Counter Culture

In recent years, outdoor kitchens have taken the backyard barbecue from low-key to luxe, and the latest innovations in design are no exception. “The staycation and all of that has been very popular for some time, but what we’re seeing now is that people are really investing the money to make those outdoor areas as comfortable as the indoor areas,” says Patrick Byrne, executive vice president at Roanoke, Va.-based Atlantis Outdoor Kitchens.

According to Byrne, outdoor kitchen design is becoming even bigger and more elaborate. “They’re bigger than many indoor kitchens,” he says, noting that intricate details like arched valances, fluted columns and advanced stonework are popping up, along with added counter space.

“Kitchens are more packed with features and functionality,” says Russ Faulk, an instructor with the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s continuing education program and a vice president at Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. “Where at one time it was pretty much a grill, a sink and a cabinet, then a refrigerator became pretty standard, then an ice maker became pretty standard, now we’re seeing, according to a survey by the National Association of Homebuilders, I think it was almost 60 percent of designers, builders and architects surveyed said a wine chiller was a must-have feature in an outdoor kitchen.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next