Outdoor kitchens are an exciting way to upgrade your outdoor living spaces and increase the value of your entire home. Planning and installing the features of this space can take some time- after all, a new outdoor kitchen is a substantial investment for your family and your property. Modern outdoor kitchens showcase a balance of unique visual elements and functional features that will inspire you to spend more time in your backyard than ever before.
If you’ve been dreaming of adding an outdoor kitchen to your home, then chances are you already have some idea of what you want this space to look and feel like. However, the challenge of building this space is often making room for these ideals while considering all the practical requirements and regulations of building such a space. You’ll need to think about water lines, electricity, wiring, and your cabinets, countertops, and range. To get started with building this space for your home, it’s a good idea to schedule a design consultation with a professional.
If you’re not quite sure what the best features are for your outdoor kitchen space, that’s OK too! There are plenty of interesting, unique, and modern arrangements to consider, customizable to how you’ll use this space. In this article, we’ll cover just a few of these features to get you thinking about what this outdoor living space can look like in your backyard.
Weatherproof Cabinets and Countertops
Cabinets and countertops are the visual centerpieces of your kitchen, allowing you to build a modern, contemporary, or traditional aesthetic that fits both your preferences and the exterior of your home. However, these pieces are also crucial to optimizing the functionality and workflow of your outdoor kitchen so that it’s just as easy to navigate and utilize as your indoor kitchen.
Many retailers offer specialized products for outdoor kitchens that include many of the same visual principles of indoor cabinets and countertops but are water and weather resistant in design. While building an outdoor kitchen with marble might seem nice, its maintenance costs, in terms of both time and money, are often too high to justify installation.
Beverage Cooler or Kegerator
Outdoor kitchens are great spaces for entertaining friends and family who visit your home and open up your entire backyard for relaxation, conversation, and fine dining. To accent your outdoor kitchen’s center-stage role in your summer get-togethers, you may want to consider installing a beverage cooler or kegerator. These special drink containers keep everything cold yet accessible so that you can spend the entire evening outdoors. Wine cooler fridges are also a pleasant add-on for this space.
Patio Roofing
Outdoor kitchens feature roofing structures that protect your appliances, countertops, and tiling from the effects of rain, snow, and mildew, while still allowing for the space to feel open and comfortable no matter the season. Brick columns are a popular choice for propping up the roofing, while standard wood and roofing shingles are usually the most functional choice for the canopy. All aspects of the patio’s roofing should match the aesthetics of your home’s exterior.
Kitchen Island Seating
Kitchens islands are the centerpiece of open kitchen designs for both the interior and exterior of the home. While they often feature countertop space for preparing meals, they can also serve as the foundation of a comfortable outdoor dining area. Barstool seating for the kitchen island is a relaxed, informal option for enjoying a drink, entertaining, and keeping the conversation flowing. Make sure the cabinets on the island have plenty of toe kick space, and that there is outlet space nearby to the bar itself.
Heating and Cooling Solutions
To ensure that your new space is usable for longer portions of the year, you may want to consider adding heating and cooling solutions for your outdoor living arrangements. Luckily, there are plenty of products that are specifically designed to make this space comfortable, such as overhead space heaters and rust-resistant fans.
Bold Accent Colors
For the most part, the basic color palette of your outdoor kitchen should be a neutral or cool selection that’s both aesthetically pleasing and timeless. That means using colors such as grey, white, tan, and blue as the base for your kitchen. However, in an outdoor kitchen space, there’s plenty of room for including new, assertive color accents with your furnishings and decor selections. Red, yellow, and lime green are some of the most popular bold accent colors, particularly for contemporary arrangements. All accents should still match the timelessness of your other elements and avoid short-term kitchen design trends whenever possible.
Connections With Other Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor living spaces are a luxurious finish for your home that essentially increases your overall square footage. Connections between the home’s indoors and outdoors should be as seamless and simple as possible so that you can easily step outdoors in your new spaces at any time. However, the link between your outdoor arrangements is just as important as connecting the home’s interior and exterior arrangements.
If you have an outdoor seating area with couches, coffee tables, and other outdoor decor items, you’ll want to make it easy to move between this space and your kitchen. The goal is to make outdoor living as luxurious an experience as possible.
Conclusion- Essential Components of Luxury Outdoor Kitchen Design
Ready to create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams? When it comes to customizing this space’s visual and functional arrangement, the sky’s the limit! You’ll need to speak with an outdoor design professional and set up an initial consultation to get started. The consultation process can give you a good idea of how much your project will cost, what timeline you might be looking at, and the optimal choices for selections such as countertops and appliances.
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