As the temperature rises during the spring and summer months, so does our intrinsic urge to spend more time outside. The great outdoors might place an emphasis on Mother Nature’s bountiful beauty—be it idyllic landscapes or a gorgeous garden—but there’s plenty of room for marvelous, manmade design. Offering a new spin on indoor-outdoor living is eggersmann and CUBIC Outdoor Living’s inaugural collection of al fresco kitchens, which debuted earlier this year at the 2024 Kitchen & Bath Show in Las Vegas.
The two brands were destined to join forces on a collection—and not just because they are both German, family-owned companies. Rather, both businesses offered a unique skillset to transform a fashionable yet functional outdoor kitchen from a design dream into a reality. While CUBIC Outdoor Living understands outdoor essentials on a cellular level, eggersmann has been revered as the premier custom cabinetry company since its founding in 1908.
“A high-quality and well-planned kitchen can be used for much more than just barbecuing,” adds Michael Müller, CEO of CUBIC Outdoor Living. “We are therefore even more pleased to have found eggersmann, an experienced partner in kitchen furniture manufacturing, who knows all about importing our sustainable products and is just as in love with detail as we are.”
For Evan Soltoff, vice president of operations at eggersmann USA, the feelings are mutual. He explains: “We wouldn’t be able to have a partnership if it wasn’t for them, and they without us.”
Aptly named OUTDOOR LIVING, the collaboration’s unique kitchen in a cupboard, bar in a cupboard and kitchen in a table are available in four sub-collections to cater to a range of styles and spaces: C1, C2, C3, and C4. While the lamello wood slats and cubic materials seen in C1 offers a relaxed refinement, Soltoff says the vertical or horizontal grooving of C4 creates “a transitional product.” “C2 is more of a free-standing look,” he adds. “It’s great for a sideboard, console, or a kitchen in a cupboard.” Fortunately, eggersmann’s emphasis on customization can be applied to the great outdoors, too. “We can integrate sinks, dishwashers and even outdoor-rated appliances you normally wouldn’t think to put outside,” Soltoff adds.
But while OUTDOOR LIVING is designed to complement Mother Nature in all her glory, resilient materials and details give this collection its staying power. At the core of this collection is FSC-certified wood that’s also waterproof and eco-friendly. Meanwhile, the water-based paints used throughout will also hold its own against the elements.
And in some circumstances, such as the C3 collection, a durable, weather-resistant porcelain is used. “The porcelain allows us to cook on it without any worry about being impacted by UV [rays], which is probably the worst when it comes to deteriorating any product,” Soltoff explains. “The porcelain is resilient to all these different [environmental factors].” Speaking of features that stylishly combat the elements, each of the collection’s drawers features gaskets to protect its contents from moisture, snow, dust, wind debris, and pests.
The result? A resistant, revered space with a unique design point of view. “With our natural materials and characteristic design, we want to take the outdoor kitchen to the next level,” Müller adds. “This type of outdoor kitchen does not yet exist in the United States.” Mission accomplished.
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