Going outside: the outdoor kitchen phenomenon
As the economy slows and expensive travel becomes less appealing, many Calgarians seek their little piece of paradise closer to home: the often neglected backyard is seen in a whole new light. More and more homeowners see the potential of their outdoor spaces and are installing outdoor kitchens; extensions of the house where the line between interior and exterior spaces is blurred. It can be a complicated process from conception to completion, but the reward of having a relaxing outdoor space to be proud of makes it worth it.
Does it seem strange to you to think about enjoying your backyard now? Darcy Fraser, owner of Home Fyres, a Calgary-based outdoor kitchen retailer, says late winter and early spring are often the best times of year to consider creating an outdoor kitchen. “Summer is the busiest season for outdoor kitchen retailers and businesses because the summer weather reminds everyone of their backyards, but by then it’s often too late to enjoy the season.” If you want your outdoor space to have it for the summer, there’s never a better time to start the process than now.
An outdoor kitchen is usually made up of some type of grilling area and some type of home product, such as a fireplace or fire pit. They can also include an eating area such as a raised bar, ample counter space for food prep complete with sinks, cutting boards and trash cans, or even a beer tap built into the top of the island. The outdoor kitchen can have all the accessories of your indoor kitchen, making commuting a thing of the past.
A good first step in creating your outdoor kitchen is to decide how you would like to use the space. How much space do you have to work? Do you want the space to be secluded and relaxing? Do you want to use it to entertain large groups of people? Do you want to incorporate a dining area? What about food preparation? The answers to these types of questions will provide guidelines for your outdoor space. You may also want to collect images from the internet or clip images from magazines to inspire ideas for the space.
You can design your outdoor kitchen yourself, although some companies like Home Fyres also offer in-house design services. Because an outdoor kitchen is a permanent structure, it typically requires a building permit and must comply with various building, gas, and electrical codes, as well as manufacturers’ specific installation and clearance requirements. “Having it designed by a professional can avoid a lot of hassle and save you the time and expense of fixing unnecessary mistakes,” advises Frasers.
For a one-time consultation fee, Home Fyres will take your ideas, pitch them, and create a custom plan for the project, including suggestions for appliances, all aspects of construction, finishes, and permits, and a detailed cost estimate and schedule for the project. . “It’s really a consultation process,” explains Fraser. “We will constantly go back and forth with ideas until we find a design that fits the client perfectly.” Home Fyres offers barbecue and outdoor kitchen components from leading brands Luxor, Evo, DCS by Fisher and Paykel, and more, as well as Escea and Design Dynamics outdoor fireplaces, and can supply virtually any outdoor kitchen accessory you need. need. One of the most significant trends in Calgary is components that extend the seasonal use of outdoor kitchens. Freestanding infrared patio heaters, using technology similar to aircraft de-icers, fire pit/coffee table combinations, and commercial-grade garage-style overhead heaters have been very popular for coping with the colder temperatures from Calgary. Fraser estimates that a good quality heater can add an extra three weeks of use to both the beginning and end of the barbecue season.
Once the design is finished, the next step is to build the kitchen. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it, make sure you do your homework. Certain elements of the outdoor kitchen, the gas work for example, must be handled by professionals. Fraser cautions, “There are plenty of contractors and tradesmen in town, but not all of them have experience building outdoor kitchens. Make sure you find someone who has done one successfully before.” Fraser describes a recent phone call he received from a contractor who was about to finish his first outdoor kitchen: “Turns out the contractor had framed the entire enclosure with wood and didn’t take into account the distances between the barbecues and the fuels, a major security issue. concern.” After learning of this mistake, the contractor was forced to tear down his outdoor kitchen almost entirely and rebuild it with steel studs, a significant expense to the contractor and a significant delay to the homeowner.
If the idea of trying to find your own contractor doesn’t appeal to you, Home Fyres can provide full project management to complement your design and retail services. “We only deal with contractors and tradesmen who share the same philosophy as us: it has to be done right.” And to back this up, Home Fyres offers an additional two-year warranty on workmanship in addition to the manufacturers’ warranties on their products. Regardless of who does the construction, safety and quality must be the priority: “Outdoor kitchens are designed to be permanent, so they must be built to last.”
Although the process can take several weeks or even months, careful planning can go a long way in successfully creating your backyard oasis, making the first time you fire up the grill that much more rewarding. Whether you’re a serious barbecuer, the perennial party host, or just the cook in the family, an outdoor kitchen is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in comfort.