Asked on Mar 06, 2015

What to do with a charcoal grill

N'neka
by N'neka
I need ideas on how to dress up this grill. When we first had it installed, our yard was completly wooded and it was at the edge of the open grassy area. Now that it's cleared, it looks out of place. And we really need a prep area but when I look for ideas, I can only find expensive outdoor kitchens. We jut want something simple but nice.
  14 answers
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Mar 07, 2015
    It looks out of place because there's nothing around it for its context. If it's in your budget, I'd add a lot more pavers for a patio. I see a lot of people who use pallets. This might be an idea for creating a waist high surface for prep with possibly a shelf for storing bags of charcoal, cooking utensils, etc.
  • Vicki Roby Vicki Roby on Mar 07, 2015
    I would dig it out and move it next to the fence and go from there as of now it's an eye sore and a waste of space that could be a very nice seating area.You have a nice yard.
  • Jen Jen on Mar 07, 2015
    I was going to recommend making a Potter's bench style prep are from pallets or maybe you could find a cheap changing table to repurpose as a "bar". With a bunch of cement blocks you could build a surround for your grill and a prep/ serving station... Top it off with a pallet counter top. Pavers would be great to make it feel like a real entertainment area, with a table and a few chairs. You could even put down some outdoor carpet if your yard is relatively flat. I put 2 sheets of plywood in my yard and covered them with outdoor carpet because I didn't have a the energy to install an actual patio. We built a cement fire pit with about 14 cement blocks for " campfires ". Then added a comfy cushioned patio dining set. A few large pots with ornamental grass and some flowers would be nice too. Good luck. Please post pics when you are done. :)
  • Judy Capone Mantell Judy Capone Mantell on Mar 07, 2015
    You just need to "anchor" and define the area! Plant a semi circle of flowers around the outer edges of the area.Over time I would build raised beds of cinder block and stucco them, but annuals can go right into the ground this year. Buy a dozen bags of potting soil and make a semicircle 6-8 ft behind the barbeque. Slice open some bags of potting soil and plant seeds right in the bags if you don't care for prepping a garden bed. Add a few tomato plants and some lettuces along the front of the bags. Tall flowers such as cosmos will bloom all summer. Add a waist high prepping area. This can be anything from a folding table with expandable legs to a door fastened to a couple of vertical wood pallets. If you use wooden pallets as legs, they can also become planters for herbs and lettuces or flowers. Lots of video how-to's on line. Make sure to give it a couple of coats of protective paint to exposed wood. Paint will do wonders to add a festive atmosphere. Add a picnic table. Get more paving blocks or just outline the whole area and cover it with sand or mulch until you can afford to make a patio. Paint everything bright cheerful colors. You can choose a major improvement each year and slowly replace the makeshift prepping area etc. A good time to shop is in the early Fall when the big box stores are clearing summer inventory. Garage sales and thrift shops are good resources also. Paint does wonders for cast off cabinets and tables. Zithron 900 high temperature paint comes in a number of colors and can be uses to spruce up the Barbeque grill (outside only). An emerald green would look great. Have fun!
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Mar 07, 2015
    Some prep space is always helpful when juggling plates, marinade and raw meat. I think you could easily put together something suitably rustic with an easy to clean surface; depending on your zone you might want to add a rosemary bush, parsley or other herb you could use to sprinkle on your finished meat. I am assuming you are not looking for a seating area, altho a simple picnic table could carry the rustic theme through and would be great for kids or grandkids. I don't believe your BBQ is an eyesore, because beauty is a result of function+design. You just need to install a bit more infrastructure for the activities you'll be having in your woodsey lot so the BBQ does not look so front, centre and lonely!
  • Barbara Barbara on Mar 07, 2015
    I wonder if you could find old used kitchen cabinet bottoms with counter top space or kitchen islands. You might try Craigslist. Doesn't matter what they look like, as long as they have good bones. Then you would have to waterproof them or just cover them with a tarp during your rainy season. You could either paint them funky and gardeny with greens and leaves and flowers or keep it rustic, like the current surroundings by painting it distressed. Not that you have your work area, I'd add some seating, perhaps a little bar or just a bench. Them's my 2 cents. :)
  • Vern skinner Vern skinner on Mar 07, 2015
    Make a Planter out of it !
  • 861650 861650 on Mar 07, 2015
    Vicki Roby has the best idea. You do have a beautiful yard. Move it to the side of the yard. Make a seating area and/or a table w/chairs where the grill now sits and allow "more natural area." Or, just keep it natural like the rest of the yard.
  • Maureen Millgard Maureen Millgard on Mar 07, 2015
    #1 = IF you decide to move it..DON'T get too close to the fence! Safety hazzard if you do.....and I would also take the time to move it back a ways to give it its own defined area. Also...what is wrong with having a picnic table sitting close by ( gives room for sitting and preparing foods for grill ) Slap a sun-brella in the ground and put chairs on either side of it ....Party-time ! All you need is family and friends..Ice-cold drinks..sit and enjoy ! THAT is the idea behind grilling! RELAXING ! Have fun! Whatever you decide...go easy on yourself and HAve Fun !
  • Pam Volkl Pam Volkl on Mar 07, 2015
    I have seen these painted in cheerful colors and used as a planter for flowers. Wish I had the picture to send. It was cool.
  • Lindcurt Lindcurt on Mar 08, 2015
    I saw an outdoor table made with concrete pavers sitting on top of 2 painted wood pallets That were standing vertical. It would probably require some T-posts to hold them upright. This would be handy to the right of the grill. Then maybe a short wall made of native stone to the left and perpendicular to the grill for a small seating area. It appears That you eat on a small patio near the house so the area around the grill could be covered with gravel.. We use river rock around here. Pots of flowers could be used for color.
  • Trudy Hibler Trudy Hibler on Mar 09, 2015
    Additional pavers around it, they don't have to match perfectly...make it look deliberately "unmatched" with complementary pavers. I love the idea of finding pallets to create seating areas around the grill and a prep space. Many lumber yards will either give them to you for free or will only charge a small fee for them. The big box stores won't do this, but smaller, locally owned home improvement and lumber yards will. Great source of building material. You can even use the pallets to create some planters. Adding plants and flowers around the grill and any seating/prep space you create will make it look as though it was deliberately placed there...a feeling of permanence rather than OOOPS.
    • See 1 previous
    • Trudy Hibler Trudy Hibler on Mar 13, 2015
      @Shirley Hendrix Weber I get free ones all the time where I live, and so do many others. The last time I picked up a few, the lumber yard supervisor almost begged me to take more. He had literally hundreds stacked up in a back corner. But I used to live in Cali, so can see how it could be different there. Availability likely depends on region.
  • N'neka N'neka on Mar 09, 2015
    Thanks for the ideas everyone. Keep them coming, especially if you find pictures. I have seen some grill planters but I dont think any plants will survive the weekly fire đŸ˜‰. Our grill gets almost as much use as the stove. Our patio with table is directly to the right of where picture was taken but it's small and not big enough to moe the grill there safely.
  • Marji Marji on Mar 11, 2015
    Love to see what you came up with, given all the ideas.