JWP Inc. | Wooden Cabinets

Outdoor kitchens are one of the advantage of living in Florida. There aren’t too many other places in the world where the weather is good enough, for long enough to make having one worthwhile. They are generally a bonus feature of any house, but can revolutionize the way you use it.

There is a certain freedom when designing and building an outdoor kitchen. Chances are it won’t be used in the same way as the one indoors, so allows a lot more scope in the way it’s built. Typically it will comprise of a steel or ceramic sink with work surfaces either side, wooden cabinets and a stove or barbeque to cook on. Some may have all the mod-cons like refrigerators and trash disposal.

The extent to which you go when designing an outdoor kitchen rather depends on how, and how often you plan to use it. A relatively simple design can fit almost any needs from family lunches to dinner parties. Most of the preparation and work is done in the inside kitchen, so as long as the outside one incorporates working areas and somewhere to store food and utensils, it will work fine.

Any outside preferably covered area can be used as an outside kitchen. The main compromise is the loss of garden space as a result. If this isn’t an issue or you still have plenty left after sacrificing some for the kitchen then it’s all good. A stone or patio floor, maybe a low wall around, a wooden frame and a roof is all you need for a great outdoor kitchen. If you want a little more, run some cable and some plumbing from the house to add water and power. The power can provide lighting to let the proceedings run past dark and the water will let you clean up the mess a little easier the next morning.

While certainly not a necessity in any home, an outside kitchen can be a great way for a family to spend time together outside, and for everyone to make the most of our Florida climate. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, a few wooden cabinets, and a patio table will do. If you have a mind to spend more, then there are enough options to drain your wallet here as there are anywhere. Anything from outdoor specific appliances like refrigerators or wine coolers, to extending tables and automatic lights. The great thing about these “rooms” is that you can spend as little, or as much as you like on them.

It is the perfect accompaniment to a pool, lanai or patioed area and offers valuable flexibility in how you live your life. Very effective if having guests around for dinner, or if you have a large family as it can be easily scaled to a large of small table. If you want to take a step forward from a stand-alone barbeque or a break from walking food out from the inside kitchen then an outdoor kitchen could be exactly what you need.