Make cooking al fresco even more delightful with these amazing outdoor design ideas.
Nathan Kirkman, styling by Jennifer DeCleene
Cooking and eating a meal outside is a lovely, good-weather activity—you’re preparing the thes best grilling recipes with the most refreshing seasonal cocktails or spritzy summer wine in hand as you enjoy the views. But with all that loveliness comes a few headaches (and bugs!). Case in point: hauling food and supplies out from the kitchen can be a huge hassle, especially when you realize halfway through cooking that you’ve forgotten a must-have ingredient you need right now. If cooking outside with all the essentials wares at your fingertips is your idea of domestic bliss, then consider building a functionals outdoor kitchen of your own that caters to your unique culinary needs.
The cost of building an outdoor kitchen, much like an indoor kitchen renovation, varies depending on the materials and appliances you choose. Pro tip: Outdoor products should be built to weather the natural elements, so durability should be at the top of your list. Enlist a trusted general contractor to provide a thorough estimate for building the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. If you’re not all in on a built-in outdoor kitchen, you can create a makeshift space by curating readily available, inexpensive items like a table with a flat surface for prepping food, a tiered bar cart or shelf for storage, a grill, and a cooler. Shop in a tight colorway for a cohesive and polished look.
Take your best backyard ideas to a sizzling new level with all of these dreamy outdoor kitchen ideas and practical tips!
Party-Ready Cabin Kitchen
Nathan Kirkman, styling by Jennifer DeCleene
Mallorie and Jim Rasberry of HGTV’s Home Town serve up ample Southern style at their family cabin outside of Laurel, Mississippi. Pops of patriotic reds add to the party feel, while the (made in America) Lynx grilling station sets up Jim for serious culinary success.
SHOP RED STOOLS
Backyard Party Pavilion
David Tsay
This 500-square-foot covered structure hosts alfresco feasts, football-viewing parties, and even Thanksgiving dinners. A pair of 8-foot wooden doors hides additional storage and a powder bath.
SHOP METAL CHAIRS
The Green Eyed Girl
Wood-Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven
If there’s one thing your family can always agree on, it’s pizza night. Make summer Friday nights all the more special by whipping up your own savory pies in the backyard.
See more at The Green Eyed Girl.
SHOP PIZZA OVEN
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Grain Silo Outdoor Kitchen
It doesn’t get more wonderfully rustic than this outdoor grain silo bar in Topeka, Indiana. Repurpose your own galvanized backyard structure for the best food and drink station around. Just don’t forget the tractor seats!
SHOP TRACTOR SEATS
Cozy Patio Outdoor Kitchen
Pure Style Home
This gorgeous space-saving setup boasts bar stools beside the grill and a family-friendly table that seats a crowd.
SHOP TABLES
Stone Outdoor Kitchen
Michelle Derviss Landscape Design
We’re loving this entertaining spot for its sleek stone fireplace and grill station. Contrasting wood trellises and pergolas provide a change in material as well as added privacy.
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Lisa Romerain/Otto
Poppy Patio Kitchen
Lean into pops of color to make your kitchen stand-out. Here, an eye-catching sign and complementing chairs make a statement over this streamlined outdoor kitchen.
SHOP RED CHAIRS
Rustic Outdoor Kitchen
Price/Wine Spectator
Situated between troves of shady trees, this outdoor entertaining space, which belongs to actress Candace Cameron Bure, features a pizza oven, a gather-round dining table, and lots of spots for lounging.
SHOP ROUND OUTDOOR DINING TABLES
Built-In Outdoor Kitchen
This California home’s built-in concrete cook space dazzles with shades of black against the modern farmhouse exterior. This space was inspired by a photo featuring the work of Dutch designer Piet-Jan van den Kommer of WWOO.
SHOP CERAMIC GRILL
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Nathan Kirkman
Creative Ice Cream Bar
Take a note out of HGTV’s Mallorie and Jim Rasberry’s design book and use a vintage baby tub as a creative way to keep ice cream cold on hot summer days. Layer in fun pennants for a stylish touch!
SHOP PENNANT FLAGS
Open-Air Kitchen
Lisa Hubbard
The owner of this Rhode Island home enlisted a contractor to build an open-air kitchen and an enclosed living room—both outfitted with electricity and water—alongside his vegetable garden. A patio of bluestone pavers links the two cedar structures.
SHOP PAVERS
Outdoor Dining Patio
James Merrell
Inside this cabin in Ohio, an 8-foot-long bar lines the back wall. Dinner is often served on the patio outside at a huge table made with wood reclaimed from a bowling lane.
SHOP DINING TABLE
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Under-Awning Dining Space
Max Kim-Bee
The 250-square-foot kitchen cottage from Country Living‘s 2012 House of the Year took outdoor cooking to exhilarating new heights. Weathered barn doors from Tall Cotton Supply slide wide open and “allow the indoors to merge with the outdoors, so the cook doesn’t feel isolated,” explains Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson. Architect Ruard Veltman further blurred the boundaries with a dining area shaded by an awning of Sunbrella fabric and furnished with a picnic table and benches.
SHOP PICNIC TABLES
DIY Grill Station
Feeling ambitious? You can build your own outdoor kitchen space from stacked stones and a DIY wood structure.
Get the tutorial at Lowe’s.
SHOP GRILLING STATION
Modular Outdoor Kitchen
Courtesy of WWOO
Created by Dutch designer Piet Jan van den Kommer, the WWOO is a customizable, concrete outdoor kitchen that’s meant to be affordable and virtually maintenance-free.
See more at the WWOO
SHOP EGG GRILL
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Summer Entertaining Area
Trevor Tondro/House Beautiful
This Nantucket outdoor kitchen is the ultimate place to entertain—this one includes a grill, cooktops, a refrigerator, a sink, and even a pizza oven.
See more at outdoor kitchen tips at House Beautiful.
SHOP MINI OUTDOOR FRIDGES
Max Kim-Bee
Outdoor Fireplace
It’s not a full-blown kitchen, but this stucco mission-style fireplace, complete with antique Spanish tiles designed by Isabelle Dahlin (who also owns popular L.A. shop Dekor), is the perfect place for family to gather and roast s’mores.
SHOP S’MORES KIT
Courtesy of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Backyard Refrigerated Drawers
Tucked away in a small Chicago backyard, this outdoor kitchen set-up proves you don’t need a lot of outdoor space for a stylish and functional kitchen. A stacked two-refrigerator door keeps an assortment of drinks at the ready.
See more at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.
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Chalkboard Backsplash
This freestanding outdoor kitchen unit, designed by the bloggers behind The Horticult, was built on wheels so it could easily be moved. A giant chalkboard wall is the perfect place to write menus and to-do lists.
See more at The Horticult.
SHOP CHALKBOARD PAINT
Outdoor Kitchen Materials
Courtesy of New Eco Landscape Design and Build
Cedar cabinetry and stainless steel countertops give this outdoor kitchen a modern feel. Herb gardens in stylish planter boxes and filled with lavender, yucca, and juniper give the space a natural feel.
See more at New Eco Landscape Design & Build.
SHOP PLANTER BOXES
JANECE MAZE
Janece Maze is Associate Editor at Country Living, where she covers DIY projects, gardening, and travel. When she’s not in the kitchen creating a new recipe with farm fresh ingredients, you can find her on the road heading to a music festival or browsing a local consignment shop.
ANNA LOGAN
Senior Homes & Style Editor
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
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