Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: What to Consider When Planning an Outdoor Kitchen

If your home doesn’t already have an outdoor kitchen attached to it, then it’s time to start considering some outdoor kitchen ideas. An outdoor kitchen is a great way to give you and your family reason to spend more time outdoors. Outdoor kitchens can work well in all environments depending on the type of materials and the type of design that’s used to build it. 

The end result is a space where you can spend time with the ones you love while enjoying nature. Because your home’s outdoor kitchen is such a special place, planning an outdoor kitchen requires a lot of thought. It’s time to start thinking of a few outdoor kitchen design ideas to get the process started. 

There are several different factors to consider when planning your own outdoor kitchen space. Below are a few ideas to help you find some inspiration. Continue reading to find out more!

1. An Extended Living Space

When planning the design of your outdoor kitchen, keep in mind that it’s an extension of your home. Even though it’s outdoors, it’s still living space and should be treated as such. You’ll want to put just as much effort into designing it as you would when designing your in-house kitchen or bathroom renovation. 

The more detail and effort you put into the design, the more pleased you’ll be with the outcome. Because an outdoor kitchen is an extension of your home, you’ll want it to provide you with comfort, shade, warmth, and protection. Doing so ensures that you can use this space whenever desired just as you would your indoor kitchen.

Plan for all types of weather when designing your outdoor kitchen. You should also plan to create an aesthetically pleasing environment as you’ll want to spend a lot of time in your new extended living space. Plant your favorite trees, shrubs, and other plants to make the area a beautiful sight to see. 

2. All Appliances Imaginable 

When building your outdoor kitchen, it’s important to consider all appliances imaginable. You want this space to function fully on its own. The last thing you want to do is have to run back forth between your outside kitchen and your inside one. 

To make the space as functional as possible, you’ll want to have all of the necessary appliances in it. Consider installing a built-in refrigerator, an ice maker, a grill and smoker, and anything else that you might find useable. Some outdoor kitchens even have brick ovens that homeowners can use to make pizzas and other meals. 

If you’re a beer drinker, you can install a built-in kegerator. What you choose to install is based on what you know you’ll need and use. 

3. A Well-Lit Area

Don’t forget about lighting when planning your design. Lighting is a major factor to consider because you want to be able to use this space whenever you please, this includes during the evening time. You should incorporate several different types of lighting.

You’ll need task lighting and other types of lighting to make the space functional during the night. You’ll also want to install some dimmable lights or lighting that’s not as bright as task lighting to use when you want to hang out in a relaxed setting. 

Tiki lights are another wonderful option as you can place them around your outdoor kitchen and keep the bugs away!

4. An Area to Entertain or Relax

One thing you’ll need to consider is what you’ll be using your outdoor kitchen for. Do you want an area to entertain friends and family, or do you want an area to simply relax in? You might even want to use the area for both. 

Keep these factors in mind when planning the design of your outdoor kitchen. You’ll want the design to function well with what you plan on using your outdoor kitchen the most for. If you plan to use it for relaxing more than anything, then you can create a cozy space.

If you plan on entertaining a lot, then you can create a more party-themed space with open spaces to gather in. 

5. A World of Stone

Stone is always a wonderful material choice for an outdoor kitchen. Consider a stone grill station and stone fireplace. You can even have built-in seating installed in the stone layout. 

Stone is a great option for home exteriors that compliment it. Stone is also durable and weather resistant. 

6. A Built-In Space

If you believe that you need a large amount of land to build an outdoor kitchen on, then think again! You don’t need a lot of land at all to create an outdoor kitchen. Some outdoor kitchens can even be built right into your home’s exterior, taking up as little space as possible.

Lots of shelving and a decent amount of counter space is all you need to have an outdoor kitchen. A small grill can be installed right into the counters and the shelving can hold all other necessary items. 

7. A Climate-Controlled Area

One of the more important things to remember is to design a climate-controlled area. You don’t want a little bit of bad weather to stop you from using your outdoor kitchen. To prevent that from happening, build a well-covered area. 

A fully-covered outdoor kitchen will allow you to also use more appliances as they’ll be protected from the weather. You can also opt to use a temporary cover if you don’t plan on using your outdoor kitchen too often. 

Consider Some of These Outdoor Kitchen Ideas! 

Ready to build your own outdoor kitchen? Keep these outdoor kitchen ideas in mind when planning for the design. 

And when you’re ready to get started, click here to schedule a consultation!