Outdoor Kitchens – Bring your Cooking and Entertaining Outdoors

Imagine not only enjoying a meal outside but cooking that entire meal outside as well. This dream is all made possible with an outdoor kitchen. From a griddle to a refrigerator and everything in between, an outdoor kitchen truly allows family and friends to cook and dine al fresco!

In today’s blog, I will cover all the various components of an outdoor kitchen. There are so many factors to consider when designing and building an outdoor kitchen and I want to ensure you know all your options.

At Hawkins Landscape Architecture, my 3D landscape design allows clients to see what an outdoor kitchen will look like in their backyard. It also gives them an idea of spacing of various outdoor kitchen components. This state-of-the-art technology is the perfect way to visualize what your yard will look like with your brand-new outdoor kitchen!

Ready, set, grill!

Components of an Outdoor Kitchen

There are many options available for outdoor kitchens today. This means the sky is the limit when designing them and you can create a dream kitchen right in your backyard.

Here are the main components of an outdoor kitchen:

·       Grills

·       Smokers

·       Pizza Ovens

·       Griddles

·       Refrigerators

·       Sinks

·       Kegerator or Drink Stations

·       Storage

·       Attached Bar Areas for Serving

Within each of the above components, there are an abundance of options available. Keep in mind you do not need to have all these components. You can pick and choose which items best work for you and your family’s needs.

Grills

When deciding on a grill for your outdoor kitchen you will need to contemplate the following factors.

·       Brand

·       Size

·       Type

There are so many brands of grills on the market today. I highly recommend you do your research to see which fits within your budget and fits your needs. A few popular brands include:

·       Blaze

·       Vermont Castings

·       KitchenAid

·       Weber

Most grills range in size from 200 to 600 square inches total. This would include not only the grill/cook surface, but the shelving on the side and areas below. Here is a great article on deciding on the perfect grill size for your outdoor kitchen.

The final factor to determine is the type of grill. Below are the four popular types of grills.

·       Charcoal

·       Gas

·       Pellet

·       Electric

Smokers

In North Carolina, BBQ is a must! That means smokers are extremely popular options for outdoor kitchens around here. Similar to grills, there are various types of smokers that include charcoal, gas, pellet, and electric. Some popular smoker brands are:

·       Masterbuilt

·       Traeger

·       Cuisinart

Pizza Ovens

Pizza always tastes best when it comes out of a pizza oven. That is why pizza ovens are growing in popularity for outdoor kitchens. Wood-fired pizza ovens tend to be the most known. However, within those are sub-types, such as, barrel vault ovens or Napoletana ovens.

Griddles

Unlike grills listed above, griddles offer a flat cooking surface instead of ones with parallel or lattice bars on the cooking surface. This means it is much easier to cook and clean almost anything on a griddle vs. a grill. In addition to common grill out food, many people enjoy cooking stir fry, hibachi, seared and sauteed ingredients for fajitas, bacon, and pancakes. A few popular griddle brands include:

·       Blackstone

·       Pit Boss

Refrigerators

Who wants to constantly go in and out of the house for ingredients while grilling or cooking outside? Save yourself the time and energy by adding a refrigerator into your outdoor kitchen. Not to mention you can keep your beverages cool in there and simply grab one while you are cooking or dining outside. Outdoor refrigerators come in a variety of sizes and are built to withstand the elements. Learn a little more about what to look for in selecting an outdoor refrigerator in this article.  

Sinks

A sink in your outdoor kitchen makes meal prep and clean up very easy! Stainless steel tends to be the most common material for outdoor sinks; however, stone sinks are also rising in popularity. Stone sinks tend to be made from soapstone, granite, or marble. Regardless of what material you choose, it makes the perfect addition to an outdoor kitchen.

Kegerator or Drink Stations

Unlike indoor kegerators, outdoor kegerators must prove their durability since it can get hot or cold outside depending on the time of year. A few options to consider when choosing an outdoor kegerator:

·       Single-tap vs. double-tap

·       Size

·       Class – luxury, premium, or standard

Another popular drink station choice for outdoor kitchens are outdoor wine coolers. These are perfect when you are entertaining multiple guests or throwing a party.

