Our backyards promise to be popular spots again this year with the prospect of continued social distancing. And with the arrival of spring, our outdoor spaces are now getting extra attention.
“The boundaries between the inside space and outside space are vanishing more and more,” said Lydia Thammavong, a marketing specialist in seasonal and outdoor living for Lowe’s Canada.
According to Thammavong, outdoor kitchens are a particularly growing trend. She noted that online searches and sales for charcoal barbecues and smokers at Lowe’s have increased since the pandemic. And for those eager to upgrade their barbecue setup to something more functional or refined, creating an outdoor kitchen is the natural next step.
For Mike and Janneth Nolet, installing an outdoor kitchen in their Weston backyard was a no-brainer. Mike is an avid barbecuer and grills four nights a week in the summer. Janneth, who is from the Phillipines, grew up with the traditions of outside cooking. Their outdoor kitchen was part of a large three-year backyard remodelling project, which included the installation of a pool, bar, outdoor bathroom and shower, sound system and outdoor television.
The Nolets enlisted the help of Glen Griffiths, owner of My Outdoor Kitchen, to design, source and install their L-shaped backyard feature. It includes high-grade stainless steel appliances from the California-based manufacturer Hestan: a commercial fridge, two power burners and a $10,000 gas barbecue. There’s additional cupboard space under the barbecue for storing tools. Pull-out garbage and recycling bins are built into the unit. The countertop is made of leathered granite and the sides are finished in granite.
The structure of the Nolets’ outdoor kitchen cost about $28,000 to install, while appliances totalled around $22,000. Their outdoor kitchen was completed by the end of the summer in 2020. “We got our yard done at the right time, with COVID and everything,” Mike Nolet said. “Sometimes three or four friends will come over in the evening and we’ll barbecue and watch sports on the outdoor TV.”
Griffiths said that interest in his outdoor kitchen company has been higher than usual this year. “People are more prepared and planning ahead. They know to get a jump on it, because last year there was a problem getting things like grills from manufacturers.”
The starting price for a simple 10-foot-long outdoor kitchen would cost about $15,000 — or $1,500 a linear foot — not including the cost of appliances. Condo terrace kitchens can cost more with added considerations including the floor it’s on, the size of the elevator and elevator access, parking, utilities and condo permissions.
Premium materials, such as stone and wood, can be selected to match your home’s exterior. “Something popular now is the large-format slabs made of Dekton (a manufactured marble-like material) on the countertop and the face of the island,” Griffiths explained.
Griffiths says that sinks are often a challenge for outdoor kitchen builds, due to the cost of installing plumbing and a drain line. But direct gas connections and power are more common, and more easily fulfilled requests.
Pergolas and covers offer protection from the elements, while built-in heaters can help extend the grilling season into early spring and late fall. According to Griffiths, high-end outdoor kitchens can cost upwards of $70,000. “People start looking at things like pizza ovens, fridges, ice makers and sinks.”
On the other end of the price scale, Thammavong said a simple, DIY outdoor kitchen with six feet of counter space can be built for around $2,000. This setup could be as easy as building a roll-out storage cart to go beside a barbecue, creating a small grilling station. As well, a waist-height wooden bench can be built to serve this purpose. If you DIY the project, you can incorporate custom features — like a drop-in beverage bucket to keep items cool, or a ceramic grill or smoker.
If you’re not so handy, Lowe’s offers a kitchen prep station and an outdoor storage cart, made to withstand the elements, for $400 to $700. Or, for a step above, a seven-foot ready-to-go outdoor kitchen with a grill cabinet, drawers, a bar cabinet costs around $3,700. Made of stainless steel, these kitchens are built for all four seasons if covered and protected from winter weather.
As a first step toward an outdoor kitchen, Thammavong recommends surveying your space. “How big can you go? How many square feet do you want to sacrifice in your backyard, terrace or balcony for the kitchen area?” she said.
Next, consider whether you’d like to install a permanent fixture, which will require weather-proof materials. Or, if you’d like the flexibility to move the kitchen around, carts and benches can also be stored indoors in the winter.
Lastly, determine your budget before you start shopping. “You can do a little or a lot, depending on how much you want to spend and how you want the space to look,” Thammavong added.
