Spring is approaching and now is the time to plan renovations for your yard. One way to greatly improve your outdoor space and make it more useful for your family is to install an outdoor kitchen. This outdoor living trend keeps growing each year, thanks to new innovations in materials, better technology and clever new features. Here are three trends to consider when designing your new space.
Bringing the Indoors Outside
Over the past few years manufacturers of outdoor furniture and accessories have made great improvements in both design and weather proofing. You can now install an outdoor sofa or soft chairs in your outdoor kitchen without fear of them getting moldy or sun bleached. Because of this, the latest trend is to match your outdoor kitchen or patio to the decor inside your home. Even the flooring can be customized to match if you choose to install decorative concrete. Or, use granite or stone to follow the shabby chic design trend for outdoor spaces.
Practical and Ambient Lighting
Gone are the days when outdoor lighting means harsh spotlights that you turn on and off with a switch. Today’s LED lights are far more versatile. Many are solar or motion sensitive, making them both convenient and economical. Use a bright light over a counter in your outdoor kitchen or soft spotlights to gently illuminate a seating area. Small lights along a path from the house to the outdoor kitchen prevent accidents.
Weatherproof Appliances and Fire Features
With an outdoor kitchen, you can have all of the comforts of an indoor kitchen, plus fun things you don’t have room for indoors. Many brands of stainless steel counters, refrigerators and trash drawers are now both durable and weatherproof. Fire features, such as fire pits and fireplaces, continue to be a big outdoor living trend because they allow homeowners to use their outdoor kitchens more comfortably in cool weather. If you love to cook, a smoker or wood burning oven allows you to explore techniques that you can’t try inside your home.
These are just a few of the features you can incorporate into your new outdoor kitchen. Contact us for more information on how to transform your outdoor living space.