Are you tired of cooking inside when there’s nice weather? Does the climate allow you to spend time outside when you’re preparing food, and then enjoy it with your loved ones in your garden? If so, it means you can move your kitchen outside. Here are a few outdoor kitchen design ideas you can apply to enjoy spending time outside while also being productive.
Where to Start with Your Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas
First of all, you need to consider a series of factors. The region you live in is extremely important. You need a friendly climate with warm days throughout most of the year. This way, you won’t have to worry about your outdoor kitchen during the cold seasons.
Then, you need to think about what you need in your kitchen. Make a list of all the utilities that are necessary, and try to estimate a budget for each of them. For reasons related to budget, try to split the list into items that you need, and items that might be nice to have but aren’t mandatory.
Fortunately, there are many ways to fix the financial issue. Outdoor kitchens have become extremely popular. This is why there’s a huge offer on the market of prefabricated items you can include in your design. Therefore, if you cannot afford something too sophisticated, you can always improvise.
In the end, before choosing from your favorite outdoor kitchen design ideas, you need to decide on a place in your garden. This will help you settle on the idea that will stay. Judging from the space you have, you can choose what extra items to include, opt for the ideal material, and decide if you need a ceiling or walls.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas
Spring is here, so you should get ready to spend more time in your backyard. By applying some of these ideas, you can create a space where you can prepare a nice meal, put up a summer barbecue, and have a late night dinner with your friends.
1. Kitchen on the Patio
This idea is perfect if you have a wide garden with a nice wooden patio. To match everything, you can cover the sink and the oven in a wooden layer as well. Place this kitchen equipment in a corner, and keep the patio as the dinner place. You can add a table and chairs right in the middle, and turn it into the best refuge for a garden party.
You can add some colorful wooden decorations on the wall above the oven and sink. To complete this effect, match the color of these items with that of the table and chairs.
2. Rustic Outdoor Refuge
This is probably one of the most complicated outdoor kitchen design ideas, but the final product is worth all the effort. First of all, you need a bigger garden with plenty of trees. Between those trees, find a place that you can cover with wood and form some sort of terrace.
Here, you can build a grill using a sophisticated stone design. Next to the grill, you can add some benches or garden sofas and, at the center, place a circular table and some chairs. The grill is the cheapest alternative, as it might be difficult to have gas and water far away in your garden. However, if you have the means, you can add a sink with an improvised water system.
3. Built-In Cooking Space
This idea is easy to achieve, and it doesn’t require much space. On the wall close to your indoor kitchen, you can create a summer outdoor cooking place. You only need to fix the sink and an oven or a grill. To make everything look prettier, you can install a wooden frame around them. These frames will give you some extra space to keep your groceries, but also a great storage solution for wood, coal, or even some potted plants.
4. A Green Metallic Corner
An outdoor kitchen should be built to last and to withstand extreme weather conditions. Therefore, some materials might not be too great if your spot is not sheltered properly. Some metals might sound suitable, but there is the danger of rusting. Pick a metal that can cope with the weather, and paint it in nice colors. This will cover any damage, and also lets you fix anything easily.
However, outdoor kitchen design ideas that use only metal might seem a little too cold. If you want something more exotic, go for luxurious plants with big leaves and hanging stems. Shelter the kitchen tools, and create a vegetal frame above them. For a more Victorian look, you can even add some vintage tiles on the floor and the wall next to the kitchen equipment.
5. A Kitchen on the Rooftop
Not everyone has a garden, but this doesn’t mean you cannot have an outdoor kitchen. If you have a spacious rooftop, you can easily turn it into the best place for cooking. Given the nature of the space, it should be easier to add whatever items you need.
Then, opt for a minimalist design. Stainless steel materials are perfect, together with a minimalist design suitable for a modern setting. You can frame the items with some steel beams, and fix some lights on them. These will help you prepare a midnight snack or have a sophisticated party with your friends at a higher altitude.
6. Pretty Flower Kitchen
You can easily turn any basic kitchen tools into something colorful and fresh. Before fixing them into the garden, look for sinks and tables with special containers. You can use them to keep some fragrant flowers. The advantage of these is the fact you don’t have to water them, as using the sink regularly would do the whole job.
Also, don’t forget to add some stone vases and make some wreaths and turn the entire kitchen corner into a blooming refuge.
7. Use Terracotta
This is one of the most natural outdoor kitchen design ideas. Picking the terracotta color palette, combined with traditional ovens and elaborate stonework, will make everything look traditional and vintage. Instead of a classic oven, you can choose a prehistoric furnace design next to a storage space for wood. Provide some shelter for the sink and cupboards with a nice stone cupola.
Of course, making everything out of terracotta might be too complicated. You can use other materials and trick everyone by painting them in these earthly hues.
8. Kitchen in a Tent
In case you have no terrace to shade your cooking utensils, you can improvise one. Soon after installing the ovens and sinks, you can attack a shade tent above them. This can come as a continuation of your roof, or you can put it up individually. However, you need to be careful. Choose a tent that doesn’t close completely, to avoid unpleasant incidents. Let the air flow in your outdoor kitchen and pay attention to the fire.
9. Repurposing Old Wood Items
If you want something both pretty and cheap, you can start recycling. There must be plenty of objects in your garden or house you no longer use. Instead of throwing them away, you can use them to create some kitchen furniture or to decorate your space.
Old doors and shutters can make for great kitchen cupboards or hideouts for an ugly sink. If you want to take everything to the next level, you can even build a small roof above your outdoor kitchen. It might not save you from rain, but it can provide a little shade and make a pretty space to cook in.
10. DIY Grill
This is, again, among the cheapest outdoor kitchen design ideas. Instead of buying everything and spending plenty of monetary resources, you can go full DIY and make everything yourself. Yes, you might have to buy the grill, but you can manufacture all the other decorative elements. You can use some bricks to make a nice support for the grill, while the other cabinets and the sink can do well with some wooden frames.
However, you are free to get creative. If you have some metal bars, you can fix them horizontally near the cabinets as support for metal cups. Also, you can place them vertically and attach a hook to them, and then use it as a hanging tool for flower pots, buckets, or any decorations.
11. Vegetable Garden Kitchen
Having a vegetable garden in your backyard shouldn’t stop you from playing with outdoor kitchen design ideas. You can build your own kitchen over right next to your tomatoes. Building a fence between them might help, as well as covering the kitchen tools in wood to keep everything rustic. You can also build a small patio and install a table, some chairs, and an umbrella, and make a great setting for outdoor dinners.
Summing Up
These outdoor kitchen design ideas should help you build a nice airy space where you can cook on a hot summer day. Instead of being confined within four walls, you can take more freedom to prepare some treats and be in touch with nature at the same time. Most of these ideas are not expensive, and help you manage your space better while creating amazing decorations for your backyard.
Image source: Flickr
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