Storage

Just like an indoor kitchen, you will want storage in an outdoor kitchen. You need to plan to keep utensils, cooking tools, plates, cups, etc. outside if you do not want to make a ton of trips back and forth between inside your house and outside.

Attached Bar Areas for Serving

Last, but certainly not least, to consider is adding an attached bar area for serving. Adding this option into your outdoor kitchen makes serving family and guests so simple. It requires less effort for the cook and host.

Let Hawkins Landscape Architecture Design Your Dream Outdoor Kitchen

Is your mouth watering thinking about all the amazing meals you can make in your very own outdoor kitchen? Catch up to your senses and get started on building your dream outdoor kitchen today by calling me at 336-848-7164. I partner closely with all my clients to design landscaping elements they love and will enjoy for many years!

Follow my Instagram page for photos and inspiration on outdoor kitchens and any outdoor living element!

Landscape Structures: Part 3 – Decks are the Cornerstone for Your Outdoor Oasis

This is part three of four in a series on landscape structures. Part three covers decks.

Decks are a comfortable spot to enjoy nature at home. They are an ideal locale for reading a book, relaxing with family, entertaining friends, and simply taking in the ambiance Mother Nature has to offer.

There are three major types of deck building projects. Those are building a new deck, renovating an existing deck, or adding a full ceiling system underneath a deck to allow the area beneath to become dry outdoor living space.

At Hawkins Landscape Architecture, I work closely with clients to determine their needs and budgets. This way I can help design the ultimate outdoor living space that often includes decks. My comprehensive landscape design includes placement of any landscape structures, such as decks, for an ultimate aesthetic appeal. Best of all, clients that utilize my 3D designs get to see what their deck will look like before construction even takes place!

In my latest blog below, I discuss the advantages of decks, materials, and numerous design ideas.

Benefits of Decks

These landscape structures provide so many wonderful advantages to homeowners. A few most noteworthy benefits include:

·       Increases home value

·       Expands house’s square footage

·       Provides endless entertainment possibilities

·       Creates luxurious aesthetic appeal to yard

Common Deck Building Materials

Today, there are so many options for what materials you can use to build your deck. On top of that, there are also many stains in some materials allowing for a variety of colors. As part of the design process with Hawkins Landscape Architecture, we will discuss the various materials available, what they will look like, and how they fit into your budget.

Five popular deck materials are:

1.       Pressure-treated lumber

2.       Cedar

3.       Redwood

4.       Composite

5.       Ipe

Below I go into a little more detail on each material’s pros and cons.

Pressure-treated lumber

Advantages: Lower cost and chemically treated to withstand mold, rot, and insect damage.

Disadvantages: Higher maintenance and tends to warp or crack over time.

Cedar

Advantages: Most inexpensive among the natural wood options, beautiful natural wood appearance, and long lifespan.

Disadvantages: More expensive than non-natural wood options and requires annual power washing and a coat finish every three to four years.

Redwood

Advantages: Long lifespan, beautiful natural wood appearance, durable, and often naturally rot-resistant.

Disadvantages: Expensive, harder to get on the East Coast, and requires annual power washing and a coat finish every three to four years.

Composite

Advantages: Low-maintenance, available in huge selection of colors and textures, and withstands rotting and insect damage.

Disadvantages: Damp spaces can attract mold and depending on the company and selection can be expensive.

Ipe (one of the more popular tropical hardwoods)

Advantages: Durable, naturally resistant to rot and insect damage, sleek and beautiful natural wood appearance, and long lifespan.

Disadvantages: Must be sealed every year, expensive, and not great option to stain or finish.

When selecting a deck material, it is important to factor in cost, maintenance, and what it will be used for. These variables will direct you to which deck material looks great, but also fits within your budget and needs.

Deck Design Ideas

A deck is not simply a space to sit outside, it provides the opportunity to create an outdoor living space you and your family will enjoy for years to come. Below are a few fun ideas to add to your deck!

·       Hot tub

·       Built-in seats

·       Plants

·       Garden

·       Shade sails

·       Lighting

·       Patio furniture

·       Fire pits (Read this great article on the do’s and don’ts for fire pits on wood decks!)

