Are you thinking of adding an outdoor kitchen to your Croton, NY home this year? Keep these landscape design tips in mind to design a kitchen you will want to use - one that is practical, beautiful, and convenient.

Location, Location, Location

Where you place your outdoor kitchen is vitally important. Most are located close to the home for the sake of convenience. However, if you’ve got a spectacular view, love to cook and entertain, and want to make your outdoor kitchen and dining space to be a destination, make sure the space is large enough to house everything you need and that it is sheltered from the elements.

Needs vs. Wants

It’s easy to get inspired by gorgeous outdoor kitchens featured in magazines. However, an outdoor kitchen is a substantial investment so carefully consider what you really need and will use regularly. Invest in the highest quality fixtures and materials you can afford. Never sacrifice quality for quantity.

There is no setlist of demands for any outdoor kitchen. Instead, consider your cooking style and what you enjoy eating.

There’s something to be said about a minimalist outdoor kitchen: it always looks so clean and makes the area larger and more elegant. Design under-counter storage and again, consider needs vs. wants.

Don’t forget you’ve got the trappings of a full indoor kitchen nearby, so unless you’re a gourmet chef who loves to entertain outdoors frequently, there’s little need to double up on some larger appliances.

A Been-There-Forever Look

A great outdoor kitchen fits in (a focal point but not the only one). It doesn’t stick out, even if it’s a showcase kitchen. Choose materials that complement colors and textures in the landscape and your home.

Shelter

With the unpredictability of the weather in the Hudson Valley, house an outdoor kitchen under a pavilion to prevent sudden storms from devastating your meal outdoors.

With a closed roof and open walls, a pavilion offers the opportunity for an alfresco dining experience without sacrificing comfort. Your pavilion can be modern or rustic, to follow the aesthetics of your home and landscape. A pavilion can be any size: you could shelter not just the kitchen but an outdoor seating area as well.

Maximizing Space

Maximize the space by combining the outdoor kitchen with bar seating to create an island. Create a semi-circle shape with the outer curve filling out the seating area where your friends and family can come and go from the cooking area without getting in the way and they can relax and refresh while they watch all the action.

Warmth and Pizza

As the nights get chillier, your family and guests enjoy gathering around an outdoor fireplace made with gorgeous stone masonry.

Why stop there? Integrate your outdoor fireplace into your outdoor kitchen by including a wood-fired pizza oven. Few will be able to resist the temptation of a hot and bubbly pizza made fresh in your backyard. Soon, it will become a magnetic feature of your backyard.

Creative Lighting

The right lighting can make or break the experience. An outdoor kitchen is the perfect anchor feature of outdoor living space to test out the prowess of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in providing gorgeous and carefully calibrated lighting that will deliver both task and ambient lighting in a zoned approach that ensures the right experience in every space.