Outdoor Kitchen Ideas on a Budget
Summer is the season to indulge in outdoor living. Everyone loves alfresco dining and spending a lazy evening lounging under the stars with a few friends while drinking a cocktail or two. An outdoor kitchen and living area make it easy to extend your current entertainment space and make the most of your home’s outdoor area.
But there is one significant issue. A professionally designed outdoor kitchen can require tens of thousands of dollars once you factor in the costs of the design, construction, and purchase of all the furniture and appliances. But there is a simple solution which allows you to have a one-of-a-kind amazing outdoor space, and all it takes is a little creativity.
Start With a Plan
Just like anything else in your life, you should begin with a well-conceived plan in mind before diving straight into the construction of your outdoor kitchen. A thought-out plan is helpful when you are attempting to avoid the common pitfall of wanting to make massive changes halfway through the building process. Look through a few home design magazines and search online for images of outdoor kitchen areas you love. Create a scrapbook of ideas which you can use for inspiration as you go through the design phase of creating your outside kitchen.
The final step in your planning is to draw an ideal layout for your outside kitchen. At this point, let your mind go wild without the constraints of sticking to a budget. Although at this stage, your budget is infinite, your space is not. Resist the urge to fudge numbers, and insist on taking accurate measurements of your yard, the appliances, and any furniture you want to place into the area. Investing more time at this point will help you save on your budget, decrease the building time and prevent frustration and disappointment later.
What Do You Need in Your Outdoor Kitchen?
You now have a solid understanding of what your dream outside kitchen might look like, and it is time to become a bit more practical. Examine your kitchen’s layout. Notice the type of appliances you included in your plans. Did you go for a large grill with additional side burners? Or did you instead opt for a top-of-the-line Italian-built masonry pizza oven? The type of appliances you chose tells a lot about how you envision using your new space. Unfortunately, most homeowners can’t afford to have it all, so you will need to make some difficult decisions on what to include in your ultimate plans.
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- A grill is a must-have for an outdoor kitchen since grilling is the preferred food preparation method for most homeowners. There are many choices of grills which fit into any budget.
- Adding a pizza oven to your outdoor is a small luxury which is becoming more popular. Inexpensive aluminum and portable pizza ovens are available if you have the room in your remodel and your budget.
- Outdoor refrigeration is nice, but it can increase your construction and maintenance costs. Purchasing a high-quality cooler may be an adequate solution which won’t ruin your budget.
- Don’t overlook prep space. A weatherproof kitchen cart or a stainless-steel prep table with wheels makes a great mobile outdoor kitchen island.
Save more money by reusing or re-purposing appliances and furniture you already own. You can often get great bargains on second-hand appliances which work well but may need gentle restoration.
At this point, revise your initial plans to include everything you need while remaining within your renovation’s budget.