6 Beautiful Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor Refrigeration
There aren’t as many style and configuration options for outdoor fridges as there are for indoor ones. You can choose between free standing or built-in styles but this is mostly dependent upon price. There are drawer options or beverage centers. However, most of these appliances look very similar with stainless steel fronts.
That doesn’t mean your outdoor kitchen has to look the same as everyone else’s though. The six designers featured here have been able to create six very different outdoor kitchens using the same basic style of appliances.
Rustic Outdoor Kitchens
This style will match most home exteriors. If you have stacked stone or slate outdoors then you can easily transition into a rustic style. Your Great Outdoors uses stone, granite, and cedar for a design with a lot of warm colors. The appliances themselves are quite contemporary looking but the rest of the metals have copper finishes on them.
This design could also use a black finish which you won’t find in stores as often. It would match some of the darker iron tones. Summit has an all freezer and all fridge design. It even comes with a lock which is important when leaving food or drinks unattended. Summit is one of the cheaper manufacturers. SCFF51OS and SCFF51OSIM both have the ability to be built-in or used freestanding.
When you go shopping look for appliances that are U.L. approved and weatherproof. Lighting is more important on these pieces than with an indoor version because you may not have overhead lights outside.
Modern Outdoor Kitchens
If you have glass partitions and concrete outside then your exterior can feel a lot more modern. This Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet design focuses mostly on stainless steel. This allows for more cubic feet of storage space. You can integrate several refrigerator drawers along with a standard fridge or an icemaker.
Summit has a two door beverage center SP6DS2DOS or a three drawer design in SP6DSSTBOS that comes with an ice maker. Look for accents like the BIM24OS which has a towel bar handle. Use stainless fronts for the rest of your cabinets and drawers for a seamless design.
Outdoor Kitchens for Small Spaces
Vidabelo shows a more efficient use of space. Sure, there is less storage space but this serves more as a prep area for grilling than it does as an entire outdoor kitchen. Notice that there is also a built-in wine fridge. The stainless closely matches the color of the stone too which is a good trick for smaller spaces.
Perlick has a 24″ outdoor line with a wine cooler HP24WS, beverage center HP24RS and beer dispenser HP24TS-1Rl. For an even smaller space though you could use their 15″ outdoor series. Remember that this isn’t like indoors where you need a ton of space. This is only a prep station that you will be clearing out often so going with a smaller size will be more affordable and can work in a little backyard. The 15″ wine fridge has a model number of HP15RS-5.
Outdoor Kitchen Islands
A traditional bank of cabinets isn’t the only area you can put outdoor appliances. This designer used a custom made refrigerator for their glass door beverage center and it looks like it’s a pretty large outdoor living area that resembles an interior room.
Comfortable Outdoor Living Spaces
Arterra LLP Landscape Architects still uses a modern approach but with a larger floating island style in this outdoor kitchen design. Surprisingly this is on an older ranch home instead of new construction.
Sub-Zero Outdoor Appliances
This shows how stainless appliances can also look very traditional and elegant. These Sub-Zero appliances aren’t really the feature here. The hanging pendant light, columns, and arched cabinets create an Old World vibe. While the designer doesn’t state exactly what the model numbers are, a similar under-counter refrigerator from this brand is UC-24RO, and the icemaker could be the UC-15IO.
