Photo courtesy of Dave Fox
As much as many of us would like it to be, central Ohio isn’t exactly what you’d call “tropical.”
If we’re lucky, we get about three months of warm, sunny weather before the leaves start to turn and we retreat back indoors. So why not try to enjoy those few months in the best way possible – outside?
Outdoor kitchens give homeowners that opportunity. With an outdoor kitchen, hosts never again need to leave the party to cook and serve, and the endless back-and-forth between the kitchen and guests outside is eliminated. Everything is cooked and served on the patio, and guests need only walk a few steps to grab dinner.
Small-scale outdoor kitchens, often limited to a built-in grill and island, still have some popularity. But many homeowners are gravitating toward the full-scale outdoor kitchen: overhead cover with ceiling fans, dining area and grill attached to the home gas line.
Photo courtesy of Dave Fox
Aesthetics and functionality often compete for the homeowner’s top priority.
“Sometimes, the client doesn’t really mind about functionality and wants something that looks really, really nice as far as layout and details,” says Marc Aubry, landscape designer at GreenScapes Landscape Company. “We’ve done others where the kitchen is the deal and they want that to be the centerpiece.”
The outdoor kitchen trend has only recently begun to take hold, so, without as much opportunity for comparison, a lot of people are just testing the waters, says Courtney Burnett, interior design manager for Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers.
“I’ve noticed we’ve been doing more fireplaces outdoors – not just fire pits – and I see those being incorporated in those sort of kitchen zones,” says Burnett. “It’s a whole entertainment area, so you’ve got cooking, sitting space, comfy furniture, even dining tables near. … (It) can kind of extend the season.”
Photo courtesy of Greenscapes
Both Aubry and Burnett agree that the most popular countertop for outdoor kitchens is granite. Not only is granite safe to use outdoors, it has the potential for many different colors and patterns. Granite also lasts longer than other countertops and is typically installed in one large piece, meaning the countertop itself is seamless.
Despite the benefits of granite, Dave Fox has been opening up opportunities to use Dekton, a material developed by Spanish surface company Cosentino that Burnett describes as a mix between quartz and porcelain tile. Dekton is like granite in that it is safe to use outside and is installed as a sheet, but it can be built to mimic different materials: stone, marble, even wood. This makes it versatile, as the wear and tear of the outdoors prevents the use of surfaces like quartz, which is sensitive to sunlight.
Though Dave Fox hasn’t yet used Dekton in an outdoor kitchen, Burnett expects the material to become widely used as the outdoor kitchen market surges.
“I think it’d be great to use, and I’d love to use it in our next outdoor kitchen,” says Burnett. “Sometimes you have limestone, bluestone, stucco or brick, (but) the granite kind of naturally lends itself to those environments, so I think it’ll stay pretty strong, too.”
Naturally, a main feature of many outdoor kitchens is the bar. Basement bars are still quite popular, as they lend themselves to the winter months, but having a bar outside as supplement to the outdoor kitchen can take those summertime parties the extra mile.
Photo courtesy of Greenscapes
The bar doesn’t have to simply be an island with shelving, either; GreenScapes integrates sinks, drawers, doors and trash cans into its bars to complete the experience.
“It’s truly an outdoor kitchen; it’s not just a grill with a small side table to put stuff in,” says Aubry. “We’ve done a few where they had a bar integrated, so people have been cooking on one side and a bar on the other side.”
Aubry and Burnett have seen overwhelmingly positive reactions to the outdoor kitchen projects they’ve put together.
“We try to get things ready for the graduation party, and when they get to that point, it’s exciting, because they can finally get outside and enjoy it,” says Burnett. “I think it’s sort of the whipped cream on top for those customers.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
RELATED READS
