10 minute read
How to Make the Perfect Kitchen Space
How to Make the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen Space
Summertime 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 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.
Daisy
Y’all know and love Sweet Firefly. This month, meet one of the pets behind the ice cream. Meet Daisy!
Tell us your names and your pets’ names.
We are Patti and Trey Otte, and our son is Will. We have two dogs, Daisy and Lacey.
What breed is your pet?
Daisy is a rescue, so we are unsure about her breed. But we think she is a bichipoo or a maltipoo. Lacey is a Catahoula.
Where did you get your Daisy and how long have you had her?
In 2009, we lost our sweet almost three-year-old daughter Kate. A few months after her passing, we started thinking about getting another dog as the house was so quiet. Not only were we missing Kate dreadfully, but so was our beagle, Abby. The void was huge. We love dogs and thought a puppy would help fill that void and be the perfect addition to our family. Having said that, we were really struggling with the idea of potty-training a puppy, so we were hesitant. We decided to wait a little longer.
But out of the blue, I received an email from a fellow Canyon Creek mom, Bryony Kongabel, stating that her mom, brother and sister-inlaw had rescued a puppy and were looking to give it to a great home. I took one look at that puppy’s face and knew she had to be ours. We went and picked her up in June, exactly six months to the day after Kate died. We changed her name from Baby to Daisy, and she turned out to be EXACTLY what we needed. She fell in love with Will, who was seven at the time. She won both Trey and our beagle Abby over, and she and I became inseparable. It was almost as if she knew how much we needed her. She was intuitive in her love for us.
We cannot begin to describe how, after eight years together, Daisy continues to bring joy and laughter to our home. And coincidentally, her personality reminds us of Kate’s. Daisy’s super loving but also very feisty, as was Katerbug. She’s attentive and affectionate, but also cat-like in her independence (Kate did things her own way even if it meant a few sessions in time out!).
How long have you lived in Canyon Creek?
We have lived in Canyon Creek for thirteen years.
What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek?
We love the friendly people and the sense of communitymany of our closest friends live right here in Canyon Creek. We have enjoyed the donut shop on Saturday mornings, going to one of the many parks to play, the Fourth of July parade and party at the Country Club, the flags flying thanks to the neighborhood flag program, the National Night Out parties every year with our friends from Canyon Brook and Woodcrest, and joining friends at one of the many restaurants in II Creeks.
Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek.
Angie Conard and I (Patti) own Sweet Firefly in II Creeks, and the shop has been such an incredibly happy experience for both of our families. We have gotten to see kids grow up there for the past seven years, and we have had a chance to meet Canyon Creek families of all generations that we might never have met had it not been for Sweet Firefly.
Tell us about your pet: fun tricks, unique talents, quirky personality, etc.
Daisybug can do two tricks consistently: she can jump up REALLY high, and she can spin around repeatedly. Anything for a treat! Anything, that is, except sitting on command. If she WANTS to mind and sit, she will. Otherwise, we can forget it!
When Daisy came to us, she was perfectly potty-trained and would patiently wait for permission to eat her food before diving into the bowl. As she has gotten older, she will very vocally let us know if we’re taking too long with a high-pitched, commanding but tiny bark! And even at the advanced age of nine, she is still as springy and spry as when she was a puppy. We can’t say enough about how happy she has made our little family.
Bo Garner
You’ve probably seen him playing in the park, he’s a recent Pearce graduate, and he is headed to college in the fall. Neighbors, meet Bo Garner!
Tell us your name, what school you currently attend (or recently attended), and what year you are in school.
My name is Bo Garner and I am a 2018 graduate of Pearce High School. I will be a freshman at Austin College this fall.
What other schools have you attended?
Canyon Creek Elementary (K-6th) and North Junior High (7th8th)
Tell us what sports or activities you were involved in and why you enjoy it.
In high school I played football, baseball, and ran track. Along with sports I was also apart of Stampede, which is a country western co-ed dance team at Pearce. I was also in the National Honor Society.
Brag on yourself: Tell us your honors and awards in school.
I was a varsity letterman in football, baseball, and track and field at Pearce. I received all district honors in football for district 9-6A. As a senior I also received the Academic All-State award for student athletes.
What’s your favorite subject in school (your sport doesn’t count!)?
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology)
Tell us about your plans after graduation.
I will be attending Austin College in Sherman, TX to play football while studying pre-med. I will determine a final major by the end of sophomore year. I hope to eventually be able to work in an ER setting at a large hospital.
Outside of schools and sports, what do you do for fun, hobbies, work, etc.?
I am a lifeguard at Canyon Creek Country Club. During my free time I enjoy going to the gym, watching movies, and hanging out with friends.
How long have you lived in Canyon Creek?
17 years
I love the size and livelihood of Canyon Creek park. Every sport team I was part of growing up had practice there, and it was a blessing to be able to live right across the street from it. I pretty much lived there during my childhood.
Tells us a favorite story or two about a big moment or fun moment playing your sport.
This past fall, the football team was required to beat Dallas Skyline by 11 or more points in order to advance to the playoffs. We defeated them on senior night 31 to 14. I rushed for 187 yards with 2 touchdowns. Pearce earned its first ever 6A playoff football victory the next week. We defeated Naaman Forest 27 to 21 in overtime. I rushed for 213 yards along with one touchdown. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.
There are too many great memories that I can mention. All in all, I must say that some of the best times in my life were spending countless hours at the park with my friends playing with whatever ball we had at the time.
Anything else you would love for your neighbors to know about you?
Thank you Canyon Creek for supporting me! I would not be where I am today without the endless love and service from this community.
