Outdoor dining and entertaining has evolved
Gone are the days of the three-burner barbecue, the fire pit and more recently the pizza oven and outdoor fire.
These days landscape specialist Steve Strawbridge says homeowners are going the “whole hog”. By that he means the biggest phenomenon in New Zealand right now - the fully functional outdoor kitchen.
Steve, who together with his wife Rochelle, own the franchise Zones Landscaping based on the Kapiti coast and they’ve noticed requests for outdoor kitchens are soaring.
“Traditionally you might have a barbecue with a bit of space at each end, and a table, but the next phase has hit.”
These kitchens typically contain a drop-in barbecue, complete with storage underneath, a workbench with a sink, storage in the form of cupboards and drawers, and a bar fridge or cooler.
Steve says many homeowners are going one step further and adding pergolas, louvre rooves, drop-down sides, lighting, heating and sound systems.
“Rather than just having an outdoor area, people are keen to create an outdoor room, which is just like adding an extra room onto their house,” explains Steve.
These rooms are usually situated outside a main living area, on a deck, to extend their indoor living and dining rooms.
“It not only enhances that indoor/outdoor flow, but it enhances homeowners’ enjoyment of their outdoor space year-round,” says Steve.
“And it adds value to their property.”
As a man who loves a good Kiwi barbecue himself, Steve says an outdoor kitchen takes the entertaining you might have done inside, outside.
“Socially, it’s really good – traditionally you’d have the guys outside cooking the barbecue standing around and the girls doing the rest of the prep inside.
“What an outdoor kitchen does is bring everything into one place, it takes all the mess and smells out of the kitchen inside, and takes everything outside.
“Having sinks and fridges outside also eliminates having to traipse in and out of the house too.”
Steve and his team have created numerous outdoor kitchens, on a variety of budgets.
“The brief is usually around enhancing that indoor/outdoor flow, so they typically come off a living area.
“Some have featured a barbecue, prep area and a sink or fridge, others are going the full everything, including heating.
“Often it comes down to finishes – we’ve done some that have granite benchtops and timber work, and stainless steel cupboards which look cool.
“We’ve also done modular stainless steel units that bolt together and give a similar effect.
“Another one we did had a drop-in barbecue, stainless steel doors that were built in and framed up, with some stonework around it, a granite top for the prep area, a sink and a fridge.
“They also had a louvre roof, drop-down sides and some lighting, to ensure the space was well-lit and therefore usable.”
As Steve says, the extent to which homeowners go with outdoor kitchens entirely depends on budget.
And it requires some careful planning too, he says.
First of all, think about the design of your outdoor space – it should connect with your indoor dining and living space, and complement the design of your home.
“Think about how it’s going to flow – it’s no good putting an outdoor kitchen down the other end of the house, away from your living areas, because you’ve still got to get stuff in and out.”
Also consider how you will use the space and the configuration in terms of the natural elements, wind, rain and sunlight.
“Think about how the kitchen will work not just at night but during the day, you don’t want to be cooking in the hot midday sun, or in the wind.
“You might want to think about a wind break of some sort, a block wall behind the barbecue for example, or drop-down sides, or a roof over the deck,” says Steve.
“Roofing will extend your season outdoors – people are finding they can use the space nine, 10 months of the year, not for just three months over summer.”
Roofing can be in the form of pergolas, shade sails, modern outdoor awnings or louvre roofing.
The important thing to remember is the roof should be functional, stylish and also fit in with your local environment.
“There’s no point putting in an open pergola if you live in a rainy environment, but it would be ideal for areas that get a lot of sun,” says Steve.
Flooring-wise, low maintenance is best, timber decking or dark coloured pavers creating the best base for an outdoor entertaining area.
Lighting is another important component, which can be both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
“You can use solar lights or deck lights, it’s just a matter of choosing a style that will create atmosphere.
“You can enhance the ambience with heating, whether it’s an outdoor fire or heater attached to the roof, and even outdoor speakers for music.”
Furniture will play a big part in outdoor entertaining too, and it must be both comfortable and fit in with the surroundings.
Consider tables that can expand in size and provide more seating space, add outdoor sofas or couches for comfort and a few chairs, all of which must be durable and weatherproof.
Most importantly, Steve recommends investing a bigger chunk of the budget on good quality barbecues and surfaces to ensure longevity.
“Spend your money wisely, it’s better to go for a top quality barbecue that won’t rust out and will cook well, and scale down what you want to do.
“Do it right for longevity rather than try and do something grandiose and not doing it justice in the end.”
When it comes to surfaces or outdoor counters, Steve’s talking about investing in harder surfaces like granite, polished concrete and even marble.
“A sink is neither here nor there, but an outdoor counter is important, it’s going to be outdoors and get knocked around so it needs to stand the test of time in the elements.”
So, say goodbye to the simple backyard barbecue, and hello to the increasingly popular outdoor kitchen with all the bells and whistles.
“New Zealanders have always been outdoor people, they want to spend more time outdoors and creating an all-weather living space in the form of an al fresco dining area is the perfect way to do that,” says Steve.