Until now, you may have only seen them at holiday resorts, but backyard kitchen design is the "new thing” in custom built homes. It is an unbelievably luxurious enhancement to your home – a furnished outdoor area where you can cook and serve meals for your family and guests.

 

Let’s start with the basics: food. Cooking outdoors is a great way to try out different types of food and cooking that you may not wish to experiment with in your home – no alien food smells or worries about foods that create smoke.

 

And think of the entertainment potential!  An outdoor kitchen area can be gracefully included as part of a pool and entertainment area.

 

A well-designed outdoor kitchen also increases the marketability and resale value of your home.

 

The Drawbacks

 

Of course, one has to be realistic. There are drawbacks to outdoor kitchens. Their use relies on good weather conditions. Toronto has a relatively short season, May to October. And, even in those months, the weather has become more unpredictable, with wild rain and windstorms – and it may not be possible to shelter the kitchen from that.

 

You need to choose resilient materials for your surfaces. Countertop materials, in particular, should be suitable for outdoor use. Lighting is important, especially if you plan on entertaining in the evening.

 

Backyard kitchens can also involve a bit of lugging utensils and dishes about, if you don’t wish to store a set of kitchenware outside.

 

And then there is the neighbourhood fauna. In Toronto, there is the constant threat from those most ingenious and curious of visitors – raccoons.

 

Who to Hire!

 

If you can afford a backyard kitchen, then you should budget to do it right. That means: forget about doing it yourself. A DYI backyard kitchen is called a "gas barbeque”. Your backyard kitchen is going to be a lot more elaborate!

 

A Toronto custom home builder can help you create the kitchen. A design-build company offers you several advantages. For starters, it means that all the functions – from the design of your backyard kitchen to the construction – are done under one roof.

 

The design-build system eliminates schedule delays and budget over-runs because everything is monitored in-house. The client also has greater access to all aspects of the project as it goes forward – this is especially welcome to clients who want to have design input.

 

Because the design, construction and budgeting are all done in-house, it means that the builder has a sense of increased responsibility. Designers and contractors must be on the same page – because they are fellow employees and it is their company that bears the responsibility for all elements. No passing the buck! It also means that the client has just one point of contact for input and questions.

 

Backyard kitchen design has advanced considerably in recent years and no longer is it the preserve of resorts or lucky folk living in warmer climes. Toronto residents can enjoy the fun of preparing and serving food al fresco too.