bringing the inside out
Feature Story
The focus of a warm and inviting home is often the kitchen, for families and guests alike. In the Southwest, with all four seasons bringing good weather, we often gather outdoors to enjoy both natural beauty and attentively landscaped backyards. Bill and Cindy Esch of Patio and Hearth help their customers create a space that joins the welcoming atmosphere of a good kitchen with New Mexico's great outdoors.
Outdoor kitchens are a trend that that's been around for some time, and they're becoming even more popular here, according to Bill Esch.
"New Mexico is definitely outdoor cooking territory. It's like glamping in your backyard," he says.
An outdoor kitchen can function as well as, or even better than, your indoor kitchen. A sophisticated outdoor kitchen is a multifaceted project involving design, components that work together, gas lines, site considerations and construction. It doesn't have to be a daunting project, though, if you take plan
carefully and work with the experts.
The first step, says Bill, is to consider what kind of cooking, eating and entertaining you like to do. Will a good grill suffice, or would you like to have a smoker, too? Will your gatherings be mostly small family groups, or do you want to entertain on a larger scale? You can have a simple grill, and counter space, perhaps with a cooktop, or even add elements such as a fire feature — a built-in fire pit — and a stereo system.
Jeebs & Zuzu is a firm of architects and contractors that does the design and construction for many of the outdoor kitchens that begin next door at Patio and Hearth. Ubaldo Muñoz, designer and CFO, recommends that you also consider whether you'd prefer to do food prep indoors and bring it out, or have room to do it all outside. What about cold beverages? Do you need a sink? An outdoor grade refrigerator? The first answer to these questions involves choosing the right components.
At Patio and Hearth, there are many choices for grills, smokers, chillers, sinks, door and drawers, and they all have one thing in common: good quality and standardized sizes. The problem with choosing less expensive components that do not come in standard sizes — a grill or a smoker from a discount store, for example — is that when building an outdoor kitchen you are creating a permanent structure. That grill you thought was a good deal may fail in a few years, leaving you with a hole in your counter that is not a standard size. You won't be able to simply replace the grill.
"Everything I sell can be rebuilt from top to bottom. You never need to worry about replacing the entire unit," says Bill, who also employs technicians who do service calls.
Once you've chosen the components appropriate to your needs, you can head next door and talk to the architects, designers and builders at Jeebs & Zuzu. They will first do a one-hour free consult at the property, to look at the site and discuss what the site allows and what the homeowner has in mind. Some workarounds may be necessary, and the builders look at factors such as whether or not gas is already installed, how accessible the area is to equipment and how rocky the soil is. Most patios have a slight grade, and some backyards in the foothills, for example, are quite steep, making creative solutions necessary.
Some people have a plan in mind, and know exactly what they want, and others would like the designer to take a more active role. In either case, it's best to talk to a designer, "… to see how what you want can be executed," says Muñoz.
Although every project is different, and certainly weather must be factored into the timeline. Generally three to four weeks is a reasonable amount of time to budget for finishing an outdoor kitchen from the design phase to the first meal proudly served to family and friends.
An outdoor kitchen is another aspect of the outdoor living so many of us enjoy in New Mexico, and it can enhance the entertainment possibilities of your home. Creative design and good quality components can transform your patio and backyard into a venue for memorable gatherings of family and friends, all enjoying fare prepared in your new outdoor kitchen.