How to Design an Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen is a luxury that everyone should enjoy. From baking pizzas to flipping burgers and others, an outdoor kitchen can help you maximize luxury and keep you entertained. When planning on designing an outdoor kitchen, it is essential to consider a few things. This will help you maximize space, location as well as the appliances that you will be using outdoors.

Follow these easy tips on how to design an outdoor kitchen to your taste and have fun remodeling your kitchen.

Extend Your Living Space

An outdoor kitchen is an extension of your living space, and it also extends your living space. So, ensure that you make the most out of it by planning for warmth, shelter, and shade. A shaded outdoor kitchen makes entertaining and cooking a delight. So, spice up the outdoor kitchen with some shelter and shade, a pergola or awning for design, and a patio umbrella for the seating areas.

You can also build a fire pit that gives you a cozy retreat during cooler temperatures or just consider going for an outdoor heater. Getting an outdoor gas heater too is a good idea, as long as you can afford it. Go all out and spare nothing for comfort as you treat yourself to a relaxing and comfortable time outdoor irrespective of the season. You can even add a fire pit patio to fire roast your food instead of grilling all the time.

Consider Your Surroundings

While deciding how to design an outdoor kitchen, let it blend and fit into your yard even though it’s an extension of your inner living space. Think about how your yard looks like and then find a way to design your outdoor kitchen with textures and colors that will complement it.

Pick whatever you think will complement your surrounding landscape. So, if you have a desert landscape, then you can go for bold colors that will stand out as a stark relief, and if you have a tropical landscape, you can go for tropical items that will make you feel at home among the green foliage. Your choice of outdoor kitchen design should align perfectly with your surroundings for adorable aesthetics.

Plan Your Layout

As important as the layout of your indoor kitchen is, so also is it to your outdoor kitchen layout, and while your indoor kitchen is defined by the windows, doors, and walls that surround it, your outdoor kitchen dictates what its layout is to be.

In deciding how to design an outdoor kitchen, the most popular choice for outdoor kitchen layout is the L-shaped design, as it gives off a sense of an area division. Another popular layout design choice is the placement of appliances. Consider the hot and cold zones and plan your outdoor kitchen in that manner. Do not place the refrigerator unit next to the gas grill and give enough space for food preparation.

Consider What Appliances You’ll Need

You may want a lot of appliances, but do you need them? Asking yourself this question will help you limit your list of appliances to the necessities. Consider the ones that you will most likely make use of and get them. Some famous examples are:

• Built-in Kegerator – A kegerator in your outdoor kitchen helps house a lot of beer and drinks that you and your guests would love to have easy access to. Get one that has at least two taps so that you can offer your guest varieties of beer.
• Built-in Refrigerator – A refrigerator is also a popular choice for your outdoor kitchen, and it is one necessity that you can’t afford to include. This helps you conveniently place juice boxes, beers, and sodas for all to pick from with convenience and ease. This also prevents you and others from continually going in and out to get drinks and other items now and then.
• Grills & Smokers – Getting a grill and smoker ensures that you have something to cook with and cook on. So, pick your choice from the wide range of grills and smokers out there.
• Ice maker – Get an ice maker for your outdoor kitchen if you think that you are going to need a lot of ice. You can keep your ice from melting by placing them in a container that has been packed with foam and wrapped with aluminum foil. However, this should only be done if you do not have extra space in your refrigerators, coolers, or freezers. Also, try getting a portable ice maker that can be stored away when it is not in use.

The outdoor appliances are used because the indoor appliances may not be that compatible and might not last long with the elements outdoor.

Choose Your Materials

Whatever appliances or designs that you use for your outdoor kitchen must be able to withstand whatever the weather throws at it, from extreme heat, snow, and ice storms, to heavy rains and high winds.

Choose materials that are tough enough to withstand the weather elements and require low maintenance. For example concrete is extremely durable and you can even color concrete countertops! So, you don’t have to only look into how sleek it is, you should also look at its toughness and durability. Choose stainless steels for their toughness and as a countertop for your kitchen or tiles as a warm alternative for the countertop. On the plus side, the tiles come in various texture, designs, and colors to blend it with the style and design of your kitchen countertop.

Fit it to Your Taste

Once you’ve got the materials, appliances, and layout all sorted out, you can start paying attention to the details that you want, from the cushioned seating to the potted plants and decorations.

Consider the impact of each style and blend them in nicely and sweetly. If you decide to use pavers for the floor material, you will need to make sure to put some sand or other items in-between pavers.

Don’t Forget the Lighting

Lighting sets off the mood for entertaining, creates a soft ambiance, and gives you the light you need for carrying out tasks. Use the lighting for maximum effect and create intimate touches with your scent candles.

Try out setting up mounted lighting or overhead lighting. You can also add tiki torches and citronella candles to repel mosquitoes.

Plan Your Party

Everything has been set, and your outdoor kitchen has been designed, it’s time to plan the party. Call your friends and family over and host your first outdoor party. You did it!