Outdoor kitchen specialist KönigOutdoor has opened a new showroom at the Sky House Design Centre in Amersham.
KönigOutdoor is part of British stone fabricator Königstone and its outdoor kitchens were first unveiled at the kbb show in Birmingham last year.
Although the company has a showroom at its Market Harborough base in Leicestershire, the new facility in Amersham is intended to provide the opportunity for its southern retailers, architects and garden and interior designers to bring their customers to view the options on offer and the variety of sintered stone finishes available.
The indoor display features three different outdoor kitchen designs that show an array of the various configurations, including handleless doors and drawers, a corner unit for a Kamado Joe grill and a bar-style seating area with granite worktop and cedar circular support. There will also be a fully working outdoor display.
KönigOutdoor can supply retailers with a selection of outdoor appliances from brands such as Fulgor, Kamado Joe, Blastcool, Vitrifrigo, Alfa Forni and Barazza.
The KönigOutdoor range is designed as a proper fitted-style kitchen, not a collection of separate units, with materials that will withstand all the UK weather can throw at them. They feature the company’s sintered stone worktops and surfaces, which it says are non-porous and resistant to scratches, heat, cold, mould, bacteria and the effects of UV exposure.
There are standard-sized units, but the company can also provide tailor-made, bespoke cabinetry to suit individual clients’ needs. Each kitchen is made to order in the UK and can be designed to accept mains gas, water and electrical services.
Commenting on the new showroom, Königstone managing director James Bull said: “I think it is really important to have somewhere you can do proper demonstrations, because people, when they want an outdoor kitchen, particularly at the luxury end of the market, have a very clear idea about the kind of cooking they want to do. Having somewhere where you can show them different possibilities makes selling it easier.”
Many retailers are daunted by outdoor kitchens, so KönigOutdoor will help them with information and training on the various brands of outdoor appliances they sell, as well as providing a full design and installation service.
As Bull explained: “We offer a full white-glove service. Installing an outdoor kitchen is not as difficult as some may think, but it is not without its challenges, so we can we supply retailers with guides and we try to make it as smooth and easy for retailers as possible.”
Bull explained that the outdoor kitchen market is taking off: “The pandemic accelerated the outdoor living mind-set and in the luxury end of the market expectations of outdoor kitchens changed and that market is growing. Quite frankly the kitchen market needs a growth area at the moment.”
Displaying outdoor kitchens can be difficult when space is limited and Bull has some advice for retailers not sure how to proceed. He said: “If they have an outdoor space, that is best. But we have seen people come up with some really good solutions, using astro-turf, cedar panelling and murals on walls. Where some, I think, make a mistake is that they try to have it as part of their regular displays. If you want to go for this market, you have to commit to the space. We have had people convert their whole basement for outdoor living and they are a lot more successful than those who put something in a corner. You need to paint a very clear picture for people about what they are looking at. You can use murals on the wall.”