CUBEX: the Belgian kitchen icon bridging heritage and contemporary innovation

CUBEX has been a symbol of Belgian design since 1930, when architect Louis Herman De Koninck created the first modular, fully equipped kitchen. Built from standardized 60 cm modules, his design impressed with its perfect balance of functionality and aesthetics. It was the first truly equipped kitchen: with integrated sinks, dedicated cabinets for tableware, utensils, and provisions, as well as space for the new household appliances of the time.

Between 1930 and 1965, the CUBEX kitchen found its way into thousands of Belgian homes, becoming one of the greatest commercial successes of interwar modernism.

In 2015, Xavier De Breucker and Nicolas Swinnen revived the brand, aiming to translate CUBEX’s heritage into a design for contemporary living. Today, CUBEX once again represents a unique blend of Art Deco heritage, modernist aesthetics, and contemporary innovation. At its heart lies the C30 line — a faithful reissue of the original design.

All CUBEX kitchens are handmade from noble materials and fully tailored to each project. They embody timeless, discreet, and exclusive luxury. The C30 line is expanding: after the kitchen, an exceptional wine cellar has been introduced, with plans for bathrooms and dressing rooms already on the horizon.

CUBEX today: between tradition and renewal

When De Breucker and Swinnen breathed new life into the brand, they did so with a clear ambition: to translate the heritage of CUBEX into today’s needs, positioning it firmly in the high-end, bespoke market.

The C30 is the emblem of this renaissance. It is a faithful reissue of the original design, enriched with modern functionality. Entirely handcrafted in exceptional materials such as solid brass, lacquered afzelia wood, enamelled lava stone, or granito, the result is a modern classic that combines luxury with timelessness and durability.

Key details have been preserved: the sculptural brass handle (exclusive to CUBEX since 1932), recessed click-system doors, afzelia wood interiors, and of course, full bespoke production. At the same time, today’s appliances are seamlessly integrated — from ovens to refrigerators, dishwashers to induction cooktops.

With the upcoming Art Deco celebrations in 2025–2026, including a major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, CUBEX confirms its status as a living reference at the crossroads of heritage, modernism, and contemporary luxury.

The Wine Cellar: a new chapter

With the CUBEX Wine Cellar, the brand pushes its boundaries into the broader art de vivre. This extension of the C30 combines refined bespoke materials with a technical feat: a state-of-the-art cooling system.

For lovers and collectors of grands crus, the wine cellar delivers both functional precision and an aesthetic statement. Capable of housing over 4,000 bottles, it brings together solid afzelia, deep lacquer finishes, fluid lines, and the iconic handles.

And this is only the beginning: bathrooms and dressing rooms are next, each designed in the same modernist and Art Deco spirit that makes CUBEX so unique.

Practical Information

Three remarkable realisations

Villa Kalmthout — Province of Antwerp

In this 1936 villa by architect Lauwers, the C30 kitchen creates an organic, flowing space.

@Mireille Roobaert@Mireille Roobaert@Mireille Roobaert

@Mireille Roobaert

Villa Westhinder — Knokke

A modernist masterpiece by Henry van de Velde (1931), now further enhanced by a contemporary CUBEX kitchen.

@alice Mesguich@alice Mesguich

@alice Mesguich@alice Mesguich

Villa Berteaux — Brussel

The former home of Louis Herman De Koninck himself, today the residence of CUBEX CEO Xavier De Breucker and his partner Manok Dedoncker.

@LeModerne

@LeModerne@LeModerne

The origins of the equipped kitchen

Although the Frankfurter Küche or the American kitchens of the 1950s are often cited as the birthplace of the modern kitchen, the idea of an equipped and modular kitchen originated in Belgium. Between 1927 and 1930, Louis Herman De Koninck developed a revolutionary concept: the kitchen as a rational space, built from standardized modules.

His design was presented at CIAM III in Brussels in 1930 and stood out for its fusion of functionality and aesthetics. It was the first truly equipped kitchen: with integrated sinks, dedicated cabinets for tableware, utensils, and provisions, and space for the new household appliances of the time.

From 1930 to 1965, the CUBEX kitchen entered thousands of Belgian homes, becoming one of the most significant commercial successes of interwar modernism. Thanks to entrepreneur Émile Jean Van de Ven, the system was industrialized and cleverly marketed — including collaborations with appliance manufacturers and architects.

About Louis Herman De Koninck

Louis Herman De Koninck (1896–1984) was a leading Belgian architect and designer, and the creator of the CUBEX kitchen — a symbol of modern domestic culture since the 1930s.

As a key figure of rational modernism, he embodied a vision where logic, clarity of form, and uncompromising functionality were central. Educated at the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts and influenced by Victor Horta, he developed an early interest in new techniques and industrial materials.

It was in this context that he designed his modular, standardized kitchen system — which became CUBEX. His work is imbued with minimalist elegance, architectural pragmatism, and exceptional technical precision.