Outdoor Kitchen tips
Planning and designing a new outdoor kitchen for your home can be a big time and emotional investment if you don’t know where to start. Outdoor kitchens are a great way to entertain, make cooking easier, and add value to your home. The American Deck & Sunroom crew can design, plan, and construct a custom kitchen to add beauty to your home and fit your existing architecture seamlessly.
Many people know the frustration of having to retrieve and juggle food from inside, miss out on parts of jokes and stories, and attempt to entertain – all at the same time. And once the party’s over, all of those leftovers and dishes have to be dragged back inside to be disposed of and washed. Instead of running back and forth between the house and outdoors, just make your preparations outside in the open air! Make sure you have a food-prep surface, good lighting (for partying after nightfall), shelter against the elements (umbrella, pergola, etc), as well as a sink and some other appliances.
Know how the pieces will fit together
Keep in mind how your outdoor kitchen will function. Make sure the different sections work together in order to flow just as well as your indoor kitchen does! Refrigeration and grill areas, as well as wet and dry areas, all need to benefit from one another while managing to work within an allocated space. For cooking and entertaining guests at night, you need to install good lighting for your outdoor kitchen and surrounding areas. Since one of the main reasons to have an outdoor kitchen is outdoor entertaining, installing a sound system in the area is a great way to keep guests entertained.
Keep mother nature in mind
Your outdoor kitchen is going to be at the mercy of the elements, so keep this in mind when designing and planning your outdoor kitchen. Consider the relationship between your indoor and outdoor kitchens: how will they be used together during cooking or entertaining? Is there a clear path for traffic between them?
Your materials matter
Low-maintenance materials and equipment are essential for your outdoor kitchen. You’ll get more joy and use out of your outdoor kitchen if it’s easier to maintain and keep clean. Many experts suggest high-quality stainless steel, as it provides a sanitary surface that’s also easy to clean, and resistant to corrosion.
Natural stone countertops like granite and slate hold up well outdoors, but they require regular sealers. Cultured stone also works well and needs little maintenance. The materials you select for your outdoor kitchen should compliment your home’s architecture and landscape.
Think in zones
To help you break down the design for your outdoor kitchen, try breaking down each section into zones.
- Preparation zone with sinks, trash cans, storage, and cutting boards
- Cooking zone with propane tank storage, drawers & cabinets, and grills and/or ovens
- Serving zone with a place for plates, food warmers, etc
- Entertaining zone with a blender, bar area, refrigerator, and ice machine
Location, location, location
There’s no true “correct” spot to build an outdoor kitchen. Most people feel that placing a freestanding kitchen next to a pool or hot tub is a great addition, while others prefer a barbecuing area conveniently placed near their back door.
Many people choose to have their outdoor kitchen next to their home. The house provides natural shelter for the culinary station, shielding it from direct wind and sun. Also, it’s usually less expensive to run utility lines from the home to the outdoor kitchen. Keep in mind that grills or heat-producing appliances should be at least 10’ from the house or from any combustible material to avoid fires.
Others prefer to have their outdoor kitchens built a bit away from their home, especially if they plan on having a fully-stocked kitchen that would require a very small amount of back-and-forth into the house and back. In this case, more storage is ideal, so that bowls, tools, condiments, and dishes are ready whenever they’re needed. A built-in sink will also eliminate the need to run inside each time that hands need washing.
Not only do outdoor kitchens increase the time you can spend outside, they also increase the value of your home. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that these cook areas can return as much as 130% of their cost to the purchase price of a home.
Remember…
No matter your architectural needs, American Deck & Sunroom can provide you with a custom design that will increase the worth of your home, will blend seamlessly with your existing architecture, and will last a lifetime. Many homes benefit from the beauty of both of these custom architectural additions.
At American Deck & Sunroom, we don’t build houses. We don’t dig pools. Just don’t just design and plan custom outdoor kitchens. What we do is design and build beautiful outdoor spaces… extensions of your home that flow with your existing property and architecture. And because we specialize, we go beyond the, “If you can dream it, we can build it,” catchphrase often quoted. After nearly 20 years in business and nearly 13,000 designs and counting, we have the experience to design outdoor spaces you’ve never even dreamed possible.
Interested in learning more about custom outdoor kitchens? Contact us today!
