| How to create your dream outdoor kitchen Outdoor kitchens are one of the biggest kitchen trends of 2017, and not just in the U.S. or warmer countries such as Australia. The trend is taking off in the UK too, with more homeowners wanting to embrace indoor-outdoor living with an outside kitchen area. This kind of space is ideal for entertaining, for summer barbecues, al fresco dining and drinks parties. However, you do need to design them properly to protect them from the elements and to make the space work for you. Here are some top tips to remember when coming up with a design. |  |
Consider the distance from your indoor kitchen
Your new outdoor kitchen and dining space needs to be the right distance from your house for fire safety and ventilation reasons – experts recommend the same distance from the house as the kitchen is high. If the new outdoor space is quite close to your indoor kitchen, you won’t need to duplicate elements (i.e. sinks) as they will already be within easy reach. This can help to simplify and streamline the design.
What happens when it rains?
This is a crucial question to ask yourself when designing an outdoor space such as this, especially if you live in the UK. A cover or shelter of some kind is very important, as it not only protects the kitchen and its appliances but also makes the space usable even in bad weather.
Choose tough, weather proof appliances and materials
The appliances in an indoor kitchen are protected from wind, rain, cold and other weather conditions. An outdoor kitchen is not, so you can’t always use the same materials and fixtures. It’s not practical or even possible in some cases to bring an outdoor kitchen inside in bad weather. Therefore, you should focus your search on tough materials that are designed to be used outdoors. Intreated wood is a no-no, as is metal that is likely to rust.
Everything you choose should be UV-stable, durable, flame-proof and frost-proof, which really will limit your options so you’ll need to be prepared to pay a little more. This applies to furniture (i.e. dining, living and patio furniture) too. Remember that outdoor kitchen units and appliances may not come in standard sizes, so measuring carefully is a must.
Orientation
If you’re having anything like a BBQ, gas grill or pizza oven – common features of outdoor kitchens – you’ll need to consider the orientation of the space carefully. Figure out which direction the wind will be coming from, as this could blow smoke into the house. There are also fire safety concerns to bear in mind.
Choose a fitting expert
Outdoor kitchens require specialist skill to fit, as they have more challenges to contend with than indoor rooms. This is why it’s always a good idea to use a kitchen fitting specialist such as A&J Kitchens.
If you’ve got a big idea for an outdoor kitchen, contact the team at A&J Kitchens for ideas, inspiration and expert advice on fitting.
Your new outdoor kitchen and dining space needs to be the right distance from your house for fire safety and ventilation reasons – experts recommend the same distance from the house as the kitchen is high. If the new outdoor space is quite close to your indoor kitchen, you won’t need to duplicate elements (i.e. sinks) as they will already be within easy reach. This can help to simplify and streamline the design.
What happens when it rains?
This is a crucial question to ask yourself when designing an outdoor space such as this, especially if you live in the UK. A cover or shelter of some kind is very important, as it not only protects the kitchen and its appliances but also makes the space usable even in bad weather.
Choose tough, weather proof appliances and materials
The appliances in an indoor kitchen are protected from wind, rain, cold and other weather conditions. An outdoor kitchen is not, so you can’t always use the same materials and fixtures. It’s not practical or even possible in some cases to bring an outdoor kitchen inside in bad weather. Therefore, you should focus your search on tough materials that are designed to be used outdoors. Intreated wood is a no-no, as is metal that is likely to rust.
Everything you choose should be UV-stable, durable, flame-proof and frost-proof, which really will limit your options so you’ll need to be prepared to pay a little more. This applies to furniture (i.e. dining, living and patio furniture) too. Remember that outdoor kitchen units and appliances may not come in standard sizes, so measuring carefully is a must.
Orientation
If you’re having anything like a BBQ, gas grill or pizza oven – common features of outdoor kitchens – you’ll need to consider the orientation of the space carefully. Figure out which direction the wind will be coming from, as this could blow smoke into the house. There are also fire safety concerns to bear in mind.
Choose a fitting expert
Outdoor kitchens require specialist skill to fit, as they have more challenges to contend with than indoor rooms. This is why it’s always a good idea to use a kitchen fitting specialist such as A&J Kitchens.
If you’ve got a big idea for an outdoor kitchen, contact the team at A&J Kitchens for ideas, inspiration and expert advice on fitting.
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