Bring the Party Outside With These Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen Ideas
Adding an outdoor kitchen and dining area to your home can do more for you than providing another space to eat. It can be your own private oasis and homegrown vacation spot, it can add value to your home, and it can encourage a healthier, more outdoorsy lifestyle. We've gathered a snapshot of some of the Hometalkers' best DIY outdoor kitchen projects to inspire you to create yours. Bring the party outside with some fabulous outdoor kitchen ideas!
1. An Affordable DIY Outdoor Kitchen
These Hometalkers were able to build on their existing 16x16 foot patio to create an affordable DIY Outdoor Kitchen. They bought cheap outdoor grills from Lowes, easily connected to a gas canister to provide the energy needed. They also attached some outdoor kitchen cabinets to the rear of the house, re-using the parts from their old, unwanted grill. Get tutorial here
2. Vintage Outdoor Kitchen Designs
Some may find it difficult to incorporate outdoor kitchens into an older house. These Hometalkers connected the kitchen to the main property with a natural weather-worn stone walkway in order to keep the look and feel consistent. They also added an elegant colonial-style pavilion over the dining area that blends seamlessly with the wooden house. Get tutorial here
3. Easy-to-Build Outdoor Pizza Oven
All you need to build your own genuine wood-fired pizza oven at a rock-bottom price is a concrete pad and a dry-stacked concrete block wall for the foundation, as well as a counter-height concrete slab and a firebrick dome, all of which can be bought for a couple of hundred dollars. Get tutorial here
4. From Hot Tub Lounge to Outdoor Kitchen
These thrifty Hometalkers got rid of their unused hot tub, but used the existing plywood base and dry-fitted 2x6 planks into the floor, only needing to cut off any protruding edges. With the remaining planks, they were able to build the kitchen shelving, cabinets, and bar area, with little more than some standard woodscrews and a buzzsaw. Get tutorial here
5. The Right Outdoor Kitchen Cabinet Materials
One of the key considerations for outdoor kitchen cabinets is which style to go for. There are wooden cabinets, steel cabinets, and even modular outdoor kitchens to choose from. This Hometalker went for ipe tropical wood cabinets throughout the kitchen - a much more affordable variation of teak cabinets that are very weather-resistant. Get tutorial here
6. A Crafty Outdoor Kitchen Island
An outdoor kitchen island is often the centerpiece of the entire space. For their outdoor kitchen island, this Hometalker took an old Hoosier cabinet from the dump and gave it a good scrubbing. After applying some generous coatings of Annie Sloan's Primer Red, they added hooks to store some outdoor kitchen essentials such as grilling tools. Get tutorial here
7. Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Americana Style
For outdoor kitchen ideas that stand out, you can follow the advice of this fashionable HomeTalker and opt for the Americana look. They were lucky enough to find a DCS-48 Inch Classic Grill that would right at home in an old-school diner. In addition, they managed to beat the heat by installing steel pipe roof beams, which deflect sunlight. Get tutorial here
8. An Outdoor Kitchen Made from Pallets
Here you can see just how creative and inspiring your outdoor kitchen design can be with nothing more than some wooden pallets and a sander. This Hometalk project used some standard storage pallets, which were then sanded down, given some stain and finish, then nailed together to create a tropical-style bar and rest area. Get tutorial here
9. Back to Basics Outdoor Kitchen
A single outdoor kitchen cabinet or bar is all you need to bring the party to your backyard. These Hometalkers did just that with some standard cinder blocks and a repurposed porch door which served as a rustic barback. Use a standard putty adhesive to stick the blocks together, then use a razor blade to remove any excess before it dries. Get tutorial here
10. An All-Weather DIY Outdoor Kitchen
A key consideration when building a DIY outdoor kitchen is protection from the elements. These Hometalkers used Sunbrella Fabric panels on both the ceiling and exterior curtains, which move back and forward with the pull of a string. This will keep your area protected while still letting in as much sunlight and air as possible. Get tutorial here
11. Outdoor Living for Reasonable Prices
This Hometalker has shared several tips for keeping your outdoor kitchen project affordable, including the use of an outdoor fire pit if you're not ready for the full kitchen experience. They recommend avoiding natural stone, as this can be expensive and there are artificial options which still look great. It is important to have a clear idea of your vision before you start. Get tutorial here
