Who doesn’t love the idea of finding an excuse to spend a little extra time outside? Whether you choose to spend that time relaxing with a good book, laughing over dinner with the family or lying out in the sun — any time outdoors in the safety and comfort of your backyard is enjoyable.
For many of us, however, our backyards aren’t the most exciting places to be. Maybe you currently have an empty yard, a small patio with a few chairs or even a tiny porch. Wouldn’t these precious hours of outdoor relaxation be infinitely more enjoyable if you could spend them in a carefully engineered and gorgeously designed outdoor patio area? Wouldn’t these hours be close to sheer perfection if you had something as magical as an outdoor kitchen to use whenever you wanted?
Today, the idea of an outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to be some far-off fantasy you can only dream of. It’s something you can create in the privacy of your backyard. With an upgrade like this, you’ll never have to worry about moving between your indoor kitchen and outdoor dining area again as you get ready for a summertime dinner on the patio. From family dinners to evening cocktail parties, this outdoor kitchen will help you keep those vacation vibes going all summer long.
Ready to upgrade your outdoor space with an outdoor kitchen of your own? Here is our official guide to getting an outdoor kitchen.
Before you start rushing into your design full steam ahead, it’s essential to take a step back and evaluate all the different factors that will play into your plan. While everyone’s complete list of concerns may be different, a few items will remain the same across the board, no matter your situation.
1. What Does Your Budget Look Like?
Asking yourself about your budget is an important question to start with, as it will set the tone for your whole project. There’s an outdoor kitchen for everyone, regardless of budget size, but you should determine where you fall along the continuum, so you know where to start looking.
Start your project by taking an honest look at your budget and determining how much you’re willing and able to spend on the project as a whole. Once you have this figure, you can start breaking it down into different categories, such as appliances, countertops, lighting and more. This template will then help stay you on track and prevent you from overspending too much along the way. Make sure to consult with industry-typical prices to confirm your budget is realistic and doable.
2. What Type of Outdoor Space Do You Have?
Where will you put your outdoor kitchen? If you already have a patio out back, this is an easy choice. But maybe your backyard doesn’t have a lot to offer. Instead, perhaps your side yard opens up into a broad, grassy stretch of lawn. Look at the space you have and decide where you’ll place the kitchen. Only once you know where the kitchen is going to go can you start planning it.
3. What Type of Cooking Will You Be Doing?
Are you a huge grilling fan? Would you rather spend your time perfecting a delightful brick-oven pizza? Maybe you don’t do a lot of prep work, instead preferring to cook mostly pre-prepared foods. Consider cooking preferences such as these as you think about your ideal kitchen. These will determine whether you’d rather install a grill, a pizza oven or a traditional oven, as well as how much prep space you’ll need.
4. How Many People Do You Plan to Entertain?
Is your outdoor kitchen mostly for you, a spouse and the kids? If so, you probably don’t have to worry about including tons of seating. If, on the other hand, you love throwing parties for your entire neighborhood, you’ll want to make sure there’s room for everyone. It’s essential to think about this early on in the process, as it will dictate many of your design choices.
Think you’re ready to head into the real planning phase of this enterprise? If so, here are some outdoor kitchen design ideas to consider.
1. Plan for Multiple Seasons
Unless you live in a climate that’s warm all year ’round, you probably won’t use your outdoor space during the winter. That doesn’t mean it has to be an exclusive summertime space, however. With a little planning and attention to detail, your outdoor kitchen can also be a space that functions for you during the spring and fall.
Accommodate the changing seasons by planning for how you’ll deal with the fluctuating temperatures. For example, during the summer months, you’ll want to have a way to be outside without feeling uncomfortably warm. That means installing plenty of shade you can hide under while still enjoying the fresh air. Adding plenty of umbrellas and awnings is one excellent way to do this, especially since you can remove them during the spring and fall, when you’re desperate for just a bit more sunshine.
During the colder months, you’ll have the opposite dilemma. Why not add a fire pit somewhere in your outdoor kitchen space? That way, you can light a fire when it’s chilly out and enjoy cuddling around this source of heat while you enjoy your dinner or dessert.
2. Complement Your Home’s Design
While your outdoor kitchen will be a stand-alone entity, remember it is also very much connected to the house. Anyone looking at your outdoor kitchen will also see the back of the house in the same line of sight, meaning it’s crucial for the two to match. At the very least, it’s best if they don’t clash.
