In time for al fresco dining season, these kitchens from around the globe offer design inspiration that will help make the most out of every meal during the long summer days to come.

Outdoor kitchens like this one at Carol Miluzzi Arquitetura's Assossego House in Brazil help to create seamless outdoor dining experiences. Photo: Thiago Travesso

How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets | News

Outdoor kitchens like this one at Carol Miluzzi Arquitetura's Assossego House in Brazil help to create seamless outdoor dining experiences. Photo: Thiago Travesso

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The weather across the northern hemisphere is getting warmer, and with rising temperatures comes the urgent need for many of us to spend as much time outside as possible. While a variety of outdoor activities bring with them their own sense of accomplishment and relaxation, one in particular combines feelings of leisure, indulgence and community: outdoor dining.

Eating al fresco can take many shapes – from the hastily put-together sandwich enjoyed at an impromptu lawn picnic to the more formal meal served on furniture actually designed for outdoor use. One way or another, the most tedious part of putting together a fresh-air breakfast, lunch or dinner is often carrying food from point A to point B. So why not shorten the distance? We've rounded up a variety of outdoor kitchen designs for a range of tastes and budgets that serve as inspiration for this summer's outdoor dining upgrade.

Modular kitchen elements such as the BBQ unit at HEIMA architects's Poolhouse project in Lithuania (bottom) or smaller portable grills (top) bring food even to remote outdoor corners. Photos: Justin Aaron (top), Norbert Tukaj (bottom)

How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets | News

Modular kitchen elements such as the BBQ unit at HEIMA architects's Poolhouse project in Lithuania (bottom) or smaller portable grills (top) bring food even to remote outdoor corners. Photos: Justin Aaron (top), Norbert Tukaj (bottom)

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Modular outdoor kitchens and barbecues

Let's start simple: for those whose plans don't allow for an elaborate redo or who prefer more flexibility, modular outdoor kitchens and barbecues are a quick and budget-friendly option to level up the outdoor dining game. Adding one or more kitchen elements to a designated outdoor area can quickly make a world of difference and open up secret corners of the garden (or balcony, or rooftop) for entertaining.


Modular outdoor kitchens and barbecues are a budget-friendly and quick option to level up the outdoor dining game


But while the cooking location can change with moveable units or portable barbecues like the one at Brick House in Annandale, Australia, by Bastian Architecture, distance to the house is still an important factor to consider. Keeping in mind prep time and utensils as well as ingredients, semi-permanent installations such as the poolside grilling station at HEIMA architects's Poolhouse project in Lithuania should be kept a walkable distance from the closest fridge.

Cushing Terrell's Fat Deer Lodge in Montana (top) offers access to an outdoor bar with a sliding kitchen window, while Pouaka Waikura House in New Zealand (bottom) cleverly hides its access point. Photos: Longviews Studio (top), Simon Wilson (bottom)

How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets | News

Cushing Terrell's Fat Deer Lodge in Montana (top) offers access to an outdoor bar with a sliding kitchen window, while Pouaka Waikura House in New Zealand (bottom) cleverly hides its access point. Photos: Longviews Studio (top), Simon Wilson (bottom)

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Indoor-Outdoor kitchens

If you prefer not to walk at all, an indoor-outdoor kitchen solution may just be the answer. Ideal for projects in areas that don't enjoy warm weather year-round, kitchens that seamlessly flow into an outdoor extension or bar through wide window panels such as the one at Cushing Terrell's Fat Deer Lodge in the US state of Montana make use of a house's natural roofline for cover and easily be left to their own devices in winter.


Kitchens that seamlessly flow into an outdoor extension through wide window panels can make use of a house's natural roofline for cover and easily be left to their own devices in winter


Another option that minimises construction altogether and keeps costs down: a pass-through or sliding window like the one at Pouaka Waikura House by Patterson Associates in Queenstown, New Zealand. While this eliminates the more formal outdoor kitchen element, it allows for easy access from outside and shortens distances in case one or more of the condiments were accidentally left in the pantry.

Extending the indoor kitchen with a contrasting outdoor unit creates architectural intrigue both in Mateo House in Mexico (top) and Assossego House in Brazil (bottom). Photos: Cesar Belio (top), Thiago Travesso (bottom)

How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets | News

Extending the indoor kitchen with a contrasting outdoor unit creates architectural intrigue both in Mateo House in Mexico (top) and Assossego House in Brazil (bottom). Photos: Cesar Belio (top), Thiago Travesso (bottom)

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Linear outdoor kitchen extensions

Equally seamless, but more elaborate: extending the kitchen horizontally past the dividing line that separates indoor and outdoor spaces. Not only does this technique significantly increase surface and prep areas, but it also offers a visual feast that maintains clear design lines.


Extending the kitchen horizontally past the border that separates indoor and outdoor spaces offers a visual feast that maintains clear design lines


While the continuation of a kitchen's indoor materials and countertops is an option that further maintains the design language, projects like Mateo House in Mexico by Zozaya Arquitectos or Carol Miluzzi Arquitetura's Assossego House in Brazil prove that a clear break between the two can make for an even richer architectural experience. The sturdiness and weather-resistant nature of materials such as stainless steel, porcelain or brick is another argument for tailoring a linear extension to its individual surroundings.

Separate, fully functional and covered kitchen units as seen at Alma Residence in the Bahamas and H-House in Ukraine are the pinnacle of luxurious living. Photos: Alexandar Angelovsky (top), Brillhart Architecture (bottom)

How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets | News

Separate, fully functional and covered kitchen units as seen at Alma Residence in the Bahamas and H-House in Ukraine are the pinnacle of luxurious living. Photos: Alexandar Angelovsky (top), Brillhart Architecture (bottom)

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Covered kitchen outposts

Now for the grand finale: covered kitchen outposts that set the scene for elaborate dinner parties and leisurely brunches alike. Equipped with refrigerators, cooking ranges and outdoor lights and connected to the local water and power supplies, these admittedly pricey options leave nothing to be desired and create a standalone oasis.


Covered kitchen outposts create a standalone oasis


Because they essentially offer a more experimental do-over for the chosen indoor design, a lot of outdoor kitchens play with pops of colour or storage alternatives that may not have been possible – or desired – for their enclosed counterparts. The bright blue backsplash tiles of Alma Residence by Brillhart Architecture in the Bahamas and open wood storage Klochenko Architects' H-House in Ukraine are prime examples of the increased fun factor once things are taken outside. 

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