YGK Kitchen + Design

A 2013 reviewer who put a German kitchen into a Boston high-rise apartment described Carsten Richner as "capable of using every inch of available space" — which is close to the whole pitch at YGK Kitchen + Design. The Newton company, legally Your German Kitchen, Inc. and still known by that name on Houzz, works out of 308 Walnut Street in Newtonville and sells German-made cabinetry planned as a whole kitchen. Its BBB profile names Richner as president and customer contact, lists two employees, and carries an A+ grade. Its own site describes custom kitchens, bathrooms, closets and appliances plus an online planning-and-quote tool, and names Newton, Waltham, Wellesley and Sharon among the towns it serves. Houzz lists custom cabinets, bathroom vanities, built-ins, pantries and walk-in closets among the work, 20 project galleries, and showroom space inside Cabot House Furniture in Framingham, Weymouth and Burlington. Angi's listing says veteran owned and operated. Its written reviews — 12 on Houzz averaging 4.8 stars, running from 2013 to 2018 — include several from people who work in design themselves. An architect writing in 2016 said they are "a bit picky" but that working with Carsten and Sven exceeded their expectations; a 2013 reviewer who designs kitchens and baths professionally singled out the staff's attention to detail and ability to listen; a 2017 reviewer who brought in a client's project called the team "extremely meticulous" and said they stand behind their product. In a 2018 review, a repeat customer wrote "This is my third kitchen with YGK" and that "my clients and I have been extremely happy" with the process and results. Another reviewer, writing in May 2018, described a total redo of a small kitchen that came back with much greater storage than the previous arrangement, and said service afterward, when it was needed, held up. Two things to pin down before signing. A 2016 reviewer rated the job 4 stars and noted complications with snowstorms and deliveries, so ask what the lead time is on imported cabinetry and what happens when a delivery slips. And Angi's profile lists free estimates but no warranties, while that 2017 reviewer credited the company with standing behind its product — get the after-sale terms in writing. If you want a contemporary European kitchen — the look a 2014 reviewer said was difficult to find at a local cabinet showroom or at Home Depot and Lowe's — this is a small, design-led shop built for that. Confirm the delivery schedule and the warranty language up front, and expect to deal with Richner directly.