Kitchen connection Expert ways to bring in the outdoors
KEEP YOUR KITCHEN CONNECTED TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH THESE EXPERT IDEAS
Our beautiful long, sunny days and affinity with the outdoors has always influenced the way Australians live, and especially the design of our homes. Opening up your kitchen to the outdoors is a clever – and refreshing – way to let in a little sunshine, whether it’s creating a seamless connection or a functional servery window. “How you plan to use the space dictates how it will be designed,” explains reno pro Lana Taylor, one-third of the Three Birds Renovations team, known for their lust-have alfresco areas. At planning stage, consider your options – is there an opportunity for a servery window, or a way to continue your interior style outdoors? Or perhaps there’s an opportunity to enlarge an existing door – just check with a builder or structural engineer before you take any walls down. Read on for our top tips for creating easy transitions between the chef and alfresco zones.
ALFRESCO DELIGHTS
Give careful consideration to how and why an outdoor connection can serve your kitchen best and determine what it is you need. “If your indoor dining area is small, an alfresco dining area might become an important addition to your home,” says Lana Taylor. By moving your dining outdoors, you can go large with your kitchen design and make space for that lovely oversized island you’ve been dreaming about. Here, an outdoor dining zone naturally flows from the kitchen and encourages year-round meals outdoors, while the large island bench kitted out with open storage keeps those alfresco dining essentials within easy reach.
MATERIAL WORLD
When you are planning to open up your kitchen to the outdoors, materials matter – both in terms of how they will stand up to the elements and also how they work with your outdoor space. Using visually similar materials will help smooth the transition between indoors and out (see opposite page and bottom right), but don’t forget to look up as well – the ceiling is another, often forgotten, element that will create the illusion of one cohesive space if you can match materials. Looking to make a more dramatic design statement? Flip your kitchen design and harness the power of contrast (see right). Here, Boral timber V-joint lining boards have been used to create a striking feature on the ceiling of the outdoor zone, mirroring the kitchen floorboards inside.
FORCE OF NATURE
Kitchens with colour are having a moment, and a statement splashback is not only a great way to bring your space on trend, it can also help to blur the lines between inside and outside. Embrace your surrounds and choose attractive tiles in tones inspired by nature. “In waterside homes or sky-high apartments, look to calming blue hues to reflect your surrounds. Otherwise stick to your garden greens,” says Home Beautiful style editor Fiona Gould. “Indoor plants and generous clippings of foliage (right) will help to complement the connection.”
“OVER TIME, OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS HAVE EVOLVED AND BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED” ~LANA TAYLOR, THREE BIRDS RENOVATIONS
“AN IDEAL SCENARIO IS A GALLEY-STYLE KITCHEN WITH A LARGE SCALE BI-FOLD DOOR” ~KIA HOWAT, INTERIOR DESIGNER AT GIA BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS
GRAND ENTRY
Doors are perhaps the most obvious (and expensive) method for opening up your kitchen, so it’s important to weigh up all the options – for size and style. Sliding glass doors are a costeffective solution that can be designed to open from either the centre of the opening or from one end, depending on how you use the space. They also come in a wide variety of colours and finishes to suit most kitchen styles (try Doors Plus). For modern style homes, aluminium bi-folds (left) are a sleek and simple option that will give you the capacity to open the entire space. “In a traditional-style home, French doors (bottom left) are a practical and beautiful option,” says architect Lauren Martin from Studio Martin. Just ensure the doors are installed to open out so they won’t limit access to cupboards and drawers.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
The more sunshine spilling in, the more connected your kitchen will feel to the outside. Wall-to-wall or splashback windows (above) are a clever alternative for bringing in the outdoors when access (or space) is limited. With smaller kitchens, installing a skylight is another light-filling option. “This creates the opportunity to utilise all available walls in the kitchen for extra bench space or storage and can also create a beautiful visual element with sunlight changing throughout the course of the day,” says Lauren.
SIZE IT UP
A servery window is a fabulous, favoured option for creating connection, especially for regular entertainers who don’t have a fully kitted-out outdoor kitchen. And, the extra-wide sill can be used as a bar, a dining bench or for serving. “Go big” is the advice of interior designer Kia Howat. “The largest-scale window possible will prove the most beneficial,” she explains. A gas strut awning-style window (above) makes an ideal choice, as it lifts up easily, can span a maximum width of about two metres and doubles as shelter. Benchtop bi-fold windows can be top-hung, so there’s no track running through your bench. To make either option work, position kitchen appliances on or under adjacent benchtops to avoid reaching over stoves and impeding your access to dishwashers and microwaves.
THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN
“As an outdoor kitchen is more exposed to the elements, it needs to be robust for longevity and safety,” says Therese Tarlinton, marketing communications manager at CSR Gyprock. While you might want to match your outdoor kitchen benches to the materials used in the main kitchen, be aware many engineered stone products are not guaranteed for exterior use. “Dekton and stainless steel are my go-to benchtop products for use in outdoor spaces,” says interior designer Kia Howat. “Dekton comes in a range of amazing colours and textures to allow continuity of finishes running into the alfresco area.”