The outdoor furniture sector has expanded at an incredible pace, especially over the last two decades. One of the protagonists of this evolution is Talenti, an Umbria-based brand that together with a roster of international designers offers aesthetically refined solutions of the highest quality, on a par with the furnishings of the most elegant interiors.
A recent example is the Tikal Wood kitchen, the new version of the Tikal outdoor kitchen line by the green architect and designer based in Belluno, Nicola De Pellegrini. A family of products that has been expanded, in the 2022 catalogue, to include hinged doors in accoya wood with a natural teak stain.
“Together with Talenti, we thought about how to create something unique on the market – De Pellegrini explains. – We began by overlaying monolithic elements, paying close attention to the modular design. This process led to the formulation of a worktop that extends to become a completely cantilevered table, supported by the body of the kitchen.”
The collection, with its rigorous, rational lines, is inspired by the majesty of Mesoamerican religious architecture, featuring metal structures in zinc-magnesium, stainless steel and aluminium, with a special coating to stand up to high temperatures.
“We wanted an object that would be separated from the ground, solid and light at the same time, without a ‘front and back,’ but with a combination of 5 ‘architectural’ elevations. This can be seen above all in a zenithal view, an abstract, perfectly geometric design where the joints between the elements become a distinctive graphic sign,” the designer adds.
Tikal began as a kitchen system, a program that has expanded in 2021 and 2022 to include accessories, storage cabinets and pantries, with the possibility of inserting two modules with a corner base, and two shelves measuring 120×190 and 80×190 cm.
The tops are formed by large stoneware slabs with an evocative concrete effect, giving rise to a composition in which the purity of the design is harmoniously mixed with the sturdiness of the material, as well as performance at the highest levels.
“Tikal thus becomes a unit that allows you not only to cook, but also to live in an outdoor setting, as a moment of gathering and socializing. The surfaces become counters, and at the same time can be used for dining together,” Nicola De Pellegrini concludes.
With Tikal Wood, Talenti foreshadows a trend that promises to gain strength in the next few years, namely that of shifting food preparation activities outdoors, for increased enjoyment of spaces in contact with nature, thanks to elegant kitchens with professional performance, made in technical materials that stand up to weathering and wear.
