Kurth, CEO of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM). Here are some highlights of the discussion.
Where It All Began and Where & How It’s Made
As moderator, Busch kicked off the discussion by noting that as a journalist covering the industry in the 1980s he remembers asking whether the European kitchen would ever come to America. “Forty years later, it’s almost a reality,” he noted. Then he introduced Kurth, who offered a primer on the origins of German kitchen design, showing images of the “efficiently organized” circa-1926 Frankfurter Küche, the first handle-less kitchen cabinetry of the 1960s, and the sleek, modern European kitchen that is the center of the home.
Kurth said the kitchen industry in Europe totals $20 billion euros, with kitchen production by country dominated by Germany (40 percent) and Italy (21 percent), with Spain, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, and Belgium all in the 2-to-7-percent range.
He said the kitchen industry in Europe is highly data-driven and circular, with both retail and direct-to-consumer distribution and a focus on refurbishment/remanufacturing that involves upcycling, upgrading, and reusing.
The industry uses sophisticated robotics and machinery for high-volume, efficient production that maintains a high quality standard. There is a “digital product passport” that follows every product through the process. That quality, Kurth said, also extends to installation.
As far as sustainability, manufacturers source wood from sustainable forests and make products designed to be long-lasting.
Busch added that since “ecodesign” was in the session’s title, he wanted to point out that wood is 50 percent naturally captured carbon. He said the eco-focus of European manufacturing process also ties to the issue of indoor air quality, a rising concern for wellness focused consumers.
Quality Control and Modular Design
Selbach joined the conversation to discuss her company’s role more than 150-year history in ensuring that consumer products meet the standard for quality and safety. She said that TUV Rheinland LGA Products works with manufacturers in developing product and testing components “We start ensuring the safety and quality of products during sourcing and production,” she explained.
Lusk began his remarks by explaining that he started his company to bring European kitchens to the U.S., specifically to Texas , and Parcels noted that he has been designing with European kitchen furniture for the past 16 years.
A key element of these products’ appeal, moderator Busch noted, is their modular design that is very systematic for efficiency — cabinets are easy to design, install, use, and uninstall.
Selbach added that with the expansion of the ecodesign movement, manufacturers are also incorporating repairable hinges. When something breaks, she says, “consumers don’t throw it away because they can repair it instead with replacement parts.” She said that manufacturers are coming to her in the design and testing phase for evaluation of new products and their parts for durability and safety.
For Lusk, the appeal of European kitchen furniture/cabinetry is that the products are “very systematic and very well thought out.” This results in cabinets that are easy to install and easy to update functionality wise, he said.
Kurth added that these cabinets’ modular design with fixed dimensions and quality construction make it “easy to replace specific components without having to change the whole kitchen.”
Parcels concurred, noting that the cabinets he works with feature detachable fronts. “It’s easy to update the look without having to replace every single box,” he said. Parcels also cited the fact that lower cabinets feature adjustable legs, which can accommodate different heights. “These are products that improve the quality of home life through function.”
Moderator Busch wrapped up the session by lauding European kitchen furniture manufacturers for offering “sustainable systems in products that are stream-lined and energy efficient.”
