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The great outdoors is calling everyone outside to dine, to play, to entertain, to follow their hobbies and pursuits.  This has never been more apparent than the explosion in interest in outdoor kitchens and bars and outdoor furnishings.  We seek space and fresh air.  In the era of stay-cations and social distancing, outside is where it is at.

This website celebrates the many and varied ways people use their outdoor spaces which are, most of the time, much larger than their indoor ones.  This means that gatherings of 5-6 can expand to parties of 30 or more because space is practically limitless outside.  And, with the enthusiasm that accompanies good food, good drink and good company, homeowners have embraced outdoor entertaining like never before.

Join us as we find impassioned DIYers, creative professionals and intrepid inventors who create functional spaces and objects out of thin air for their adventures in outdoor living.

Just What Is An Outdoor Kitchen?

You’ll find as many outdoor kitchen configurations and styles as you will find in an indoor kitchen. The standard kitchen description (below) can be used to describe the outdoor variety, too. Some, or all, of the features of an indoor kitchen can be incorporated outside depending on entertaining style, needed functions and space. The main benefit of an outdoor kitchen is that everything you need to dine and entertain outside, is right where you need it…outside.

A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator, and worktops and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a microwave oven, a dishwasher, and other electric appliances. The main functions of a kitchen are to store, prepare and cook food (and to complete related tasks such as dish washing). The room or area may also be used for dining (or small meals such as breakfast), entertaining and laundry. The design and construction of kitchens is a huge market all over the world.

The main difference is durability in all kinds of weather.  Outdoor kitchen elements are heavy-duty, weatherproof and rust resistant.

Today’s outdoor kitchens have their roots in the summer kitchens of the 18th and 19th Centuries.  (see inset right)  Homeowners today have just elevated their outdoor kitchen design to mimic the style and functions of their indoor decor.

Cooking outdoors is more fun and you’ll find a different mixture of appliances such as outdoor pizza ovens and gas grills with more BTUs than you can shake a stick at.  There are smokers and infrared griddles that would create a bit of an issue with your kitchen smoke detector but outside,  you can turn the dial all the way up.  Similarly, cooking outdoors keeps cooking odors outside.  Furthermore, cooking indoors only serves to increase the amount of heat in your home and drive up air conditioning costs.

Because of the lack of restricting walls, more people can participate in meal preparation that would normally fit in a normal-sized kitchen.  As for clean up, it’s much easier out of doors.  When everything you need to cook and entertain is at your fingertips, an open air kitchen eliminates trips in and out of the house to get the tool or serving tray you need.  That saves steps and stress and opening doors which only serve to increase indoor temperature.

When thinking about your dream outdoor kitchen, you have the same type of decisions to make as when designing an indoor kitchen.  Grills, refrigerators, smokers, griddles and cabinetry all have hundreds of choices in size, shape and color.  On the patio, you can have appliances, your choice of countertops, stainless steel sinks and choice of wood finishes.  You can choose an outdoor island kitchen, u-shaped, or galley style, whatever suits your taste and patio size.

Furnishings For Your Patio or Deck

What you value in choosing indoor furniture will be the characteristics you will use to evaluate furnishings for your patio or deck. Most people look for comfort, durability, and style when selecting chairs, tables, and couches. Price is always a consideration and homeowners are constantly on the alert to get the right balance of price and quality available.

There’s durability in indoor furniture (construction, materials) and then there’s durability in outdoor furniture. Frames, upholstery cushions and finishes need to hold up for many seasons outdoors through all kinds of weather conditions. The amount of rain is an important consideration. Moisture leads to mold, mildew and rot, rust and corrosion, wood warping and wicker splitting.

The sun can damage or fade fabric and will affect the finish and color of wood furniture. Heat can cause cracking in wood furniture and metal seating can become uncomfortable to sit on if it has been in the sun too long.

If you live in a windy area, you have to consider the weight of the furniture pieces you will be buying. Heavier pieces won’t blow around and cause damage to nearby plantings and windows.

The durability of your patio furniture selections will also depend on how well you take care of them. Covering furniture will undoubtedly help each piece last longer and protect from excess UV exposure and wind and rain.

Having enough patio chairs or seating for large crowds is a consideration when allocating space on your patio or deck.  We love the idea of retaining walls that also double as seating.  Adding an outdoor fireplace with an outdoor television mounted above creates a focal point and helps your outdoor space do double duty as entertaining and family space.  Don’t forget lighting and outdoor decorations and accessories in your plans.  Just make sure they are weather proof.

The Perfect Backyard Bar

Choosing which features to include in your backyard shouldn’t be difficult considering the many choices available. Perhaps you want to escape the world, but it’s nice outside, so you don’t want to be indoors. Adding the perfect backyard bar to the mix can transform the look and feel of your home.

Make Sure You Have Enough Space

Your working space is very important. Your backyard bar area should be sized according to the available space, and the space you want to devote to it. Once you determine how much space you have to work with, you can decide how to arrange the items in that area.
Patios and decks with little space can pose a challenge. In these cases, why not consider a bar cart that can be moved as needed? It can be made of wood, metal, wrought iron, wicker or any durable outdoor material so it withstands any weather.

Your Dream Backyard Bar: What Do You Want?

Secondly, think about the features your ideal backyard bar would have. The shaded area could be an awning, pergola, or canopy to shade bar patrons, as well as bar stools to seat two to six, the bar area and the back of the bar. It should convey a sense of fun, while displaying the tools and space necessary for work. Keep in mind, if you intend to place a cooler or mini-fridge behind the bar, you will need to either have an electrical outlet nearby or have an area that can be wired with power.

Some bars offer grills in the back, along with high definition televisions and other high-tech gadgets. Others choose to install a bar right next to the swimming pool or spa, or a swim up bar, or even a tiki bar alongside the pool deck. Bars featuring a fire table are popular as well. Make sure you have the right outdoor lighting for your outdoor bar as you will want to use it day or under the stars.

Other considerations include adequate space to serve and enjoy drinks, shelves for bottles and mixers, perhaps a wine rack and glass storage. Don’t forget the bottle opener and utensils.

Adding features will depend on the amount of space and outlets you have available. Unless you have a big property with a lot of open space, you can only place so much on that space, so you have to choose wisely. The right mix of needs and looks will make your bar a popular spot to be.