With summer here, you probably
can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. There are several ways to
do this, of course, but none compare to an outdoor kitchen. It makes your home
ideal for neighborhood parties, having family over, or
just enjoying a nice meal with your loved ones. Plus, if you ever sell, nothing
is going to wow a buyer like showing them your outdoor kitchen. As your
starting fresh with its design, you have plenty of options to consider. Here
are some important tips to keep in mind.
Include Everything You Need
Many people with outdoor kitchens
also use their indoor version to prepare meals. This makes plenty of sense, but
you should ensure that your outdoor space also includes enough that you don’t
need to run back and forth constantly. A lot of homeowners install a
refrigerator in their outdoor kitchen. That might be too much for the budget
right now. But you should still include surfaces for preparing food. A sink is
also a good idea, otherwise you’ll be without a water supply and even an outdoor
kitchen needs one of those. Depending on the types of meals you usually
prepare, having appliances or at least outlets for them is generally a good
idea too.
Don’t Forget the Light
If you have patio lights that
will hit your patio kitchen, that may be enough. But take time to consider
where your new kitchen is going to go and whether more light is needed. You
don’t want to be preparing cutlets by flashlight, after all.
Add a Roof
Just because you’re outdoors
doesn’t mean your new kitchen doesn’t need some kind of roof or canopy. This
way, if it rains, the party doesn’t have to be over. Enjoy the cool weather
from the comfort of your patio kitchen and keep on cooking. A roof also makes it
easier to:
- Add lights
- Hang a chandelier
- Install speakers
Go Beyond an Oven
With an outdoor kitchen, you have
way more options for cooking than you do indoors. Adding an oven makes plenty
of sense; if nothing else, it works for food preparation. However, there’s no
reason to stop there. A grill is the obvious choice and definitely has its
place. But why not add a smoker to go along with it? One especially fun option
is a wood burning pizza oven. These days, you don’t even need the wood. Go with
propane and you can still make delicious pizzas from the comfort of your own
backyard. Choose stone for the exterior and no one will know your classic pizza
oven is running on a modern design.
Keep Cooking Social
Most backyards include a grill
and one of its many benefits is that the cook still has a clear view of
everyone and is able to interact and partake in the party. When you design a
kitchen outside, however, it’s easy to put the cooking space somewhere off in
the corner. That’s hardly any way to thank the chef for all their hard work.
Instead, make sure they are able to maintain contact with where the rest of the
people in your backyard.
Consider Your Architectural
Options
Conventional wisdom is that your outdoor kitchen should blend in with
the rest of the home. If you have a house with a brick exterior, your patio
kitchen may look a bit odd if it has a Mediterranean feel to it.
However, if you separate your
kitchen far enough from the rest of the home, giving it a different aesthetic
may increase the appeal. Going from your traditional house to a tiki bar-themed
kitchen, for example, is a fun idea if you can pull it off. At the end of the
day, it’s your kitchen; allow it to reflect your style.
Include a Dining Space
This may seem like odd advice,
but don’t forget that your kitchen should include a dining space and preferably
one that’s nearby. Spend an equal amount of time designing it as well. No
matter how great your kitchen looks, if people don’t like the dining room, your
investment is going to suffer.
Nothing is better in the summer
months than having an outdoor kitchen at your disposal. It makes everything
from simple dinners to block parties that much more fun. Just remember to keep
the above in mind so your design is everything you imagined.
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