More people than ever are looking to their outdoor spaces to provide them with an escape from their busy lives. As an extension of your indoor living space, your backyard is a clean slate full of creative possibilities.
If you’re hoping to turn your outdoor space into a kitchen that’s perfect for cooking and entertaining, but you’re not sure where to start, you’re in the right place.
Keep reading to learn the top outdoor kitchen ideas and how you can elevate your space most effectively.
Create a Party Pavilion
Your outdoor kitchen should be a place where you can get together with friends and family and have enough space for everyone to comfortably have a good time.
One way to do this is to design an outdoor kitchen that highlights a long table to seat a larger group. This could be a fancy outdoor dining table or a laid-back picnic table – whichever fits the vibe you’re going for.
Here you’ll be able to serve food, play games, talk as a group, and enjoy your outdoor space together.
Add an Outdoor Pizza Oven
When it comes to outdoor kitchen essentials, built in pizza ovens should be at the top of your list.
Pizza always tastes better when it’s cooked in an authentic pizza oven, and what better way to enjoy the experience of making a pizza than to do it in the fresh air?
Whip up some homemade pizza dough, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy a yummy pizza courtesy of your outdoor kitchen’s pizza oven.
Design an Entertaining Area
Go all out by creating an outdoor area that’s meant to host people easily. You can do this by including all of the kitchen essentials, such as a grill, a prep space, a bar with barstools, and a sink.
Add lots of seating and a few plants for the perfect visual aesthetic, and your outdoor kitchen will be your friends’ favorite hangout spot.
Include a Bar and Barstools
A bar area isn’t only meant for your indoor kitchen – build one outdoors, too!
Including a bar and barstools in your outdoor kitchen design gives you a space-saving way to entertain guests with ease. Create a prep station with a bar attached and situate it right next to the grill or oven. Add some comfy barstools to the bar, and you’ve created the perfect outdoor setup.
Select Natural Stone for the Kitchen
If you want your outdoor kitchen to be practical while also making a statement, designing it to be made of stone is a great option.
Stone is an ideal material to create your kitchen out of because it is naturally weatherproof and won’t stain. Whether you choose to create a stone floor for your outdoor kitchen or turn all of the counters and appliances into stone-decorated centerpieces, using stone will help keep your outdoor kitchen usable for many years to come.
Designate Spots for Lounging
Many people focus on the cooking station or table seating for their outdoor kitchen, but adding additional seating that’s both practical and comfortable will turn the space into an area where people will want to hang out for much longer.
Add comfy lounge seating like cushioned patio furniture, rocking chairs, or even cushioned swings. If you do choose lounge furniture that uses fabric, make sure the fabric is weatherproof to ensure it lasts a long time without deteriorating.
Build an Outdoor Fireplace
When the weather turns colder, many people stop using their outdoor kitchens until it gets warm again. But why shouldn’t you be able to enjoy your outdoor space all year long?
Elevate your outdoor kitchen by including a fireplace. This could be one that blends in with the rest of the appliances, or you might make the fireplace a focal point of the area and put seating all around it.
Outdoor fireplaces are perfect for gathering together on chillier evenings and roasting s’mores or other fire-side treats.
Attach a Gas BBQ or Charcoal Grill
There’s one thing your outdoor kitchen won’t be complete without: a grill.
Grills offer endless options for cooking, from roasting veggies to cooking hot dogs and burgers for a cookout. Choose to power your grill with gas, charcoal, or electricity, depending on your outdoor kitchen setup (and what kind of flavor you like best!).
Grilling outdoors will become a summer staple in your family, with fun nights spent eating dinner outside.
Install a Refrigerator
Sure, you could keep all of your cold items in the house and bring them outdoors when needed, but having them ready to go outside is an even better option.
Add a small fridge to your outdoor kitchen for storing any essentials you tend to need most out there. For example, maybe you want a drink rack to keep sodas or wine cold so you can offer drinks to guests easily when you’re entertaining outside.
Whether it’s big or small, an outdoor refrigerator instantly boosts your space to turn it into a more sophisticated outdoor kitchen.
Opt for a Covered Area
Covering your outdoor kitchen makes it immediately more useable, as you then don’t have to worry about rain or super sunny days since you have a form of protection against yourself and the weather.
Protect your outdoor kitchen from rain showers and create shade with things like pergolas, large canopies, or even simple outdoor umbrellas. You can also opt for a statement-making gazebo for more durable weather protection.
Adding a covered area to your outdoor kitchen won’t only protect you from the weather, but it will give you more privacy too.
Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: The Ultimate List
This article contains just a fraction of the outdoor kitchen ideas that are out there. With a little creativity and planning, you can turn your outdoor kitchen into your family’s favorite space to relax and entertain.
Looking for ideas for yummy foods to cook in your new outdoor kitchen area? Check out the rest of our site for delicious recipes and all things food-related.
