Decorating your backyard kitchen can be a fun and creative way to make your outdoor living space even more enjoyable. Whether you have an existing outdoor kitchen or are just starting out, adding a few decorative touches can create a warm and inviting atmosphere. From bright and colorful furniture to custom built-in appliances, there are plenty of ways to spruce up your backyard kitchen. With a few simple ideas, you can transform your outdoor kitchen into a beautiful and inviting oasis.
When it comes to backyard kitchen decorating, there are a few things to consider. For starters, think about the overall atmosphere you’d like to create. Do you want a cozy space for entertaining friends and family? Or a more modern, contemporary setup? Once you’ve established the vibe you’re going for, you can start to look at furniture, appliances, and other decorative elements that will help you achieve your desired look.
Interior of the summer kitchen: views, nuances
It is desirable to develop a design project of a summer kitchen, referring to some rules:
- The width of the dining area – at least 3 meters, the length of the zone can be longer. Thanks to this approach, even a large number of people can comfortably sit around the table.
- The furniture should be practical and functional, preferably with rounded corners. Ease of maintenance is also an important factor, which should be relied on when choosing interior items.
- When arranging furniture and appliances, it is important to remember the rule of “working triangle”, which is the special arrangement of the sink, refrigerator and stove in relation to each other. Proper arrangement is the key to a comfortable process of cooking. However, much depends on the shape of the room. In a rectangular kitchen, working areas are placed along several walls or in a G-shape. In a square room, a U-shaped arrangement is appropriate.
- It is desirable to place the stove or barbecue not closer than two meters from the dining area. In this case, the possible sparks are not terrible for the furniture, and the smoke and hot air will not interfere with the guests.
- It is worth to think about the even distribution of light sources. Several levels of fixtures will help to zoning and illuminate the space at night. It is necessary to provide lighting directly over the working area. In an open summer kitchen, it is better to use water-proof fixtures.
- Plenty of greenery around the kitchen will help to hide unaesthetic areas, and give the space more privacy. You can also use plants to mark the boundary between zones.
The design of the summer kitchen can be thought of in one of the many styles, each of which has its own characteristics.
Classic
The main color of the interior is white. This style is suitable for spacious rooms, in which it is possible to arrange several zones – the working, dining and sitting area. Massive furniture made of natural wood with carvings will emphasize the fine taste of the owners of the summer kitchen. A large fireplace will add warmth to the outwardly cool space.
Modern
The style is characterized by a combination of classic details and objects in the folk style. The structure itself is better to build of brick, you can add an interesting space in the form of a wine cellar. The furniture in the room is bright, contrasting shades. The refrigerator is quite massive, as well as the stone stove. You can decorate the space with crystal vases with fresh flowers.
Rustic
Also known as eco-style. This decoration of the space is the best way to suit the outdoor summer kitchen. Finishing the walls and floor is mainly carried out with natural wood, covered with varnish.
Solid wood countertop is covered with a lace tablecloth, and decorate the space with flower pots, vases and earthenware.
The design of the summer kitchen looks original, yet simple, so the style is quite often used in the design of the building.
Provence
The style design is suitable for the summer kitchen, which is an extension of the main house. A distinctive feature of Provence is antique furniture. The wooden products can be aged manually, for this there are methods of firing, brushing and treatment with special substances.
The room reminds of a rustic house, and the special atmosphere is added by cushions with patterns, covers on chairs and paintings with landscapes. Window sills and open shelves can be decorated with climbing plants in pots.
American
This style requires a large space. The room should have clear zoning, add various niches, arches and partitions, on which you can place the necessary things in the kitchen.
To the ceiling light sources add wall lamps and sconces, which make the room more cozy. Wall and floor finishes can be made of simple materials that are disguised as expensive.
Instead of a large table, the central place of the dining area is occupied by a bar counter, which can also be used as an additional work area.
Oriental
The construction should be properly shaped with clear and smooth lines. The interior is usually finished with dark wood.
Cushions are often used instead of chairs, and a low stand is used instead of a table.
The necessary atmosphere of the East is added by mats, Chinese lanterns, decor with hieroglyphs. Summer kitchen in the oriental style can be both open and glazed with simple windows with white frames.
Mediterranean
Style for a spacious room summer kitchen. The interior looks quite simple and laconic, with a large number of tiles and shades of natural colors.
The dining table is the centerpiece of the summer kitchen. In general, the furniture in the room is simple and practical, without unnecessary decor.
Finishing the walls and floor is done mainly with tiles, and use both pastel and bright natural colors, such as turquoise, lemon, red, green, brown.
Scandinavian
The interior of the summer kitchen, decorated in this style, is characterized by simplicity and practicality, but the appearance recedes into the background.
The main materials for furniture, as well as wall and floor finishes, are untreated wood and stone. The center of the kitchen is the stove or fireplace. To make the room cozy, you can put animal skins on the floor.
The choice of wall and floor finishes
Finishing the summer kitchen plays an important role, so there are a number of specific requirements for the materials:
- Resistance to moisture, high temperatures, smoke and splashes of grease.
- Easy to care for and long-term preservation of the original appearance, even with frequent cleaning.
- Environmental cleanliness and safety for humans and animals.
Wall finishing is necessary to improve thermal insulation, protect walls from wear and damage, as well as to give the room an aesthetic appearance.
One of the easiest ways to finish walls is with plaster. Moreover, plastering is often a preparatory step before further finishing the walls. What other materials can be used:
- Wood. Wooden boards are one of the most common finishing materials. A special coating makes the walls strong, aesthetic and environmentally friendly. A varnish coating adds durability and helps preserve the natural texture and color of the wood.
- Ceramic Tile. Practical material that can be covered both floors and walls. Tile is not exposed to moisture and does not deform over time.
- Gypsum board. Useful material for creating flat walls and further covering them with paint or tiles. However, due to the high degree of moisture absorption, plasterboard can be used only in enclosed summer kitchens.
- Wallboard. High-quality thin panels made of wood. The material is economically consumed and is not affected by moisture.
- MDF panel. The main choice of users for finishing the summer kitchen without heating.
- Paint. One of the most affordable options for finishing walls. You can choose any color, and to create an accent in certain parts of the kitchen glue photo wallpaper or add a drawing.
To finish the floor, as a rule, use one of the following materials:
- tile,
- porcelain tiles,
- stone,
- wooden boards,
- linoleum.
Porcelain stoneware, stone and ceramic tiles are considered the most practical materials because they are easy to care for, moisture-resistant and fire-safe. These materials can be used in both open and closed kitchens.
Linoleum and wooden boards are suitable for flooring in an enclosed kitchen. In this case, the boards should be treated with a special compound to protect against external influences. With such a coating, the floor will be quite warm, and the room itself will be more comfortable.
It is worth remembering that the area of the floor around the stove or brazier is better covered with tiles or stone for fire safety purposes.
Choice of color scheme
The color design of the summer kitchen is an important point, thanks to which it will be pleasant to cook and just spend time in the room. When selecting a color scheme, you can rely on tips from designers:
- The interior of the summer kitchen should consist mainly of warm and saturated colors.
- You should choose the general colors depending on the size of the room: a small kitchen should be decorated with light colors to visually expand the space. A large kitchen can be decorated with both light and dark colors.
- Bright and contrasting colors are appropriate to highlight the cooking zone or the oven.
In one of the sections above described the principles by which the choice of color scheme occurs, depending on the style of the interior.
A summer kitchen is a unique structure in which to spend many enjoyable hours. The features described above will help you understand what kind of structure a particular family needs on their summer cottage property, and what summer kitchen design will be appropriate in this case.
