How To Plan A Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen
Have you been planning an outdoor kitchen but need to know how to plan a fabulous outdoor kitchen? In this post, we’ll help you get a jump start by showing you some outdoor kitchens and what to consider. There are so many amenities available these days that the process may involve more than you think! There’s plenty to consider and we’ll guide you every step of the way. To get you jump started, here are some things to think about.
How To Plan a Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen: Location
The location for your outdoor kitchen may have many factors affecting it. These include areas you’ll want it to be convenient to — your indoor kitchen, an outdoor dining area, a pool, a lounge or perhaps a fire pit. Many homeowners love the ease of having a door to the kitchen right off an outdoor kitchen area for ease of carrying things like food, plates and glassware outside.
Another factor may be the lonely grillmeister. The person in charge of the grill may be suffering from FOMO while working hard on everyone’s kabobs! Some homeowners like to do a bar or counter with seating setup much like a kitchen island outdoors in order to keep the grillmeister company.
It’s also nice to be able to serve an al fresco dining area with ease from the outdoor kitchen. And if you have an outdoor lounging area, you may want to keep that close as well. Outdoor kitchens can incorporate an outdoor bar where you’ll mix up and serve drinks. So you may want to keep the outdoor kitchen close to the outdoor lounge.
We’re lucky here in Georgia, as our mild climate allows us to use an outdoor kitchen through almost the entire year. And we’ve found that the pandemic shutdown inspired many homeowners to make the most of their outdoor living areas. For example, this pavilion is across the yard from all the aforementioned areas. But it has everything they need within the pavilion’s fabulous outdoor kitchen.
When planning its spot, think about how inclement weather will affect using your outdoor kitchen. In terms of thinking about the colder and warmer months, we can help you plan for ceiling fans and/or outdoor heaters in the surrounding areas.
How To Plan a Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen: Elements
Here’s a list of outdoor elements you may want when thinking about how to plan a fabulous outdoor kitchen:
- Gas grill
- Ceramic grill
- Burners
- Griddle
- Pizza oven
- Wood fired grill
- Pizza oven
- Sink
- Dishwasher
- Wine Cooler
- Beverage fridge
- Icemaker
- Fridge and/or freezer drawers
- Kegerator
In addition, other elements to consider are:
- Storage drawers
- Trash pull-outs
- Vent hoods
- Lighting
- Wood storage areas
- Paper towel holder
Of course, a fabulous outdoor kitchen doesn’t need every bell and whistle. It can be as simple as an organized, built-in grilling station. Are you a ceramic grill fan? If so, we can seamlessly integrate your Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo or any other ceramic grill into your outdoor kitchen.
On this deck, space was limited but we made the most of it. In addition to the gas grills, there are storage drawers and a pull-out trash bin. A stone base and granite countertops give the grilling station a polished rustic look that looks right at home in the outdoor space.
In addition to helping you figure out what your neighborhood allows, we’ll help you get the proper ventilation.
In this Buckhead backyard, a new poolside party pavilion includes a dining area, an outdoor lounge around the fireplace and the outdoor kitchen. A lot of people, especially sports fans, like to be able to view an outdoor TV from the outdoor kitchen on big game days.
How To Plan a Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen: Materials
Here’s a closer look at the outdoor kitchen, which is tucked at the far end of the pavilion. In addition to the stainless steel storage drawers and trash pull-out, there’s also a fridge to keep waters and beers close at hand.
You’ll want the materials for your outdoor kitchen to not only be functional, but aesthetically pleasing. This means making them fit in with an outdoor setting. And we’ll help you decide if it should be cohesive with your home’s architecture or if you want some stylistic contrast.
Here, the stacked stone from the pavilion walls continues around the base of the outdoor kitchen for a seamless look. Stacked stone like this is a great choice for the outdoors and will fit in with almost any landscape.
As for counters, we recommend a honed finish outdoors, as they hide the marks weather can leave. A polished surface will need constant care to look its best. In this case we used a honed granite. Granite is also great for an outdoor setting because it is harder and more durable than other natural stone surface. And like the stacked stone, it’s a nice fit for an outdoor look.
Which Countertop Material Is Best for You?
How To Plan a Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen: Other Considerations
Think about the environment you want around you when working in an outdoor kitchen. Do you want the full cover of a porch roof? Or perhaps it’s simply the shade from a more open pergola. Or you may want to soak in the sun. In addition to shade, you may want some climate control such as ceiling fans for summer or outdoor heaters for the cold months.
If you plan on grilling a lot after dark, we’ll help you find the right lighting scheme. This will keep it safe and you’ll be able to check out if your meat is properly cooked!
We hope this post article helped you think about how to plan your fabulous outdoor kitchen. But if you’re stumped, don’t fret. Our team will ask all the right questions to make sure we design one that’s perfect for you. If you’re ready to start the process, contact us for a consultation.
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