You may love entertaining and already have a beautiful barbecue set up in your garden. But you can really take things to another level by adding an outdoor kitchen.

Why limit yourself to simply grilling up some food when you can construct full meals from starter to pudding? You’ll never want to cook indoors again when you set up the perfect outdoor kitchen. And when the temperatures are soaring there would be no reason to heat up your home that you are trying so hard to keep cool.

In this article, we’ll go over several ideas on how to transform your grill area to a functional outdoor kitchen.

1. Add a sink

If you have a patio right outside your door to the garden, then see if you can add some water access to the outside. This is much easier when you have a kitchen right on the other side of the patio as you can then open the wall and use the incoming water pipes for this.

When you have a sink outside, you become completely autonomous and can get a lot done without running back inside every few minutes.

You can then use this water source for other garden fixtures to add to the atmosphere. Something like a small water fountain is a great addition to any outdoor space but in a kitchen it can be a game changer. Check out Soothing Company for some ideas.

2. Make a shelter

No matter where you decide to set up your kitchen it could use a shelter. Add a roof over the area so you are able to cook in any weather. If the sun is beating down on you while you’re standing next to a grill, then this will make things uncomfortable. And rain can’t stop the party if your cooking area is covered.

There’s also the benefit of being able to add some of the fixtures of an indoor kitchen to the outside if it’s covered and even has a wall on at least one side. Things like shelves with pantry items or a refrigerator will be protected if you have some type of covering.

3. Grow some herbs

There’s nothing better than using fresh herbs in your cooking. The scent and brightness of the basil, parsley or rosemary can liven up a dish in many ways.

When you can simply reach out and pick some right off of the bush, then it simply doesn’t get any better than that. Growing herbs is dead simple and they don’t need much room if you have limited space.

4. Set up a bar

Be the centre of attention by adding a bar so your friends can enjoy a cold adult beverage while also watching you cook.

Rather than simply a few chairs laid round a small table, you can make it far more comfortable to eat and drink when there is the appropriately sized bar on which to lean.

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