Outdoor Kitchen Series: How to Design an Outdoor Kitchen
/We know how overwhelming designing an outdoor kitchen can be! There’s a variety of options, ideas, and specifications to consider. However, designing an outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive if you have a good design ahead of time. With some planning, you can keep your outdoor kitchen beautiful and function even on a tight budget. The Appliance Educator team is here to help you create the best outdoor kitchen for your needs without breaking the bank. Last week, we talked about some of the many benefits of having an outdoor kitchen in your backyard. Follow along as we bring you tips on designing an outdoor kitchen as part of our Outdoor Kitchen Blog Series!
When designing your outdoor kitchen, you should first measure out how much space you have and how big you want your outdoor kitchen. These measurements should be precise and calculated to ensure you have enough space for all the appliances and design features you want. This space should also consider plumbing, electrical or gas lines to help you decide where your grill, fridge, and other items will go. After you have designated space and specifications, start to compile a list of must have items. These items are up to you and your needs but some basic appliances include a grill, refrigerator, and sink. Other items to consider could be a bar area, island, pizza oven, dining area, or anything else that you might want in your outdoor kitchen.
Another aspect of design to consider in your outdoor kitchen is the shape or style of it. Some popular styles are a straight island, L-shaped, or U-shaped. With a straight island, you would have all parts, pieces, and aspects aligned on one straight counter-top. This shape is a good option if you don’t have tons of room to work with. L-shaped designs are typically two straight islands that form a 90 degree angle. This design is perfect if you want more space to entertain or more work room. Lastly, the U-shaped option requires a lot of space, but can give much more room to work with and space to entertain. Consider which option you like the best and would be most feasible for your backyard and start planning!
Some ways to design the inner workings of your kitchen can be divided into three zones - prepping, cooking, and entertaining. Your prep zones will usually be where you want your sink, trash can, storage, etc. For your entertainment zones, you’ll want your fridge, bar area, and maybe some areas for seating. Lastly, your cooking zones will include your grill, pizza oven, or range hood. This zone is also important for determining proper ventilation from your grill. If you’re close to your home or have a covering over your kitchen, you’ll want a range hood to filter the fumes from cooking.
Now it’s time to start building! If you wanted to cut down on some time and money, you could buy a prefab kit which usually includes a small refrigerator, grill, countertops, and sometimes dining space. Many retailers have these with lots of different styles, sizes, and materials that can be delivered right to your door so you wouldn’t actually have to build or use a contractor to create your kitchen. You could also use a BBQ island frame kit which creates the framework for your island, then you just add your finish and appliances. If you want to make yours unique and build from the ground up, the best way would be to work with a contractor. From here you would decide materials and shape then input your appliances, counters, accessories, etc.
The last design aspect to consider are your finishing touches. Maybe you want a TV to watch sporting events or host movie nights or a ceiling fan or misters for those hot summer days. Add your personal flair with some finishing decor pieces like artwork, rugs, accent
We hope you enjoyed the second blog of our Outdoor Kitchen Series! Keep following along for the rest of our blog series to get the best advice on outdoor appliances, DIY tips, and more! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest updates on our Outdoor Kitchen Series!
