If you’ve ever dreamed of flipping burgers in the comfort of your own backyard while your friends and family chat and laugh around you, then an outdoor kitchen is essential.
Upgrade your grill game today by creating a custom-designed space fit for all the lunch and dinner parties in your future.
Here are our top tips for an outdoor kitchen design that will meet all of your outdoor living and entertaining needs.
1. Foundation First!
You’ll need a hard surface to serve as the foundation for your outdoor kitchen. Here are a few of our top recommended materials to be used.
Paver Stone
Pavers come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. So if your outdoor kitchen design includes creative and unique details for your flooring, pavers can be a great way to go. You’ll have limitless options.
Concrete
For a more minimalistic look, many homeowners choose to have a concrete pad laid to serve as their kitchen foundation. It’s easy to maintain, easy to clean, and sharp looking.
Flagstone
Nothing says luxurious quite like a flagstone patio. The large, natural-looking stone creates a regal and bold design. Like pavers, they are available in a variety of sizes and colors to match your preferences.
2. Seating and Dining
Your outdoor kitchen should feel like an extension of your living space, so investing in comfortable and stylish seating and dining is essential. You should consider 2 main seating spaces when designing your custom kitchen.
Dining
You should have a designated dining area at your patio complete with table and chairs. You should also consider having a permanent raised bar installed as part of your outdoor kitchen island for serving.
Fire
A wood fire pit area or outdoor fireplace are the perfect spaces for permanent or installed seating.
Circular stone benches make the perfect frame for a fire pit area. You can dress it up with cushions and outdoor blankets to make it feel like a cozy place to relax when you’re not dining.
3. Appliances
This is one of our favorite areas to get creative when designing an outdoor kitchen. Having a grill installed within the counter space is the very basic, but there is much more.
For example, if your family loves brick oven pizzas, consider having a custom oven installed. Need a place to keep the drinks and condiments cool? Include an outdoor fridge in your island plan. And no kitchen is complete without a small sink!
4. Cover Up!
When living under the hot Arizona sun some type of covering over your dining area is recommended to keep yourself comfortable on summer days.
Consider installing a gazebo or pergola to increase the amount of shaded area in your outdoor kitchen.
You can even have it wired for lights and a ceiling fan for increased comfort and appeal.
5. Surroundings
No matter how wonderful your outdoor kitchen area is, it won’t be complete until the surroundings are dressed up too.
Consider installing a low-maintenance, artificial lawn. Accent your backyard with large planters or garden beds.
Not only will that reduce the amount of time you spend maintaining your backyard, but it will also add that final touch of comfort and outdoor appeal that your outdoor kitchen needs.
How Will You Begin Your Outdoor Kitchen Design?
When it comes to your outdoor kitchen, the sky is truly the limit. What’s first on your list?
