Clever Ideas for Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor kitchens are great for entertaining, and they add value to your home. You can choose to do the work yourself and make the kitchen more affordable, or you can invest in professional services to build a stunning masterpiece. Here are a few design ideas to consider for your elegant new kitchen in the great outdoors.
Kitchen Border
Keep the shelter for the seating area and put the kitchen out in the open. It's fun yet luxurious, and it allows you to use the kitchen as a border for the patio area. Your garden or trees serve as a backdrop for the kitchen, and you will have the space to add your dream appliances. Include a fireplace with pizza oven for cool nights along with a grill for all your entertaining. With a long counter for working, you will have the beauty of your landscaping as decorations for your stunning new kitchen.
Under the Gazebo
Cold climates can be damaging to the kitchen appliances, but you can protect them with a gazebo. Take the protective level up a notch by enclosing one wall and putting the appliances along the protected back of the shelter. You can install a fireplace or gas range with proper venting, and your appliances will last longer. Maintain a bright atmosphere and good visibility by including ceiling lights in the gazebo and sconce lights on the supports.
The Centerpiece
When the kitchen is the center of attention, it become the center of entertaining. You can prepare meals and even clean up afterwards without ever leaving your guests. Make the kitchen the center of the patio, and then put a bar in front of it for family and friends to sit and relax. Everyone can be more involved in the cooking, and you will enjoy more time with guests. If you are worried about smoke from the cooking appliances, then set them in an island behind the workstation to keep smoke away from guests.
Simple Serves a Purpose
Your outdoor kitchen doesn't have to be the centerpiece of the entire patio. Tucked into a corner or set to the side, it can be a functional part that doesn't demand full attention. When you want to kitchen to be an accent rather than a dominating feature, keep it small and simple. Choose a basic grill, a small sink and minimal counter. It will still be an impressive addition, but you will keep the attention on your luxurious seating area or well-manicured gardens.
Cooking and Seating
Fireplaces add warmth and a cooking surface. When the fireplace is the main focus, you can add seating by extending a low level wall along either side of it. Ideal for large gatherings, the ledge is an attractive and functional addition. You can also build a low wall around the kitchen where people can sit and relax while the meal cooks and drinks are served.
Secured in a Closet
When you want the function of a kitchen at times and the ultimate level of protection when not in use, put the kitchen in a closet. Barn-style sliding doors placed on a kitchen protected in a long, shallow closet allow you to close off the kitchen completely when you aren't using it. The appliances will last an incredibly long time and stay cleaner with this level of protection, but you can still open it up when desired to cook a meal and entertain.
There are countless ways to add a kitchen to your patio. With a kitchen right outside your door, you won't have to keep going inside for food, clean glasses or ice. Everything you need will be within an arm's reach. Create a kitchen design that works for your needs and family by considering these smart, attractive and functional options.
