Spending quality time in your backyard with loved ones means having plenty of opportunities for refreshment and nourishment, regardless of the weather. Running back and forth from the house to bring heavy plates of food and full glasses gets tiring and complicated. Including an outdoor kitchen in your landscape renovation plan will greatly improve the quality of your outdoor living experience with friends and family. Here are some ideas for outdoor kitchens: revamp your landscaping to be the entertainment hub in Briarcliff Manor, NY.

An Island Bar

One of the best ways to make your outdoor kitchen the center stage is to make it an immersive experience. Use an oval design, L-shaped design, or a circular design to place the majority of the outdoor kitchen appliances and features on one side with bar seats on the other side. This will make any culinary experience much more accessible to your guests, and set the stage for some impressive and memorable meals. You will also find that this makes serving food and drink far easier with quick access.

A Wood-Fired Oven

Some of the most delicious meals can come from a gorgeous masonry wood-fired oven nestled right in your outdoor kitchen design. You can cook so many things in such an oven, like bubbly pizzas, casseroles, skillets, breads, braised meats and vegetables, and many more dishes. This grand feature will take advantage of high-heat cooking, making delicious aromas in the process. Best of all, you can have your wood-fired oven double as an outdoor fireplace in the kitchen area, creating wonderful heat and ambient light while everyone waits for their food or just enjoys the outdoor life.

A Pavilion

At some point, the outdoor fun always needs to move inside. However, you can prolong your enjoyment of the great outdoors and keep everyone happy and comfortable with a pavilion that houses your outdoor kitchen, dining space, and even seating area. Pavilions use a closed roof with open walls to provide both shelter from precipitation and baking sun as well as the relaxation from a cooling breeze. With a pavilion, you can ensure that your meals can be enjoyed outdoors without feeling confined by four walls.

A Swim-Up Bar

Anyone with a pool knows the luxury of soaking in the water doesn’t last long enough. With a swim-up bar connecting your pool and outdoor kitchen, your friends and family won’t need to leave the pool as they get a few refreshments. Place some underwater bar stools near a poolside platform to create a functional bar. A swim-up bar is usually sunken to make sure that the person serving drinks is at the same level as swimmers. It’s a luxurious experience that will quickly become the envy of your entire neighborhood.

A Vertical Garden

The most vibrant outdoor living spaces take full advantage of plant life and an outdoor kitchen should be no exception. Include a vertical garden in your outdoor kitchen design that allows small plants to grow on the side of a privacy fence or masonry wall. You can grow small veggies such as peppers or garlic, as well as culinary herbs that add a spark to your meals. This vertical garden can be technologically advanced, housing sleek lighting fixtures as well as an automatic irrigation system that makes sure your plants stay watered. Best of all, it will add a gorgeous backdrop for all of your culinary escapades, and doubles as a privacy wall or wind break.