With over 100 years in the industry, Franke understands that a kitchen should be as unique and intuitive as you.
How does a brand go from humble beginnings in smalltown Switzerland, to a permanent fixture in the global sink market? Championing innovation and making sure everything it does is unique is just half the story.

Welcome to the wonderful kitchen world of Franke
Since the beginning, Franke‘s success has been based on innovative engineering, unique design, and outstanding Swiss quality. It all started in 1911, when Hermann Franke founded his own sheet metal business in the small Swiss town of Rorschach. In less than thirty years, what started out as a craftsman’s workshop evolved to become a stainless steel industrial pioneer.
Later on, this manufacturing expertise would lead to the first stainless steel sinks, which quickly became popular all over the world. By 1938, the company was mass-producing them, and a year later the business was inherited by Hermann’s son, Walter Franke.
What happened then was a steady evolution. Franke became widely recognised as one of the fathers of modern-day kitchen technology and a purveyor of good and tasteful design. But good taste was just the beginning…
Lifestyles, along with cooking routines have become increasingly flexible… Discover how to hang up your stovetop with Ordine!

The Swiss Army Knife of kitchens
Today, Franke understands the importance of intelligent design because designing products that are more intuitive gives them the edge in a highly competitive market. That’s why you’ll find smart features in nearly everything but especially the kitchen sink. Amazing new technology transforms kitchen faucets into hands-free sensored taps, whilst storage solutions transform countertops into state-of-the-art workstations.
On a mission to give the sink a rethink, Franke puts the user at the heart of its products. One of its latest innovations is the Culinary Center, featuring a double sink and packed with built-in features placing everyday tools at hand. Everything is smarter and faster – think of it as the Swiss Army knife of kitchens.
Further delighting customers with comprehensive designs is ‘Frames by Franke’, a modular system with 67 matching items, including sinks, hobs, ovens, cooker hoods and accessories. Designed in collaboration with Italian architectural firm Network of Architecture (NOA), this proposal lets users organise the kitchen according to their lifestyle.
Form follows function
For over a century, Franke has thrived on innovative engineering and outstanding design. Franke has always been a leader in design, following the natural evolution of the kitchen sector by adding hobs, ovens, hoods, mixer and boiling water taps, refrigerators and dishwashers. It also offers tailor-made solutions, wanting to make the kitchen as functional and as beautiful as possible.
At the core of the business is an avant-garde DNA that responds to different aesthetic and functional needs: Mythos, dedicated to those who prefer solutions that mix refined design, exclusive style and maximum precision; Maris, to give form to a highly organised and functional kitchen for the whole family; and Smart, with proposals in the name of simplicity of use.

Sustainable in every detail
Franke wants to be ahead in terms of sustainability, making it a main focus of the company. As well as using stainless steel, which is endlessly recyclable, Franke’s goal is to use as few resources as possible to protect the environment. It’s also committed to reducing its CO2 emissions, which for the past decade is a commitment they’ve fulfilled year on year.
Another way Franke tries to mitigate its environmental impact is with products designed to both manage and minimise wastage. After all, many people want to make their kitchens more eco-friendly, efficient and cost-effective to run. Touch-free taps like the Franke Atlas Neo Sensor can cut water wastage by up to 50% as they have an automatic 30-second dispense, which is ideal for handwashing or filling pans. You can also pre-set the water temperature on the touch-free activation to cut down on utility costs.

From humble beginnings to a global brand
Since Walter Franke initiated the company’s expansion in 1938, the company has grown to become a global powerhouse. Over a hundred years later, the Franke group comprises 70 companies worldwide in 40 countries. Franke group has over 9,000 employees across 5 continents.
Today, the Franke group consists of Franke Kitchen Systems, Faber Hoods & Cooking Systems, Franke Foodservice Systems, Franke Water Systems. Its latest division is Franke Home Solutions, which is dedicated to optimising the know-how acquired in food preparation in home cooking, dedicated to making the kitchen a wonderful place to be.
Eager to get inspired by the kitchen world? Don’t miss Very Simple Kitchen to take with you from lease to lease!

MOST READ DESIGN ARTICLES
- Meet the 10 most influential Product Designers of all time (so far)
They have affected the lives of millions with their inventions and designs...
- Transforming space into a lifestyle with YoDezeen
YoDezeen’s tour de force is a powerful tool used to aesthetically transfor...
- Alessi: 10 facts to frame 100 years of design history
Alessi counts almost 100 years in the business and a growing influence in...
- How TerraLiving is bringing nature to our spaces, one terrarium at a time
Founded by a team of scientists and designers, TerraLiving is spearheading...
- The U-Mask’s Bio Layer kills harmful bacteria for up to 200 hours
U-Mask’s Model 2 is the first biotech protective mask which not only block...
- Lukas Bazle is creating unique products through functionality and playful use
German designer Lukas Bazle is redefining everyday objects with his functi...
- Colosseum’s Roman architecture inspires the design of Arc minimal acoustic panels
Arc is a contemporary acoustic panel designed by the Spanish design studio...
- Design Icons – Jonathan Ive
Ease and simplicity of use are achieved by obsessing with details that are...
- Wood veneers glowing in the dark – Interview with Studio Vayehi
Tzuri Gottlieb and Katharina Brand in an exclusive interview reveal the in...
- The ‘oddly satisfying’ animations of Andreas Wannerstedt
Andreas Wannerstedt 3D artwork evokes a strangely hypnotizing feeling, mak...
Kieron is a freelance writer and Digital Consultant who doesn't consider himself a design lover but a user of design - which to him is more than enough. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Communications and Curation at Central Saint Martins and has since written for several design publications leading with an interest in the potential impact design could have on a better tomorrow.