QI’d love to create an outdoor kitchen area in my garden in time for the BBQ season, but I don’t have much to spend. Do you have any ideas? Prisha Rowe, London

AClotilde Passalacqua, Interior Design Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, has this advice…

An outdoor kitchen makes a wonderful addition to a garden, whether it’s for casual al-fresco dining or entertaining guests. And the good news is that it’s a really easy concept to achieve, even in the smallest of outdoor spaces. As well as looking good, it needs to be practical, so it’s important to consider what you’ll need to make it a success. Start with how you plan to cook – this could be with a BBQ, firepit or even a pizza oven – then plan around it.

Plenty of surface space is a must to make cooking and serving up stress-free. A simple freestanding table or trolley, ideally at a similar height to your cooking equipment, would do the job nicely. Or why not knock up a dedicated serving area using upcycled pallets? A trolley is ideal, as it can be moved from an inside kitchen to an outside station very easily. And don’t forget storage for essentials, such as utensils, plates and cutlery that can be brought outside whenever you need them. IKEA offers a great range of solutions if you’re trying to achieve an outdoor kitchen on a budget. Check out the Grillskär range, which features a selection of complete outdoor kitchen set-ups, as well as individual items, such as BBQs, shelving units and even a sink unit, which will allow you to create a tailored combination to suit your space perfectly.