How to Make the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen Space
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ummertime is for backyard BBQ’s and grilling. An outdoor kitchen expands your living space and allows you to cook, eat and entertain. Incorporating interior kitchen ideas to your outdoor setting is a great way to add versatility, value and fun to your home. Well-designed outdoor kitchens also combine the ease of outdoor grilling. There are a numerous challenges associated with creating the perfect space for living and cooking outdoors. These tips can help you overcome some challenges so you can plan a perfect space for cooking and entertaining. You will love bringing the indoors out!
Define Your Space Each homeowner may have a slightly different vision in mind of the perfect outdoor space. Some may want a space that has a cooking area, and others may want a space that is more focused on conversation or outdoor dining. Unless you have a very large yard, you may not be able to incorporate all of these elements into your space, and you may need to consider what is most important to you. Think about the outdoor living space that you and your family or friends would more likely use on a regular basis, and create a plan or design around that.
Think About Usable Space While you are defining your space, it is important to keep in mind the amount of usable space that is available. A small slab patio can easily be enlarged with poured concrete, pavers, or other elements, but you want to ensure that you have enough leftover space in your yard for other elements that are needed, such as green space for the kids to run around in. The outdoor living space should also have enough space for all of the furniture that you are planning. Room for maneuverability is also critical. The last thing you want is to crowd your patio area with so much furniture, a fire pit, a cooking area or other features that you do not have space to walk around freely.
Location, Location, Location Where you decide to place your outdoor kitchen depends upon several factors. Make sure that smoke from the grill doesn’t drift back into the home. Orient the grill in an ideal location. If you frequently entertain, and don’t want to travel a long distance from the indoor kitchen to the outside, consider placing your grill and outdoor kitchen relatively near the entrance to the inside kitchen. But, if you want to 6
maintain the view you currently have from inside the house to the outside, you’ll want to place the outdoor kitchen to the side or at an angle so that the view isn’t blocked. Most importantly, consider the overall traffic flow of your yard and the safety of your family. A hot, outdoor grill shouldn’t be located right next to the area where the activities occur. Just like an indoor kitchen, the outdoor kitchen is full of hazards so place it accordingly.
Choosing Your Appliances Think about what how many appliances you are considering for your space and their size. You may want multiple cooking and refrigeration appliances - think about how all of the appliances will fit within your allotted space. Always leave enough space on either side of the grill to accommodate platters and cooking tools. Counter heights and work surface also allow for different functions within your outdoor cooking space.
Incorporate Greenery Into the Space For most people, a patio area simply would not be complete without beautiful flowers or lush greenery. You can add a built-in planter to your patio design as one creative element. Another idea is to leave space for potted plants or to add flower beds around the perimeter of your patio area. Hanging plants can add an additional element of greenery to your space.
Control Lighting and Airflow An outdoor living area should be comfortable for you and your family or guests to be in. This means that elements like lighting, temperature, and airflow will need to be moderated in some way. You can use umbrellas, awnings or other coverings to control light, and you can add lighting elements to brighten up the space at night. You can also use screens and other elements to block the wind as well as fans to create airflow when needed. Creating the most idyllic outdoor living space requires forethought as well as time and effort. However, this effort will be rewarded with the perfect outdoor living space for you to enjoy with family and friends when you focus on these important factors.
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