6 Factors to Consider When Designing an Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen provides a place to prepare meals, cook, and entertain guests while enjoying the outside air. It also expands your living spaces and increases your home’s value.

However, creating an outdoor kitchen involves more than setting patio furniture and purchasing a grill. Read on for six crucial factors to consider when designing an outdoor kitchen.

Placement

Placement is the first thing to consider before creating and designing an outdoor kitchen. Consider the number of visitors you intend to be entertaining to choose a suitable location for your outdoor cookhouse.

You do not want your guests to struggle to maneuver through a tiny space or double back, especially when you intend to serve buffet-style meals. You could also consider positioning your cookhouse in an area where you could easily access electricity and gas to keep energy bills low.

Another crucial factor to keep in mind when choosing an ideal outdoor kitchen placement is the flow. The outside kitchen should sync seamlessly with other home elements.

For instance, the kitchen location should allow you and your guests to access the indoors easily, should the weather take a turn. It should also not get in the way of other backyard features like the swimming pool. Other factors that impact the choice of a suitable outdoor kitchen location include privacy, view, shade, and wind.

Contact an experienced landscaper like Malone’s Landscape if you struggle to choose an ideal location for your cookhouse.

Experienced landscape architects will not only help you select a suitable area to place your outdoor kitchen, but also help to create a landscape design based on your ideas and elements.

Layout

You could configure indoor kitchen layouts to your outdoor cookhouse, including gallery-style or L-shaped kitchen designs. You just have to ensure the layout complements other outdoor elements, including the rooftop, patio, deck, and backyard.

Be sure to consider the available space to choose an ideal outdoor cookhouse layout. You could stick to a cabinet and grill if you have limited space. However, if you have a more prominent outdoor space, you could build a full-sized outdoor kitchen that provides various options, including bartending, refrigeration, meal prep, and cooking.

Materials

An outdoor cookhouse will often be exposed to extreme weather conditions, including scorching sunlight, heavy rainfalls, and strong winds. The outdoor kitchen will likely have high traffic if you plan on entertaining guests. For these reasons, you should invest in building materials that are wear and tear-resistant. The materials you use to build your outdoor kitchen should also stand extreme temperature fluctuations without cracking or warping.

With the numerous outdoor kitchen building material options in the market, you should opt for materials that blend seamlessly with your landscape and elevate your backyard’s look. Some popular, durable building materials you could choose to design your outdoor kitchen include concrete with stone veneers, natural stone, or stack stone.

Appliances

Think about the appliances you want to incorporate into your outdoor kitchen. Appliances elevate your outdoor kitchen with more convenience and comfort. If you do not want the hassle of running back and forth between the outdoor and indoor kitchen, you could consider investing in kitchen appliances such as cooking stoves to enable you to cook your meals in one place.

You could even purchase versatile cooking appliances based on your cooking level and style. For instance, you could buy a grill that can roast, bake, grill, and smoke. These appliances not only add convenience but also save on storage. Here are some popular appliances you could add to your outdoor kitchen:

  • Pizza ovens
  • Dishwashers
  • Sinks
  • Ice makers
  • Refrigerators

Keep the number of guests you intend to host, the level of entertainment, and your cooking style and proficiency in mind when choosing ideal kitchen appliances.

Lighting

Be sure to invest in outdoor lighting to enable your outdoor kitchen to transition from day to night. Outdoor lighting increases safety, establishes a pleasant ambiance in your backyard, and boosts night aesthetics. You will no longer have to limit your gatherings and entertainment to daytime when you invest in landscape lighting.

Budget

Like other home improvement projects, it is crucial to set up a budget before you design your outdoor kitchen and stick to it. A budget dictates the type of appliances you can incorporate into your outdoor kitchen and the materials to use. It also enables you to avoid overspending or halting the construction midway because you can no longer finance the project.

To create a reasonable budget that allows you to design your outdoor kitchen from start to finish, factor in expenses like labor, materials, appliances, lighting fixtures, and permits. You should also create a contingency budget to pay for unexpected costs.

Endnote

Building an outdoor kitchen is an effective way to take your at-home entertainment to the next level. Be sure to create a reasonable budget, choose an ideal location, invest in suitable materials and appliances, and add outdoor lighting to create an outdoor kitchen tailored to your entertainment and cooking needs.

Home Base Project Team
Home Base Project Team
At The Home Base Project, we offer practical, real-life tips and inspiration about DIY, decorating and gardening. The Home Base Project provide the best information about home renovation and design, connecting home design enthusiasts and home professionals across the world.