As the name suggests, an outside kitchen is a permanent open-air area for al fresco socialising and cooking. If you don’t have a huge amount of external room, you may want to use all of it for this project.
Your facility could be as simple as an integrated barbecue area or as elaborate as a full, bespoke kitchen complete with storage, equipment and appliances plus a professionally designed layout. Open-air kitchens are highly versatile: you can fit them on a patio, fence or side return to suit the space you have. And you can use them to cook just about anything.
Benefits of an outdoor kitchen
There are a number of these, including the fact that you get a whole new area for entertaining and immediately double your cooking and food preparation areas. What’s more, you’ll find you spend more time outside, and blur the boundaries between the inside and outside of your home. Not only that but, done properly, an outdoor kitchen can enhance the value of your property.
You may even find your diet improves, since al fresco cooking lends itself to grilling, a particularly healthy way of eating.
Things to bear in mind, before installing an outdoor kitchen
- Location, location, location
How will you use this space, and what type of appliances will you be working with? Are you after a pizza oven, barbecue or anything else? Do you want a firepit? Where do you want to place your seating?
At the same time, it’s worth double-checking whether you’ll need to apply for any planning permission for your outdoor kitchen project. (If you have a professional designer, they will be able to advise you on this.)
- Planning the layout
Plan and design your outdoor kitchen in the same way you would the one inside your home. How will you link your indoor and outdoor spaces? One popular idea is an L-shape with integral seating plus a bar. Plumbing, positioning of appliances and electricity all come into play as part of this process.
- Material choices
Clearly, you’ll need to take the great British weather into account. Obviously all paving, countertops and other materials have to be extremely robust. Stainless steel and porcelain paving, for example, are hardwearing yet low-maintenance.
Meanwhile, brick adds warmth and character while remaining durable and weather-resistant. Wood adds a dash of natural beauty but it’s also highly versatile, allowing you to ensure that your outdoor kitchen reflects your personal style. Finally, stone is sleek, strong and sophisticated, as well as extremely long-lasting.
- Don’t forget the accessories
The finishing touches always complete a space. What furniture do you want to have and how will it fit into your design? Try to have cohesion with your interior décor. Equally, don’t stint on details like throws, candles, cushions, rugs and fairy lights to create the perfect atmosphere in which to entertain your family and guests.
- Planning for the weather
How will your protect your al fresco kitchen from the worst of the weather? As well as rain, by the way, that also includes UV rays from the sun, which can have a fading effect. For the winter, invest in some decent-quality waterproof coverings or a pergola, which can offer protection for outdoor kitchens and outdoor furniture.
Outdoor kitchens from AS Landscapes
A professional designer can help you create an outside kitchen that looks great and reflects your style, while blending in with your garden. They can also provide the best advice on where to site your facility.
At Surrey-based AS Landscapes, we’ve been working in landscape design-and-build for more than two decades. We specialise in hard landscaping including outdoor kitchens which create stylish yet functional extensions to our customers’ properties.
We work closely with designers Sumo Outdoor on these projects, and are approved installers of theirs, meaning we can complete installation after the design process, so we’ll be with you every step of the way, from start to finish.
Get in touch today for an initial conversation and free, no-obligation quote.