Your Own Outdoor Kitchen

Many people think of a backyard BBQ area as only that: a place for a grill, a few chairs and maybe a table with a yellow umbrella. But with a little imagination, the patio can become so much more — not just the support system for enjoying the rest of your yard, but the focal point of your home outdoor experience. It can be your own personal paradise, a place so relaxing that that you’ll want to “staycation” every weekend.

Think of the backyard as another room of your house, says Peter Gudz, owner of Long Island Landscape Designs in Centereach, New York. From that starting point, it’s easy to see the possibilities.

For example, your patio can become a full-service outdoor kitchen, complete with stove, sink and dishwasher. If you install a couple of outlets, you can stock the counter with any standard kitchen items, such as a blender so you can make and serve cocktails without having to ever leave your guests. Of course, working with electricity outdoors is not an amateur project.

You’ll want to work with a good contractor who knows how to weather-proof the fixtures—not to mention the countertop and cabinets, too.

A fire pit, set off from the patio with a nice circle of raised bricks, is another great outdoor addition. It looks great, and can be used to warm up the patio on a chilly night, or to provide a safe spot for the kids to roast marshmallows. Or go all the way and construct a full-size, custom-brick fireplace with a chimney. “An outdoor fireplace is great if you want to get a little romantic,” Gudz says. “You can sit around the fire at nighttime and get that nice relaxed feeling.”

With any of these options, you can use different types of stone, brick, pavers, cultured stone or concrete block to help tie in your home’s exterior with the landscaping.