Let Me Help You Create Your Dream Deck Today!

Why wait any longer to build the deck of your dreams for your family to enjoy? Get started today by giving me a call at 336-848-7164 or completing this contact form. I look forward to patenting with you to create an outdoor living space you adore!

Check my Instagram page for inspiration and ideas for all things landscaping! Don’t miss the fourth and final blog in this landscape structures series. It will cover porches.

Landscape Structures: Part 2 – Luxurious Gazebos and Quaint Sheds

This is part two of four in a series on landscape structures. Part two covers gazebos and sheds.

Gazebos and sheds are all the rage in landscape design right now. Both provide great benefits to homeowners and offer an abundance of design options. At Hawkins Landscape Design, we partner with our clients to discuss their needs and budgets and provide a comprehensive landscape design. This includes placement of any landscape structures, including a gazebo or shed, for an overall outdoor living design they will love for many years.

I love that these landscape structures provide either ambiance or refuge for my clients. They are fun to place in a landscape design and pair perfectly with so many other landscape features. Learn more about these unique and cool landscape structures in my blog below.

Gazebos

One of the features of gazebos that provides the most benefit to homeowners is there seemingly unlimited uses. Here are some popular ways to utilize a gazebo:

·       Shaded area

·       Reading nook

·       Poolside lounge space

·       Garden

·       Outdoor kitchen

·       Exercise or yoga destination

·       Hot tub

·       Entertaining space

These are only a few of the ways homeowners could use a gazebo. Since it has a cover and is flexible in design and size, the possibilities are endless. It protects against the sun’s harsh rays and the downpours that often occur in North Carolina. They are a great place to enjoy the outdoors but stay dry no matter the weather.

Common Materials Used for Gazebos

When it comes to the sides and roof of the gazebo there are numerous options to choose from for materials. We will discuss your needs and budgets, and help you decide on a material(s) you will like and will look stunning on the finished structure.

Below are a few common materials used in gazebos:

·       Wood – there are many options within this category, like pressure treated lumber or cedar wood

·       Aluminum

·       Steel

·       Canvas

·       Bamboo

·       Wrought iron

·       Brick

·       Stone

It is important to consider what the gazebo will be used for, climate, and price when deciding upon materials for your gazebo. You will want something that looks the way you want but fits within your budget.

Sheds

One landscape structure that has been around awhile but has recently rose in popularity due to changes in uses are sheds. Only a few years ago, sheds were mostly used for storage or maintenance. Recently, sheds have increased in popularity to do new uses for the space. The most common is the ‘she shed’, which has numerous uses. A few ways to utilize a she shed are:

·       Home office

·       Recreation room

·       Home gym

·       Private spa

·       Hang out destination

·       Crafting space

This stand-alone structure has unlimited design possibilities. It can even look almost like a mini house from the outside, complete with a front patio and columns (as pictured here).

At Hawkins Landscape Architecture, we will discuss all your needs and desires for your shed to ensure you have one that you absolutely adore looking at and using!

If you are looking at a prefabricated shed, it can be sited on your property on my masterplan. However, custom gazebos and sheds need to be designed by a licensed architect and constructed by a general contractor.

See Designs Come to Life with Our 3D Landscape Design

Our amazing 3D Landscape Design is extremely popular among clients as it allows them to truly see what the gazebo or shed will look like right in their yard. It is a great way to make tweaks so you know exactly what you are getting ready to build. Our clients love that they can see first-hand how their landscape structure will look.

Create Your Dream Gazebo or Shed Today!

Do not wait any longer to create a space you cannot live without in your yard. We will work closely with you during the entire design process to ensure you have a gazebo or shed you love. Call us today at 336-848-7164 or complete our simple contact form. We cannot wait to help get you into an outdoor living space you love!

Looking for ideas or inspiration now? Check my Instagram page to see some of my other landscape structures projects!

Landscape Structures: Part 1 – Everything to Know About Pergolas

Photo by: Mike Micchiche

This is part one of four in a series on landscape structures. Part one covers the ever-popular pergolas.

