How to create outdoor kitchen designs for all tastes and budgets

The weather across the northern hemisphere is getting warmer, and with rising temperatures comes the urgent need for many of us to spend as much time outside as possible. While a variety of outdoor activities bring with them their own sense of accomplishment and relaxation, one in particular combines feelings of leisure, indulgence and community: outdoor dining.

Eating al fresco can take many shapes – from the hastily put-together sandwich enjoyed at an impromptu lawn picnic to the more formal meal served on furniture actually designed for outdoor use. One way or another, the most tedious part of putting together a fresh-air breakfast, lunch or dinner is often carrying food from point A to point B. So why not shorten the distance? We've rounded up a variety of outdoor kitchen designs for a range of tastes and budgets that serve as inspiration for this summer's outdoor dining upgrade.

Let's start simple: for those whose plans don't allow for an elaborate redo or who prefer more flexibility, modular outdoor kitchens and barbecues are a quick and budget-friendly option to level up the outdoor dining game. Adding one or more kitchen elements to a designated outdoor area can quickly make a world of difference and open up secret corners of the garden (or balcony, or rooftop) for entertaining.

But while the cooking location can change with moveable units or portable barbecues like the one at Brick House in Annandale, Australia, by Bastian Architecture, distance to the house is still an important factor to consider. Keeping in mind prep time and utensils as well as ingredients, semi-permanent installations such as the poolside grilling station at HEIMA architects's Poolhouse project in Lithuania should be kept a walkable distance from the closest fridge.

If you prefer not to walk at all, an indoor-outdoor kitchen solution may just be the answer. Ideal for projects in areas that don't enjoy warm weather year-round, kitchens that seamlessly flow into an outdoor extension or bar through wide window panels such as the one at Cushing Terrell's Fat Deer Lodge in the US state of Montana make use of a house's natural roofline for cover and easily be left to their own devices in winter.

Another option that minimises construction altogether and keeps costs down: a pass-through or sliding window like the one at Pouaka Waikura House by Patterson Associates in Queenstown, New Zealand. While this eliminates the more formal outdoor kitchen element, it allows for easy access from outside and shortens distances in case one or more of the condiments were accidentally left in the pantry.

Equally seamless, but more elaborate: extending the kitchen horizontally past the dividing line that separates indoor and outdoor spaces. Not only does this technique significantly increase surface and prep areas, but it also offers a visual feast that maintains clear design lines.

While the continuation of a kitchen's indoor materials and countertops is an option that further maintains the design language, projects like Mateo House in Mexico by Zozaya Arquitectos or Carol Miluzzi Arquitetura's Assossego House in Brazil prove that a clear break between the two can make for an even richer architectural experience. The sturdiness and weather-resistant nature of materials such as stainless steel, porcelain or brick is another argument for tailoring a linear extension to its individual surroundings.

Now for the grand finale: covered kitchen outposts that set the scene for elaborate dinner parties and leisurely brunches alike. Equipped with refrigerators, cooking ranges and outdoor lights and connected to the local water and power supplies, these admittedly pricey options leave nothing to be desired and create a standalone oasis.

Because they essentially offer a more experimental do-over for the chosen indoor design, a lot of outdoor kitchens play with pops of colour or storage alternatives that may not have been possible – or desired – for their enclosed counterparts. The bright blue backsplash tiles of Alma Residence by Brillhart Architecture in the Bahamas and open wood storage Klochenko Architects' H-House in Ukraine are prime examples of the increased fun factor once things are taken outside. 

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