Backyard Covered Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas
A backyard covered outdoor kitchen extends your home's living space and enables year-round outdoor entertaining. With smart design considerations to handle weather and maximize functionality, a covered outdoor kitchen becomes a seamless extension of your indoor cooking space. Use this guide to understand key elements of covered outdoor kitchen design, from layout and budget to material selection and beyond.
Covered outdoor kitchens shield outdoor appliances, prep spaces and dining areas from rain, wind, sun, and other elements. Unlike grilling on an open patio, a covered structure allows you to cook, dine and entertain outdoors in total comfort. Before planning your covered outdoor kitchen design, consider your budget, backyard space constraints, climate and how you want to use the space. An outdoor kitchen attached to your home may suit small spaces, while a freestanding pavilion offers flexibility. To maximize year-round use in cold climates, incorporate lighting, heating and enclosure elements like clear vinyl panels during cooler months.
Benefits of Covered Outdoor Kitchens
Why invest in a covered outdoor kitchen? Consider these key benefits:
- Protection from weather: Escape sun, rain and more while cooking outdoors
- Allows for year-round backyard entertaining: Enjoy outdoor living space regardless of season
- Increases backyard living space: Expand functional home space beyond the walls of your home
- Adds value to a home: Outdoor kitchens offer a high return on investment
A covered outdoor kitchen design can completely transform your backyard into a functional living space equal to any room in your home. Investing in an outdoor cooking and dining area also boosts your home's resale value.
Design Elements to Consider
Approaching a covered outdoor kitchen design requires weighing options in terms of layout, size, features and beyond. Key elements that impact design include:
- Layout and footprint: Determine the shape and footprint that best suits your outdoor space constraints.
- Appliances needed: Select grill type/fuel, refrigeration, sinks, prep space and more.
- Countertop space: Allow for food prep, serving and seating.
- Storage solutions: Incorporate cabinets, shelves and drawers.
- Lighting: Include task lighting, ambient lighting and controls.
- Ventilation: Properly vent gas grills and smokers.
Every layout decision, from positioning appliances to allocating countertop and storage space, impacts covered outdoor kitchen functionality. Create a wish list of "must-have" features paired with rough sketches to inform design.
Layout Options
Common covered outdoor kitchen layout options include:
- Attached to an exterior house wall
- Freestanding structure like a pavilion or pergola
- Integrated with an existing or new patio cover
- Combined outdoor kitchen and dining area
Consider existing permanent structures when selecting an outdoor kitchen site. Allow proper ventilation space between a gas grill or smoker and walls or ceilings, for example. An attached layout offers enclosure while limiting footprint. Freestanding structures provide flexibility but may require more foundation work.
Appliances and Features
Typical appliances and features to incorporate in covered outdoor kitchens include:
- Grills (gas, charcoal, pellet)
- Side burners
- Pizza ovens
- Undercounter refrigeration
- Ice makers
- Beverage centers
- Sinks
- Cabinetry for storage
- Countertop dining space
- TVs and speakers
- Outdoor fans
- Heaters
- Serving windows
Not every backyard kitchen needs all appliances and features. Focus on what you'll realistically use based on cooking habits and entertainment plans. A grill with ample countertop prep space makes a fine starter outdoor kitchen. You can always expand later by adding a sink, beverage center, cabinets and more.
Popular Design Ideas
Creative covered outdoor kitchen design ideas blend form and function. Explore these popular options:
Attached Covered Kitchen
Attaching a covered outdoor kitchen structure to your home's exterior simplifies access to indoor plumbing and electrical. The seamless indoor-outdoor transition suits small backyards with limited space. Enclose part or all of the structure with screens or clear vinyl panels to expand seasonal use in colder climates. Consider a covered kitchen addition off a basement walkout or near sliding patio doors.
Freestanding Pavilion
A backyard pavilion or pergola housing an outdoor kitchen allows for a spacious, customizable layout without altering home exterior walls. You gain design flexibility in terms of location, footprint and features. Add removable clear vinyl panels to sides or connect pavilion walls to an existing covered patio for three-season or year-round use. Prepare for minor trenching to cover gas, water and electrical lines underground between freestanding structures and the home.
Covered Patio Kitchen Combo
Many homeowners opt to build their outdoor kitchen under an existing or new covered patio adjacent to the home. The unified covered structure minimizes foundation work while offering weather protection. Integrate kitchen, dining and lounging furniture in one seamless outdoor living space perfect for entertaining. For easy access between indoor and outdoor cooking zones, position the kitchen along the home exterior near a patio door.
Outdoor Kitchen Plus Dining Zone
Make your covered outdoor kitchen the centerpiece of an extended backyard living and dining space. Allow ample countertop dining area adjacent to cooking appliances. Nearby, incorporate a full dining table and lounge seating around an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Various flooring materials like tile, stone and concrete delineate spaces within the unified covered zone.
Materials and Finishes
Choosing the right materials ensures both aesthetic appeal and lasting performance for covered outdoor kitchens exposed to weathering elements. Consider these popular options:
Countertops
- Granite
- Marble
- Tile
- Concrete
- Stainless steel
- Weather-resistant wood
- Recycled materials like glass/concrete blends
Granite, marble, tile and concrete suit countertops in covered outdoor kitchens, as they resist moisture, food stains and frequent use in ways that natural wood cannot. While pricier upfront, they offer durability and low maintenance perfect for outdoor spaces.
Flooring
- Tile
- Stone
- Brick
- Concrete
- Paver stones
Mimic indoor flooring outdoors by using weather-resistant tile or stone materials. Pavers interlock to create attractive and permeable patio surfaces surrounding covered outdoor kitchen spaces. For a budget option, stained and sealed concrete withstands heavy use at a lower cost.
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum
- Weatherproof wood composites
- Concrete
- Tile
Sturdy stainless steel base cabinets withstand moisture, food spills and everyday wear and tear in covered outdoor kitchens. Concrete block and tile prove durable as well. For wood-look cabinetry, choose exterior-grade, weatherproof composite materials over natural wood prone to warping.