You live in Portland, Oregon, a beautiful city in a beautiful setting. Your home already incorporates features that bring the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest inside, but now you’re thinking about crafting an outdoor kitchen design to enjoy Portland’s out-of-doors year-round.
Now, all you need is some guidance on how to start the project and explore your options. Luckily, we’re here to provide you with just that! Read on below to discover some essential tips for designing your ideal outdoor kitchen.How do i plan my outdoor kitchen?
Building an outdoor kitchen is a fun and rewarding project, but it requires a comprehensive approach. Let’s dive into the key aspects you should consider to bring your dream design to life:
1. First, think about the weather
Portland’s climate presents some obvious challenges: 155 days of measurable rainfall, stretches of winter that could freeze pipes, and dry summers with temperatures that often top 90°F. When the weather is nice, it’s glorious, but even when it's not the best, it’s usually still good enough to make cooking, eating, and spending time with friends and family in a good outdoor kitchen a pleasant experience.
Plan for features that will maximize the time you can spend in your well-designed outdoor living space and protect it against the elements. We recommend including:
- Walls built with pressure-treated framing and plywood, covered by stone or siding
- Roof or awnings for rain and sun protection
- Shutters, motorized screens, or sliding glass doors for wind and temperature control
- Built-in heat lamps to warm the area
- Marine-grade cabinetry
- Weatherproof countertops, such as those made from quartz
- Stainless steel appliances
2. Consider a few likely cooking scenarios
When you’re about to take advantage of a huge current trend, it’s tempting to let all sense fly out the window and just go for what is the trendiest and greatest. However, the best way to ensure that you’ll use your new space is to design it so you can actually use it. More specifically, all of it, on a regular basis. This will help you keep the scope in check, and ensure that you get what you really want and need.
Think about how you want to use the kitchen most of the time and then consider adjustments for special occasions. For example, a lot of people dream of entertaining large groups, but simply building a large area to host many people isn’t always the best solution. If you already host big groups and just need more space, it may be the ideal solution. But if you find cooking for and entertaining large groups stressful, then building an average-sized space with an option to add more seating for special occasions may be a much better option.
3. Test out various tools you’re interested in
If you’re still not sure how you’ll use the space, take a month or two to test out a few possibilities. Having a smoker or wood-fired oven can be a boon if you enjoy using them, but if you center your outdoor kitchen around the equipment you’re not yet familiar with, you may end up with a very expensive set of decorations. This is not to say that you shouldn’t invest in specialized tools, just see if you can try them out at a friend’s or relative’s house to make sure they’re what you really want to invest in
As you practice, consider other features you'll need to make this project a success. It’s not hard to set up a simple cooking station in your backyard, but truly functional outdoor kitchens have several features that make preparing food easy and enjoyable. For example, you may want a countertop and sink next to the grill for easy prep or extra space to set food for serving. You can have almost anything that exists in your indoor kitchen here too, so it’s all right to dream big.
4. Refine all the important details
Well before it’s time for building, start talking to your designer about your vision for your new outdoor kitchen. By this point, you should have a fairly firm grasp of the details. Discussing things early helps avoid any confusion and ensures that the results meet your expectations.
Be sure to have answers to questions like:
- How many people do you need to accommodate?
- Do you want built-in seating?
- How often do you hope to use the space and during which seasons?
- What kinds of cooking will you do: basic grill fare or full-on gourmet meals?
- Should it be attached to your home or completely separate?
Think about the flow into your home and the elements of your landscaping. A nearby herb or vegetable garden is a great idea if you’re a garden-to-table kind of person, and a water feature always adds a pleasant touch.
Remember that ventilation is important for fuel-based cooking and necessary for keeping smoke and fuel byproducts out of your home, especially if the new space is located close to the indoor areas. Preventing fuel byproducts or smoke from flowing into the house is vital for your safety.
5. Add necessary infrastructure
Although it’s not the most exciting part of the design, you should also plan for infrastructure. Consider some of the following:
- Electric service for appliances, with plenty of outlets and light fixtures
- A sound system for background music or entertaining
- Gas service tapped into your gas line or maybe an underground propane tank
- Water and drain lines, with a valve to shut off water during winter to prevent damage from freezing temperatures
These additions can significantly increase the total cost of the project, especially if your home’s electric, gas, or water systems need updating in order to meet the increased demand. However, they’ll make the kitchen much easier to use and are worth the extra investment for many years.
6. Features for your dream kitchen
The range of potential features you could add to your outdoor living space is almost endless. Depending on your answers to the questions above, your new outdoor space could incorporate:
- A locking refrigerator with an icemaker, a wine cooler, a kegerator, a wet bar, and a beverage well
- Ample food-preparation surfaces, plenty of storage for food and cooking necessities, and a trash enclosure
- A grill, smoker, extra burners, food warmer, gas oven or wood-fired pizza oven, fire pit, or fireplace
What’s the best company for outdoor kitchen design in Portland, OR?
If you're planning a perfect outdoor kitchen for your summer home remodeling project, count on the experienced team at COOPER Design Build for help. We offer professional full-service remodeling for projects of all scopes and sizes, and we’re equipped and ready to bring your dream space to life.
With our top-notch team’s attention to detail and commitment to quality, we can promise you a seamless and satisfying journey, along with results that exceed your expectations. Whether your home is in Bethany or elsewhere in the Portland metro area, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to begin planning and take the first step towards enjoying the outdoors year-round.
