Outdoor Kitchens: The Basics
Instead of missing out by running back and forth to the kitchen, bring the kitchen to you. If you find yourself cooking, entertaining, or eating outside often, it’s a good time to consider adding a custom outdoor kitchen to your existing architecture. 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.
Why waste energy running from the patio and porch to a sweltering kitchen in order to serve guests or prepare a summer meal? Whether you intend to be an outdoor chef or a weekend griller, we can utilize leading edge appliances such as:
- Gas, electric, and charcoal grills
- Under-counter refrigerators
- Sinks
- Wine chillers
- Side burners
- Charcoal cookers
- Dishwashers
- Wood pizza ovens
Location, location, location
There’s no true “correct” spot for building outdoor kitchens. 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.
We’ve seem many people who prefer to have their outdoor kitchens 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 homes to outdoor kitchens. 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.
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.
What type of lighting do I need?
To maximize the hours you can spend using — and enjoying — custom outdoor kitchens, you’ll need to plan for varying levels of light. Whether you have a large outdoor kitchen or a modest outdoor kitchen island, the right lighting and fixtures can change your entire outdoor cooking and dining experience.Overhead lights are key to making the most of your grilling and eating spaces.
Be sure that the kitchen is lit adequately so that you can actually view what you’ll be enjoying. Don’t forget to light surrounding areas like steps, walkways, and paths. Provide adequate task lighting as well as ambient lighting to accommodate after-dark cooking and entertaining. An outdoor ceiling fan helps to keep air moving and deters flying pests.
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!