Pergolas are a great way to create shade and build ambiance in your backyard. We increasingly receive more and more requests from clients who want to add a pergola to their existing landscape design or add one into a new design. These unique structures date back to the mid-1600’s in Europe and were commonly used in gardens.

If you have always dreamed of having a romantic pergola in your backyard, then I can help you make that dream a reality! I love designing gorgeous pergolas for my clients and work closely with them to design one they love. We will discuss everything from materials to size to shape of the pergola in our consultation to ensure it is not only the pergola you are dreaming of, but one that fits within your budget.

Pergolas Provide Numerous Benefits to Homeowners

This stunning landscape structure provides so many advantages to homeowners. Here are some of the top advantages of building a pergola in your backyard.

·       Creates shade

·       Increases home’s value

·       Builds ambiance

·       Extends living space

·       Enhances privacy

·       Provides place to hang plants, shades, or curtains

These are only some of the many advantages to building a pergola. Another great benefit is the many ways to utilize a pergola.

Ideas to Utilize a Pergola

Pergolas can be used in so many ways. They are not merely a landscape structure, but a way to build an outdoor living space and something unique to your yard. Below are a few ideas to get you started.

·       Walkways

·       Sitting area

·       Grilling spot

·       Shaded poolside break area

·       Garden location

·       Entertainment destination

·       Reading nook

They sky is really the limit when it comes to how you use your pergola. How you use your pergola will play an important role in the design of the structure. For example, if you are wanting to enjoy the stars you will want to place it somewhere where the night’s sky view is unobstructed by trees or the house. However, if you are wanting one for shade, then it is better to put it closer to trees or the house for optimal shading.

Speaking of limitless, one of the best parts about pergolas are they are completely customizable.

Complete Customization with Pergolas

Homeowners love the variety a pergola provides them when it comes to design. There are three major areas of focus in designing pergolas. Those are:

1.       Size

2.       Style

3.       Material

Size

We can design a pergola in about any size you would like! If you have a smaller backyard, then a smaller pergola is usually best. However, if you have more space then you might want to consider expanding to a larger, more robust pergola.

Style

While many pergolas have a similar look, there are a variety of style choices when designing and building one. They can have just one row of timbers or panels across the top. Or they can have multiple ones in different directions which create a square design across the top. We will work closely with you to decide a style, so the final design is exactly what you envisioned.

Material

A final, but particularly important, design aspect of pergolas is deciding on the right material. You will want a material that you not only love how it looks but are comfortable maintaining as needed for that specific type of material.

The four most common pergola materials are:

1.       Pressure-treated lumber

2.       Cedar wood

3.       Vinyl

4.       Trex

Pressure-Treated Lumber

One of the biggest pros of pressure-treated lumber is it is usually the least expensive material. Additionally, this material has a good lifespan. However, it does require staining every four to five years. Another con of this material is it tends to warp and crack over time.

Cedar Wood

The most popular cedar wood tends to be Western Red Cedar. But there are other options available. A big advantage of cedar wood is it is naturally insect resistant. Plus, it is beautiful as is, without the need to stain it. A final pro is it has a long lifespan as well. The most common con of this material is it is more expensive.

Vinyl

This material requires extremely limited maintenance, which is its biggest advantage. However, it is not a material that is easy to paint over, so that means there are not many color choices. 

Trex

This composite material is blend of plastic film and wood fibers. It requires virtually no maintenance other than occasionally pressure washing. Another advantage is the fact that it is a weather-resistant material. One con is it tends to cost more than other materials. Additionally, most homeowners think it does not have the desired beauty of other materials, like natural wood.

See Your Landscape Structure Come to Life with 3D Designs!

Our clients love our 3D Landscape Design as it allows them to see first-hand how their landscape structure will look on their property. Are you ready to see your very own pergola come to life with our 3D Designs? Get started today by giving us a call at 336-848-7164. You can also complete our simple contact form and we will be in touch soon. We look forward to helping you create the perfect pergola!

Be sure to follow my Instagram page to see some of my landscaping projects and design inspiration!

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VizTerra Training This week! Look what I will be able to do with my designs!