HIGH POINT, N.C. — Last fall, the Montreal-based outdoor kitchen specialist made its High Point Market debut in the NKBA/KBIS exhibition space in Broad Hall, and the brand returned this spring after a successful first showing. Co-founder Ryan Bloom said that the company made the decision to show in High Point because it would connect them to the right clientele for their high-end outdoor kitchens — interior designers.
“We really want to be where the most progressive design community members are,” he said. “We don’t do traditional advertising — the overwhelming majority of our connection to what the industry wants comes from design professionals. They are the eyes, ears and wallet of the homeowners, and they are telling us what we need to do to stay ahead.”
Urban Bonfire began more than a decade ago as a small outdoor kitchen appliance retail store in Montreal, founded with the idea of being the “Williams-Sonoma of the outdoors.” Approaching the burgeoning outdoor kitchen market with a modern, high-end look focused on creating exterior cooking environments that mirrored the style and functionality of their indoor counterparts, Urban Bonfire quickly grew to include custom cabinetry design.
Today, the brand is known for its sleek, durable outdoor kitchen units designed to enhance exterior spaces and work in harmony with high-end cooking appliances and accessories.
“Our cabinetry without partners like Caliber and True and Dekton by Consentino, it’s like a great car without tires — you’re not going to move anywhere,” Bloom said.
This market, Urban Bonfire introduced two new outdoor kitchen units, one created in partnership with Consentino and the other with True Caliber. The Urban Bonfire x Dekton collection pairs the Montreal company’s marine-grade aluminum cabinetry with Dekton Ukiyo, a fluted surface developed with designer Claudia Afshar, and Dekton Slim, a high-performance countertop material designed to withstand the elements.
The Urban Bonfire x True Caliber collection offers kitchen layouts designed for social cooking and shared experiences. Three cabinetry layouts center around the Rockwell Social Grill, which features a “disappearing” lid that enables a 360-degree cooking and socializing experience similar to what homeowners enjoy in their indoor kitchens.
“We want to provide homeowners and designers with the same type of experience that they’re used to in the indoor world,” Bloom said. “But we’re doing that with materials that are going to last outdoors.”
That experience includes customization. Urban Bonfire’s cabinetry offers a wide range of options for functionality that allow clients to create a kitchen that fits their needs and budgets.
“Our ideology is to meet the client where they are,” he said. “If you want to go with a Kalamazoo grill, the highest performance, we can do that. If you want something more simple, we can do that.”
Bloom said that he has seen a significant shift in the way designers and homeowners approach outdoor spaces in the years since he founded Urban Bonfire. And he said that demand for more fully realized exterior rooms not only benefits designers and outdoor brands, but also the homeowners themselves.
“Clients and design professionals are seeing greater priority in outdoor spaces — it’s less of an afterthought and more intentional, whether it’s new construction or a remodel,” he said. “It’s the best return on investment in a home for what you get.”
