How to Design a Trendy Outdoor Kitchen

Dividing backyard space into outdoor "rooms" is a growing trend in landscape and hardscape design with the biggest focus being on the outdoor kitchen. No longer just a barbeque counter or the lone charcoal grill, the outdoor kitchen is growing in size and functionality as it steals the spotlight and becomes a main focal point in the backyard. In this article, Scott Cohen, HGTV's favorite Garden Artisan, shares his insight on how to design today's trendy outdoor kitchens.

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Nowadays outdoor kitchens are a more elaborate extension of the indoor kitchen and far more sophisticated than a simple charcoal grill. Outdoor kitchens need to be sized appropriately for the space available while meeting the entertaining and dining needs of the homeowner.

Outdoor Kitchens & Barbecue Grills

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Outdoor kitchens are the hottest trend in backyard entertaining and can range in complexity from a simple gas grill flanked by concrete countertops to elaborate, fully equipped kitchens.

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Start with this list of questions to help define the parameters for your design:

Entertaining needs: These questions will help you size the counter.
- How often do you grill?
- How many people do you entertain on a regular basis outdoors?
- At big parties?
- Will you need to be able to accommodate a bartender and/or caterer?
Equipment Wish List
- How large of a grill do you plan to use?
- What outdoor kitchen accessories and appliances do you want to include in your layout?
Configuration
- Do you want the counter built at one height or create a split level counter with a portion of the counter at bar height? (Get industry standards for counter and bar-counter heights)
- How many people do you want to be able to have at the bar counter?
Placement
- Is there an area in the yard that you think would perform best for the outdoor kitchen?
- From which direction does the prevailing wind come?
- What are the sun and shade angles in the yard ?