Beautiful Ways To Customize And Design An Outdoor BBQ or Grill Setup
Outdoor bbqs make summertime more enjoyable and joyful, creating opportunities to spend more time with friends and family in an open and fresh environment. There are many different ways to set up a backyard bbq area and a lot of different ways to customize it, whether you want it to be a part of a larger outdoor space or a little standalone area. We’ll have a look at a few designs and ideas in the hopes that they’ll inspire you. View them with an open mind and look for ways in which you could adapt some of these ideas to suit your own needs.
The bbq area could be part of an outdoor kitchen. You can create it as a sort of extension for the interior living area and include features such as a big sink, some counter space, storage cabinets and perhaps a pizza oven. This design by Harrison’s Landscaping looks really beautiful with all the greenery in the background and the use of concrete in the kitchen is both stylish and practical.
This bbq setup is part of a beautiful outdoor patio created by studio Germinate Design. It has a tall fence as a backdrop which lets plants and greenery fit through the gaps at the top. There’s also a beautiful curved bench that attaches to the bbq area and frames the raised garden in a very elegant manner.
A nice idea is to have a built-in bbq area which you could potentially hide away when not in use. This right here is a great example. This is a design created by MR.MITCHELL and it’s both simple and beautiful. It’s also practical and convenient. The bbq station can be covered up which only leaves the bar exposed, allowing this covered patio to be used for a variety of different activities.
If you’re serious about your barbecuing skills and you want to be able to entertain large groups of people at once, then consider a double barbecue instead of just once. It could be a part of your backyard deck, with some counter space next to it for prepping and storage underneath for all the supplies and accessories. Check out this beautiful setup created by Brandon Architects for inspiration.
There’s also the question of style and aesthetics which needs to be addressed when designing the outdoor bbq area. First of all, consider the materials which you’d like to use. Wood is a versatile choice which suits a variety of styles. You can use it to create a rustic or retro setup but also to complement a modern or a contemporary decor. This area designed by Arterra Landscape Architects is somewhere in between.
The layout is important as well. If your backyard has an outdoor kitchen, you might be tempted to make the bbq area a part of it. However, it might turn out to be better if you were to place the oven or the grill some distance away from the seating area and the house itself. This way the smoke doesn’t disturb anyone and everything is still accessible. The house designed by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has a great setup which could be used as a source of inspiration.
Make the bbq area convenient and practical. In a lot of ways this is quite similar to a regular kitchen except it’s outdoors and the materials and finishes need to address that. A good idea in this case is to opt for a stainless steel bbq and a matching countertop. It’s highly durable and resilient, easy to clean and outdoor-friendly. You can pair it with wooden cabinetry like in this elegant backyard designed by New Eco Landscapes.
This contemporary patio has a sleek and elegant design and a really great outdoor kitchen complete with a built-in grill as well as a pizza oven. The colors are bright and simple. the finishes are complementing each other beautifully and the whole area is really welcoming. The backyard is quite small so it makes sense to pack as much function into one space as possible. This was a project completed by studio Daniel Lomma Design.
Speaking of small backyards, here’s another nice example by studio Boxleaf Design, Inc. This time the ambiance is more casual and there’s not as much going on out here but there’s still enough space for a small bbq area. A few chairs and a table can be brought outside whenever needed.
Everybody loves a great view. Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects designed a magnificent residence with an ocean view and they made sure to take advantage of this prime location. There’s a cozy bbq area outside with stainless steel surfaces, comfortable and casual seating and transparent railings which allow the view to be admired without any obstacles in the way.
Another important aspect which we mentioned a few times before is storage. An outdoor bbq area would ideally include plenty of space for all the utensils, ingredients and accessories needed to prep and cook the food. If you want to go all out, it would also be cool to add a small refrigerator out here. Check out this complete setup designed by Ronda Outdoors if you’re in need of some inspiration.
There are also various design details to consider and they have to do with the connection between your indoor and outdoor spaces. Look for ways to create a smooth transition and to seamlessly integrate the bbq area into your design. A beautiful detail which you can notice in this design created by De Matos Ryan is that there’s a seamless continuation between the indoor kitchen and the outdoor bbq area and that’s because of how the furniture and the counters were positioned.
If you have a covered outdoor bbq area you have a bit more freedom when designing and decorating it. You can think of it as a second kitchen and give it plenty of storage, generous counter space, a sink, a backsplash and even cabinets not just below the counter but above it as well. This design by Specht Architects is a great example of a built-in bbq with an elegant wood surround.
Extending your bbq area to include extra features such as a sink is a great idea. It makes food prep easier and faster and it also makes this area multifunctional. On the same note, you can also include a cooktop or a grill as a way to add alternatives and to make the space more versatile. There’s no need for a lot of space and this backyard setup designed by Odooproject is one of the best example in this sense.
Another idea is that instead of a separate bbq area you could create something bigger and more complex and versatile, like a multifunctional outdoor seating/ cooking area. It could have comfortable seating, a fireplace, a kitchen with storage cabinets, a big counter and various other functions and the bbq area can be a part of it. This sort of setup suits large and modern residences like the one designed by Rolling Stone Landscapes.
Of course, there’s no need to overcomplicate things if you don’t want to. If you want to create something super simple, then the bbq area could part of a stylish island and you could place it in the backyard, either next to a seating area or some distance away to keep the smoke contained. We love how simple and fresh this whole backyard looks. This is a design by Tal Goldsmith Fish Design Studio.
This house designed by Benn+Penna reinforced an idea which mentioned before. It creates a continuation between the indoor and the outdoor spaces and the transition in this case is as seamless as possible. The indoor kitchen is basically extended and continues outside all the way back. Out here there’s a big bbq and a wooden bench for relaxing. The backyard is definitely small but also very beautiful.
This amazing outdoor entertainment area is not part of a backyard and that’s because it was designed for a penthouse apartment. It’s up on the rooftop and it’s seamlessly integrated into a covered space with comfortable seating, a bar, generous countertops and a nice view on top of it all. This is a design by studio Egue y Seta.
This is a design by Clark | Richardson Architects. They created this beautiful poolside entertainment area and gave it a sleek floating roof so it could be enjoyed regardless of the weather. The area is split into two sections, a seating area with a fireplace and an outdoor kitchen and bbq area with a dining table next to it.
This outdoor area designed by dSPACE Studio has different elevations which creates a clear distinction between the different spaces and the various functions they have. The outdoor kitchen/ bbq area and the dining table are positioned higher up on a wooden deck with a beautiful fireplace backdrop. Rows of string lights create a cozy and very welcoming ambiance at night and this space overlooks the sitting area which is down below.