Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen
October 28, 2021 Patio Design
In Texas, seasons blend together, not really ever knowing where one ends and the other begins. Lucky for us, it’s the perfect place to create a backyard oasis! Outdoor kitchens are heating up in popularity across the country, but for Texans it’s a great investment and something you can enjoy year round.
If you’re worried about space… don’t! An outdoor kitchen can be as simple as a small bbq pit with a tabletop counter surrounding for food prep, to a full-scale set-up with a sink, refrigerator, storage and multiple cooking appliances.
Everything from start to finish is fully customizable with Texas Custom Patios, it’s in our name and we stand behind that! We can lead you in the right direction to achieve exactly what you want with the space you have.
Grills and backyards in general aren’t what they used to be… now the world is your fire-grilled oyster, so have your cake and eat it too!
Our experienced personal project developers will work one-on-one with you to create a custom-designed outdoor kitchen that blends seamlessly with your home’s exterior.
You can choose stone, brick, or stucco finishes; and granite, tile, or concrete counters; but we’ll always use a high-quality framework underneath. We build all outdoor kitchens with tubular steel framing and fiber-cement sheathing to give you a durable, non-expansive, and heat-proof foundation.
What to consider…
For an outdoor kitchen space, there are a few key things:
- Built in propane or natural gas for a grill
- Work surface for prep.
If you want to take it up a notch:
- Sink
- Fridge
- Storage drawers
- Warming drawers
- Sideburner
Get fancy with it:
- Pizza oven
- Big Green Egg
- Kegerator
- Ice maker
- Built-in bar table / stools
Outdoor kitchens are meant to be fun and functional, to graze our outdoor kitchen gallery, click here!
Positioning is everything…
When it comes to picking out a spot for your outdoor kitchen, there are a few things to think about:
- Sunlight
- Wind
- Access to the indoor kitchen
Outdoor kitchens flow nicely when there is a solid straight wall to position the kitchen along and that can be easily covered by a roof extension or stand alone cover. Providing “shelter” for your kitchen will make for a more comfortable cooking experience and keep your appliances and materials nicer and for longer.
Just like the indoor kitchen is where everyone gathers, the outdoor kitchen is the same! So you want to make sure it’s as spacious as possible so that you get 5 stars when it comes to socializing in your backyard paradise. Many like the indoor/outdoor feel, so adding seamless folding doors will help achieve that open concept.
Spacing….
We will definitely help with this and can design something that looks great and works well with your space. We put these things into consideration:
- Prep area
- Cooking area
- Cleaning area
- Dining area
Whether it’s an intimate dinner with the family or a larger gathering with friends, we will want to maximize the space so that no one feels cramped. And just a reminder, smaller spaces can accommodate a kitchen, too.
Recommended materials….
- Stainless steel
- Carbon steel
- Brick
- Stone
- Composite for surfaces
- Cast iron
- Concrete
Just stay away from marble and other porous surfaces, they are hard to keep clean, sanitized and unstained.
Outdoor Kitchen Costs…
And last but not least (we know you were thinking it)! After your project developer visits with you, we will provide you with a proposal that includes an exact quote proposal for your project. On average, the proposal will be completed in about 10 days. This proposal will include a design drawing with specifications and dimensions and rendered views and elevations, so you can see what the project will look like after completion.
Your project developer will schedule a meeting with you to go over your proposal and answer any questions. Once we have signed a contract, you and your project team will arrange to view samples and make final selections for your project. Your budget is top of mind because remember, we want you to have your cake and eat it too! Cheers!
