Tips for Designing An Outdoor Kitchen
It’s time to say goodbye to the lone charcoal grill and traditional barbeques of yesterday. Turning a portion of your backyard space into an outdoor “room” is a rapidly growing trend in landscape and hardscape design alike, with the biggest focus being on the increasingly popular outdoor kitchen.
In fact, for many homeowners, the outdoor kitchen is growing in functionality and is becoming a main focal point in the backyard. Today, outdoor kitchens have essentially become an elaborate extension of a home’s indoor kitchen and much more sophisticated than a simple grill.
A wide range of options
Outdoor kitchens can be simple or as extravagant as any indoor kitchen. Most outdoor kitchens nowadays include a grill, a counter area for preparing food, as well as a dining area.
And by running gas, plumbing and electrical lines to your outdoor kitchen, you can enjoy the luxury of having access to a sink, refrigerator, wine coolers, additional appliances, lighting, and even a flat screen TV or sound system.
While a simple and straightforward outdoor kitchen can often be set up by a homeowner, designing a high-end, functional outdoor kitchen is best left to a professional contractor. With so many options in outdoor kitchen designs, creating the best kitchen for your family takes time to plan and may even require permitting.
Regardless of whether you hire a professional or not, here are several ideas and tips for designing your outdoor kitchen:
- Keep in mind, sufficient counter space for food preparation and serving is important, along with storage space.
- When it comes to furniture, choose durable, weather-friendly pieces with comfortable outdoor cushions. Choose the largest table you can for the space so you can use it as a dining table or buffet area.
- Weather can be a big factor when it comes to outdoor kitchens. Building a tall roof or pergola over your outdoor kitchen can allow you to enjoy cooking outdoors, even in rainy weather or extreme heat. You also can incorporate different forms of covering, such as a stone roof, or strategically placing patio umbrellas for coverage. Hot locations may also want an overhead fan or mist sprays.
- A small fountain or pond can lend a relaxing ambiance to your outdoor kitchen.
- Some outdoor kitchens are now being fitted with panel TVs, truly making the outdoor kitchen both the place to cook, eat, relax and entertain. Of special note: be sure electronics are properly installed out of the elements and away from heat. (Colder regions may want to install heat lamps, a fire pit or fireplace to warm up the area).
- Finally, outdoor lighting will help extend your time outside, and can offer safety for walkways, staircases and grilling areas. Some outdoor kitchen designers also incorporate lighting either under the countertops or above.
As you assess your needs and design your dream outdoor kitchen, you will find a lot of information online that can help.
Outdoor living spaces give you the perfect way to enjoy Arizona’s unique environment to the fullest. If your property doesn’t currently provide the outdoor living spaces you would like, Republic West Remodeling can help.