Outdoor Kitchen Ideas to Transform Your Backyard

July 11, 2019

Updated: June 22, 2022

The outdoor kitchen has become much more than a simple barbeque grill and table. The modern outdoor kitchen has become an extension of the indoor living space, featuring many of the same conveniences and appliances found indoors. Don’t let the abundance of choices available today overwhelm you. We can design the outdoor living space to fit your lifestyle!

Benefits of Installing an Outdoor Kitchen

One of the biggest areas where friends and family all come together is in the kitchen. When you combine the outdoors and the kitchen space, you get a combination of good company and amazing meals to feast on. An outdoor kitchen brings so much value to your home and is very much undervalued.

Here are the benefits of what an outdoor kitchen can do for you:

Increases Your Home Value

The investment in high-quality materials and appliances helps increase the value of your home. Outdoor kitchens entice potential buyers because it helps them envision having social gatherings and parties in their new home.
An outdoor kitchen can be anything from a brick-and-mortar set-up to built-in grills, it all depends on your lifestyle and your budget.

Saves Money

Being able to cook outdoors can help keep the temperature down in your home. This means less usage of the AC and of electrical appliances that tend to raise the temperature in your house as they are in use (baking, frying, etc.)
Enjoy more meals with your outdoor experience and go out less to restaurants.

Enhances Your Living Spaces

Creates an area that can be used for entertainment, socializing, and unwinding.
Diving into a space where you can readjust physically and mentally with the fruits of nature.

Design Considerations

When considering what you would want your indoor kitchen design to look like, there are several factors to keep an eye on to make sure everything sets well. You’re looking at everything from your yard space, the size of your kitchen, your features, and everything else that is included.

One of the biggest things to be mindful of is your environment. It’s always important to know what your general forecast usually looks like; it can help determine how much maintenance you will have to do and how much time you are to spend in your outdoor space.

Along with keeping an eye on your environment, space and placement are some of the bigger topics to keep in consideration. One of the more common places where outdoor kitchens are set up is near the home. Whether that is just around the corner on your porch, by the deck, or right near the exit of your home. Tying in space, a consideration that many have is how many people you typically host, the size of your space, and the features that you will include.

The most important component of creating the perfect outdoor space is its functionality. What will this space be used for? Is it for large gatherings? Is one formal seating space required? Or would several adjacent seating areas be better? Consider your needs around cooking, serving, and clean-up. Maybe this space is more for lounging and relaxing. If so, consider an informal seating arrangement with plenty of room to kick back and enjoy being outside. Based on your outdoor space needs, we can create an outdoor living area you will love.

Outdoor Kitchen and Dining Space Surrounded by Greenery

Choosing a Location for Your Outdoor Kitchen

What part does the kitchen play in your ultimate outdoor space? Is it the central gathering place? Or should it meld into the overall flow of the backyard? Typically, an outdoor kitchen tends to be located near the entrance from the house to the backyard to make transporting food and cooking supplies to your outdoor kitchen area effortless. Depending on where you want the entertainment to be focused, you may want to consider the location(s) of other important spaces like a pool area, spa, or firepit as these areas may influence the overall use of the space. Another factor that could be considered while making this decision, is the location of existing utility lines. However, if you envision your kitchen as a stand-alone entertainment center, there is no reason it needs to be next to the house!

Outdoor Kitchen Appliances

Features and Appliances

When it comes to designing and putting together your outdoor kitchens, you have an array of options to put this masterpiece assortment together.

Appliances

Grill Type: Depending on the number of people you tend to cater to or host, you can choose anything from a built-in grill, a portable grill, a flat-top grill, and even a smoker.

Refrigerator: Depending on your space and how much storage you need, you can either go with a small fridge or a full-size fridge.

Lighting: Let there be light, as chopping and dicing in the dark would not be recommended. If you are hanging out after hours or having a late meal, outdoor lighting either for function or for display purposes is an absolute plus when putting together your outdoor kitchen. It also helps make sure your food is cooked well. This way you don’t end up with an undercooked piece of meat or whatever you may fancy.

Sink: As if meal prep wasn’t tedious enough already, what would one do without running water? It can be quite helpful to include a sink as it can be essential for your clean-ups and meal preparations.

Features

Built-in features: You might be surprised with what you can arm your outdoor kitchen with. Some of the essential needs can be things like a cupboard, cabinets, an ice bin, and a portable cooler space.

Countertops: One of the many under looked features of the outdoor kitchen area is the preparation space. It is the play area for chefs, a key, essential space for anything that needs to be chopped, served, or presented. It is recommended to choose a countertop with weather protectant features, so it remains with its pristine look and lasts a long time.

If you are looking for something that has an unbeatable look and is the best bang for your buck, Quartz, and Granite countertops are the way to go.

Quartz countertops are durable and very dense. Packed with ground quartz, polyester resins, and your choice of style, pattern, and color to give it that unique flick and color. These are the best designed to resist stains scratches, and best of all do not require to be sealed.
Granite countertops have been a staple choice in kitchen layouts in high-end design. These countertops are versatile and fit in a range of any modern home. The strong points of the granite countertops are how strong they are, their durability, and the variety of choices in pattern and color. It is recommended that you seal your granite at least once every year to avoid any staining or damage done to the surface.

Lighting

Though an often-forgotten aspect of landscaping, outdoor lighting is equally, if not more important than the previous considerations. Lighting provides both ambiance and safety which should be the priority of an outdoor kitchen, especially if you’re cooking in the evening. Pathways and areas where cooking will happen should be well lit, while other areas for dining and relaxing could have adjustable lighting to set the mood of the evening.

Design Ideas

Stone Outdoor Kitchen Featuring a Bar Overlooking a Vista

Stone Outdoor Kitchen

Enjoy yourself with a breath of fresh air, a slice of watermelon, and a view of the city from afar. There is no better way to have a cookout like this when you are literally on top of the world. With secret compartments, a luxury grill, and good company, nothing can beat this experience.

Brick Outdoor Kitchen Featuring Outdoor Fireplace

Warm Brick Outdoor Kitchen

This traditional standalone brick kitchen unit features a stainless-steel grill, a granite countertop, a spacious patio area and a fireplace to tie it all in. A classic design that displays simplicity and a bright elegance in its surroundings.

Outdoor Kitchen with Porcelain Backsplash

Porcelain Tile Outdoor Kitchen

Functionality is everything. This custom-built outdoor kitchen area is nothing short of a stamp of excellence. With a built-in grill, small refrigerator, easy-to-clean surfaces and cabinet space for your tools and supplies, this set-up is ready for anything that comes its way.

Hiring and Cost

It can be quite the headache to figure out all of the ins and outs of how much pricing should be. You’re taking into consideration the general construction, materials like brick, stone, stucco, countertops, appliances, and material used to set and finish the outdoor kitchen area. Our professionals have many years of experience and have worked on a multitude of projects including outdoor kitchens. We are here to help you plan and construct the outdoor kitchen of your dreams without any hassles. Call our offices or contact us by email to get you an estimate on your future projects.