Why I Love Our Outdoor Cooking Station
With the warmer weather of spring, now is the perfect time to get everything ready outside for our outdoor cooking station and entertaining.
Most of you know how much I love to cook. (Although I should admit that I enjoy entertaining more than just cooking.) About ten years ago, I talked my husband into adding an outdoor cooking station to our backyard. It’s one of my favorite “rooms” in our home, as I enjoy outdoor cooking. We already had the barbecue and smoker, so adding the outdoor kitchen involved adding the island with the counter and a few kitchen items.
Outdoor Kitchen Station
We added this island, and what a difference! The island has two different counter heights. One for seating (or without the chairs, it makes a perfect bar height) and one counter for prep. I also added storage space, an ice maker, and a refrigerator.
Usually, it doesn’t have so many plants, but I couldn’t resist when I styled it today!
Outdoor Cooking
This is the side of our outdoor kitchen that already existed with our green egg and 48″ DCS grill. I call it our outdoor grill station. I just had the grill’s inside redone because many of the parts had deteriorated in the last twenty years. Now I have everything I need for outdoor cooking, which looks almost brand new!
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I added the two burners to the side of the BBQ when we built the kitchen island. In hindsight, I don’t think I needed these, but they seemed like a good thing to do then. It is nice to have the burners to saute veggies, but often, I end up grilling almost everything for the meal! I am happy as long as I can spend my entire time outdoors cooking.
As we planned the outdoor kitchen expansion, I searched for the stainless drawers and cabinets. I looked everywhere and found the best prices on Amazon. You can shop here to see what I mean.
The bricks are original to our house from a hundred years ago. When we remodeled in 2000, we found a brick chimney in the middle of our home, and we used the brick for our outdoor fireplace and patio. We had some leftover bricks, and I am so happy we kept them so we could use them for our outdoor kitchen addition.
The slate on the island is from when we also did our remodel in 2000. I put a slate floor in the mudroom, bath, and craft room, and I saved the extra slate, which we used on the island.
The counter perfectly seats four. I often serve appetizers here to attract family members and dinner guests who can relax and entertain me while cooking.
You may recognize the clay pots that I “aged.” You can find them at How to Make Vintage Garden Pots.
Outdoor Entertaining
If I can set a table anywhere, you know I will! I created a small dinner setting on the backside of the island. Below are the links for the rattan placemats, cream wood chargers, green wine glasses, clear water glasses, black and white plates, and napkins.
If you consider installing an outdoor kitchen, a prep sink is a great addition. Ours is small but works perfectly. Our island is 9′ long, and the back barbecue island is 8′ long. The eating counter is 20″ wide, and the prep counter is 24″ wide.
I love styling the outdoor kitchen island with items from inside our home. Why not bring the indoors outside when you entertain?
If you don’t have an outdoor kitchen, add an outdoor island or a vintage piece and create your own! Even vintage potting sheds make perfect outdoor kitchens.
Why not set up an outdoor kitchen bar, too?
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I will call some friends and have a little dinner party outside, as the weather is warming up this week.
I would love to know what you think of our outdoor kitchen. It is very well-used, and I am so happy with its look and style.
My Favorite Outdoor Entertaining Must Haves!
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I will be sharing a fun California barbecue dinner soon! If you have any great barbecue recipes, please share them with me!
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I’m sorry if I missed it but what is behind the two stainless doors? Refrigerators? Ice maker?
It is both, a refrigerator and ice maker! Both are super important for California summers!
I’m curious, when entertaining outside do you get any bugs? And if you do how do you deal with them? Living here in the Midwest when it finally gets warm mosquitoes, flies and tiny gnats along with other bugs love our outdoor food fests!
We don’t really have too many bugs here but if anything some bug spray and citronella candle always help!
Your island is so cool! How great that you had the bricks and slate left over – they really tie it all together. That’s where I’d be all summer. 🙂 I love it!
Thanks so much Barbara!
What color is your house? Is that a pale grey? It is all so beautiful.
It is Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee!
I love your “outdoor kitchen”. 🥰. Every day possible, we eat outside. Living in the Northeast limits those days, so I insist on taking advantage of every single one!! We have talked about building something similar … THIS may be the year 🤞🏻. I can only hope! I am pinning this to show my Mr. DIY 😉.
That is fantastic! Thanks so much Barb! I will keep my fingers crossed for you
Hi Leslie,
Which drop in barbecue do you recommend?
Your outdoor kitchen station is beautiful; it is exactly what I’ve been hoping for. Perhaps I can get started this spring. I love yours.
Thanks so much Jackie!
I’ve always wanted an Outdoor Cooking Station like this; it gives me a different sensation when I cook and is perfect for a family dinner! Thank you for sharing your ideas for Outdoor Cooking Station decoration. Hope I could save up enough money to buy a house with a wonderful garden to make this come true!
Oh I’m so happy this helped! Yes best of luck!
What a great space! How do you keep the grill and doors so clean? I would think they would get so dusty and or greasy. Do you use a cover and what do you use to clean the stainless steel? I adore the counter stools. Do you have a resource you could share?
This is my dream kitchen~~!!! Thank you for sharing these great ideas
Thank you so much!
I LOVE your kitchen!!! Looks so wonderful….. Thanks for sharing this for us 🙂
Love this post! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reaching out. I am so happy that you enjoyed the post!
My husband and I were dinner guests for two delightful dinners in a row in your backyard. I was there for your art workshop. We had such a good time and your crab cakes are the best.
Oh I love that, thanks Jerry! So glad you enjoyed the crab cakes- they’re a favorite! 😍
Love your outdoor kitchen! Are those solar lights you have on the bar?
Perfect timing for the end of the rainy season in CA (I’m so ready)! Beautiful outdoor space, and absolutely functional for a variety of occasions. We have a cooking “island”, with similar components, but I love the idea of a built-in ice-maker! We have an ice drawer that tilts open & drains, but is a pain to keep clean. We also added the gas burner, which is seldomly used (Paella, corn on the cob) but can be used if the power goes out, right?! Happy Spring to your expanding family!
Hi Cori! It’s so nice to have and yes! Loving that the weather is back to normal sunny California! A very happy spring to you as well 🤗🌸
Such a great space with everything you need! So glad all our rain has left and hopefully made a difference with the drought!
It really is the best- thank you! Yes, yay for no more rain 🙌🏻