There is something primal and deeply satisfying about cooking and enjoying a meal outdoors, be it toasting marshmallows on a camp fire or grilling burgers for a weekend barbecue. These days socializing and entertaining feels less fraught when it’s taking place outdoors, encouraging us to fix up our outdoor decks, patios, and backyards and move the party outside whenever possible.
And just as our indoor kitchens have become the hub of the home in recent years, with an ever increasing attention to style and decor, and ever more demanding expectations for appliances and gear, these days we want our outdoor cooking spaces to be just as equipped, efficient, and stylish. Whether that means a chic, compact built-in grilling station on your condo balcony, a backyard patio with a wall of cooking and prep space, or a full-blown luxury outdoor kitchen that’s part of an entertaining oasis complete with a fully equipped kitchen, dining and lounge spaces, depends on your space, needs, and budget.
Check out these outdoor kitchens in a range of styles, sizes, and price ranges that rival any indoor space for inspiration on how to turn your own outdoor cooking area into an oasis fit for endless summer gatherings of friends and family.
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Vertical Garden
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Design by Heather Hilliard Design / Photo by David Duncan Livingston This vibrant modern outdoor kitchen in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood from Heather Hilliard Design is located on a large balcony just off of the main kitchen and dining space. Bright blue cabinetry adds an unexpected splash of color, but the towering multi-colored living wall behind it steals the show with its manicured design that resembles a work of modern art.
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Wood Fired
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Design by Seed Studio Landscape Design / Photo by Travis Rhoads Photography This warm and relaxing San Francisco outdoor kitchen from Seed Studio Landscape Design features a tiled, wood-fired pizza oven and grill that is seamlessly integrated with vertical wood veneer slats that match the same tones as the horizontal wood fencing. A vibrant blue Moroccan-style backsplash adds some color and indoor sophistication, and light toned concrete pavers and integrated lighting adds modern polish and a pleasing nighttime ambiance.
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Seamless
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Design by Thomas Guy Interiors / Photo by Haylei Smith This outdoor kitchen from interior designer Lance Thomas of Thomas Guy Interiors is tucked onto the back wall of a spacious exterior patio and blends in perfectly with the outdoor space’s gray and white palette and adjacent lounge space. Thomas recommends using weather-friendly materials and fabrics in an outdoor space for durability, such as eco-friendly rattan. And he recommends incorporating greenery such as banana leaf trees and orchids “to add a touch of nature,” adding that “high-design planters can be a creative way to show off one’s own personal style.”