The best way to achieve this design compatibility is to incorporate some of the elements from the rest of the house into your new space. You might do this by choosing similar or complementary colors, through using the same materials or by using the same architectural style. Whatever methods you use to make your outdoor kitchen and home visually congruent are up to you.
3. Consider Your Natural Surroundings
Take a moment to look at the natural beauty around your house, and let this inspire you as you design your outdoor oasis. Let the nature around you guide your choices when it comes to the color, material, and design of your new space.
Let’s say you live in a dry and desert-like climate, for instance. Try choosing bold colors like orange and turquoise as you look to add a little bit of drama to the otherwise dusty colors around you. And if you live in a lush, wooded area, why not try to incorporate some natural wood tones into your design to highlight this forest-like appeal?
4. Spend Time Planning Your Layout
Planning the layout of your outdoor kitchen will be quite a bit different than any other indoor room you’ve designed before, because walls define the shape and size of indoor rooms. With this basic structure already in place, all you need to do is decide where to place the furniture and fixtures.
Outdoor kitchens are different because there are no walls. Instead, you’ll have an empty space you’ll need to decide how to use to its best advantage. Many people will choose an L-shape, as this creates a natural division in a wide-open space, while also leaving half the kitchen open to your seating area. Another way to consider your layout is to think about the way you arrange your appliances. For example, you’ll want to avoid placing the stove and refrigerator right next to one another, as this will cause the fridge to struggle to keep up even more than it already would on a hot day.
5. Think About Appliances
While counter space is essential since it provides space for meal prep, your design will primarily revolve around which appliances you choose to include in your kitchen. That is because appliances tend to be large, bulky items that take up a lot of space, meaning you can’t add them in later as an afterthought. They need to be a fundamental part of the base design.
The appliances everyone chooses to include will be unique to them. For example, maybe you’ll decide you’d rather not bother with an oven, because anytime you cook outside you’ll be grilling, but a full-sized refrigerator is a must-have. Decide which appliances are most important to you, and build your design around these.
A few of the appliances you may want to consider include the following.
No matter which appliances you choose to buy and which you choose to forego, always make sure to buy the outdoor versions. These are designed specifically for outdoor settings, where their indoor counterparts might struggle to keep up.
6. Think About Your Materials
Your outdoor kitchen design ideas need to account for the fact that the kitchen is out in the elements. Even if you choose to shelter it under a porch roof or any other covering, it will still have to stand up against wind, rain and perhaps even snow and ice, depending on where you live. That means you’ll need to put a great deal of thought into which materials will be best suited to stand up against this probable wear and tear, but will also be low-maintenance when it comes to cleaning up after a meal.
Stainless steel is an excellent option, as it’s both durable and easy to clean. While it’s a natural choice for appliances, it might do the trick for countertops as well, giving you a sleek and shiny appearance throughout the whole kitchen. If you’re looking for a bit less silver and shine, tile can be another fabulous choice for countertops. Tiles come in a wide range of colors and designs, meaning you’ll get a bit more customization while still benefiting from the durability and low maintenance stainless steel provides.
7. Don’t Forget the Lighting
One of the most important factors to consider when building an outdoor kitchen is the lighting. It might not be the first thing on your mind, especially since you’re outdoors, and it’s easy to assume the sun will provide all the light you’ll need. But what about evening soirees on the patio? How about fall afternoons and evenings when it gets dark early? For occasions such as these, you’ll certainly need an additional light source or two to help keep the party going.
Plan where these will go around your outdoor space. Will you install lighting fixtures? Will you rely on portable lamps? By figuring out these details ahead of time, you’ll be able to incorporate lighting organically into your design, instead of treating it as an add-on that won’t receive its proper due.
8. Don’t Overlook the Details
While it’s true the bones of your kitchen — the layout, the appliances, and the materials — need to come first, you never want to forget about the small details. So once you’ve got these major decisions laid out, our best tip for planning an indoor kitchen is to have fun with the décor.
Grab some furniture you love. Decorate with cushions, umbrellas, potted plants and tiki torches. At this stage of the design, you get to go a little bit nuts. So have fun with it, and design a space that genuinely showcases you and your family.
Are you finally ready to take that plunge and start designing your very own outdoor kitchen? If so, we hope you’ll contact us here at Shearer Patio & Landscape Services. With over 20 years of experience in the business, our Columbus-based team is excited to help you transform your outdoor space into the summer kitchen of your dreams. To schedule a consultation and get started with your project, call us at 614-889-9981 or get in touch with us on email.