The black frame sits above the hob like a measured line, holding light, ventilation, and storage in one steel structure. Designed in 3D together with the client, the custom steel kitchen rack was shaped around the cooking zone from the start, so the recessed spots and the integrated extractor element could be placed without interrupting the geometry. Open shelves keep bottles and kitchen tools within reach, while the dark steel gives the wall above the cooker a clear outline.

A rack built around the cooking zone

The first thing you read is the frame. It spans the cooking area with straight edges and open bays, leaving the lower zone visible instead of enclosing it. That makes the rack feel like part of the kitchen’s working surface, not an added cabinet. The recessed spots are set into the lower section, so the light lands directly where pans, handles, and the hob need it most. From below, the installation stays compact and controlled.

Because the extractor element is built into the composition, the rack does more than store objects. It also organizes the space above the hob. The opening under the frame leaves room for the cooking zone, while the darker interior keeps the technical parts visually restrained. Seen from the room, the structure becomes a clear horizontal band rather than a cluster of separate devices. That is what gives the custom steel kitchen rack its presence.

Recessed spots placed into the lower rail

The lighting is not added on as an afterthought. The recessed spots sit in the lower part of the rack, aligned with the steel members so the underside stays calm. Their position brings a precise pool of light to the work area and shows the advantage of designing the rack as one element instead of combining loose components later. The result is easy to read in the image: a black steel bar, openings for the spots, and the cooking surface below.

In the detail views, the structure becomes more technical. Haunched corners, open sparings, and the matte finish of the steel tube give the frame a crisp outline. The custom steel kitchen rack is made from 20×20 mm steel tube and laser-cut sheet metal, which keeps the profile slender while still giving enough body for the shelves and built-in elements. The RAL 9005 fine texture finish absorbs light instead of reflecting it, so the lines stay sharp.

Materials and finish

The material palette is limited, and that restraint works to the rack’s advantage. 20×20 mm steel tube forms the structure, while laser-cut sheet metal shapes the panels and shelf parts. The black RAL 9005 fine texture coating pulls the different pieces together and gives the frame a matte surface that reads clearly against the lighter kitchen around it. It is the sort of finish that lets the construction speak first.

From one angle, the rack frames the hob and the dark recess behind it. From another, it becomes a shelving system with open fronts and thin metal edges. Bottles and cooking tools sit openly on the shelves, so the storage remains visible and easy to use. The open steel shelving above hob keeps the composition light, even though the rack also carries lighting and an integrated ventilation/hood element. Nothing feels crowded because each function has its own place in the frame.

Steel lines, open shelves, and a dark niche

The niche inside the rack is finished in a darker tone, which pushes the contents back and makes the steel edges stand out. That contrast is subtle, but it changes how the rack reads in the room. The shelves are not deep or bulky; they are defined by thin rails and continuous borders, which is enough to hold objects without closing off the wall. In the photos, the dark back panel and the geometric steel outline create a clear rhythm above the cooktop.

There is also a practical side to that openness. Tools can be placed where they are used, and the visible shelving avoids the stop-start movement that closed cupboards often create around a hob. The custom steel kitchen rack keeps frequently used items close, while the integrated extractor setup and the recessed spots remain visually folded into the same structure. The eye sees one composed piece; the hand finds several functions.

Made to be read from the room

What makes this rack stand out is the way it shapes the space above the cooker without taking over the kitchen. The black steel draws a clean line across the wall, then opens up into shelves and technical recesses. In the wider view, the rack acts as a focal point above the hob area, especially against the lighter finishes around it. In the close-ups, the connections, edges, and openings show how the frame was built to hold both use and alignment.

The 3D design process with the client is visible in that precision. The lighting sits where it should, the integrated extractor element is accommodated inside the structure, and the shelves remain usable rather than symbolic. This is a custom steel kitchen rack that uses its material honestly: tube for structure, sheet metal for shaped parts, and a fine-textured black coat to keep the form legible. It is a compact piece of kitchen architecture, built to work above the hob and to stay clear in view.

Open shelving, fitted lighting, and the dark steel frame give the whole composition its practical edge. Cookware, bottles, and small utensils can stay out on display, while the rack keeps the kitchen wall organized around the cooking zone. The result is not decorative for its own sake. It is a steel structure that collects light, ventilation, and storage in one place, then leaves enough space around them for the room to breathe.