No outdoor kitchen is complete without a grill island. A grill island be designed as a means of providing extra space to preparing meals, or built adjacent to the outdoor kitchen as a bar island. Bar stools provide additional seating for casual meals or sharing drinks with friends.
All design considerations
Outdoor Kitchen Inspiration
For hours of food, lots of laughter, and plenty of conversations, a Unilock Outdoor Kitchen is the perfect location. An outdoor kitchen expands your home's living and entertainment space and enables you to maximize your backyard from a practical standpoint. For inspiration on how to spruce up your backyard patio, check out the outdoor kitchen and grill island ideas from Unilock.
Extend the outdoor kitchen with a bar and grill island
The “L” stands for lovely! Designing an L-shaped outdoor kitchen
The shape and style of your outdoor kitchen can define itself as its own secular space on the patio. Less subtle than a traditional bar island, an L-shaped outdoor kitchen can be constructed to include a number of specific features, including a sink, pizza oven, smoker or outdoor dishwasher. If you have a specific idea for what you want to incorporate in your L-shaped outdoor kitchen, speak with your Authorized Contractor.
Give your outdoor barbecue an upgrade!
When you think about cooking al fresco, barbecues are usually the first thing that come to mind. An outdoor barbecue can be built directly into an outdoor kitchen wall. The U-Cara Multi-Face Wall System allows for flexibility in outdoor kitchen design, the only limit is your imagination!
Order up! Cooking outdoors with a pizza oven
An outdoor pizza oven not only enhances the value of your home, but is an excellent alternative to traditional barbecues. It’s not just for cooking pizza; you can in fact cook a number of different meals, including steak, chicken, and fish! Care and maintenance is required in order to maintain a pizza oven. Be sure to clean any debris with a simple scrub brush and soap-and-water solution, so your pizza oven is clean and ready for future delicacies.
Complement your grill island with stunning countertop designs
When designing your outdoor kitchen, you’ll want to choose an array of materials that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but are highly durable all year round. Complement your outdoor kitchen, grill or barbecue island with a stunning countertop using granite, ceramic or natural stone. These materials are designed to be versatile, easy to clean and provide an elegant surface appearance.
U-Cara Modular vs Backer Block System
Thanks to the patented U-Cara Multi-Face Wall System, you can design outdoor kitchen and grill islands in a number of different ways. U-Cara Modular units are aluminum-framed cabinets that are a labor saving and cost-effective way of constructing a number of different outdoor features. These cabinets can be built on-site in hours, not days, and because they are light, they can be placed almost anywhere on your patio. The Sure Track Backer Block System on the other hand, allows for easy single or double-sided seat wall designs and easily connects to the modular system. Clad backer blocks with the same decorative fascia panels, for a cohesive design.
U-Cara Wall Mount System
For a completed look and feel, use the U-Cara Wall Mount System to clad wooden structures including deck skirts, cabanas, and tool shelters as well as existing poured-in-place retaining walls and concrete foundation walls. This three-part system's ease of use, enables quick installation almost anywhere in your project and blends in seamlessly with the other U-Cara walls and vertical modules already present.
Costs associated with Outdoor Kitchen builds
Remember that the cost of pavers normally accounts for just 20% of the project budget. Labor and other materials used in the construction make up for the other 80%. By choosing to upgrade to a product and color that you prefer, will not change the project price that dramatically. Choose from a variety of products, colors, and styles you'll adore over the long term by working with your Authorized Contractor. Working with pavers has many advantages over conventional poured concrete, including the ease of replacing damaged or stained stones. We recommend choosing an aesthetically pleasing product that is heat and stain resistant and long lasting.
Traditional vs Ultra-Modern kitchen inspirations
Create an outdoor kitchen that looks and feels like an extension of your house's own architectural style. Traditional outdoor kitchens generally have a more weathered, worn appearance, while ultra-modern kitchen designs may incorporate distinct paver accents, contrasting hues, and unique textures. Aside from knowing which goods are suitable for use on an outdoor kitchen project, make sure your product, color, and style choices complement your design objectives.
Using water, gas or electricity
For convenience, it makes sense to build your outdoor kitchen as close to your home as possible, in order to utilize water, gas and electricity. Your Unilock Authorized Contractor can help you to determine if you have the ability to use water and electricity by your kitchen, and if it fits into your budgetary means.
Don’t forget the mini-fridge!
An outdoor refrigerator or beverage cooler makes perfect sense at your kitchen and bar island when it comes to grabbing ingredients, prepared dishes or soft drinks for guests. Ideally, you’ll want to be aware of additional electricity costs that may impact your overall budget.
Store your dishes and secret family recipes in style!
An outdoor kitchen, when designed appropriately, will act as your secondary kitchen. Thanks to the flexibility of wall systems like U-Cara, you can design your outdoor kitchen to incorporate storage drawers for cutlery, dishes, and recipe books, which will in turn create additional space for your cupboards indoors as well!
Protect your waste with a built-in trash bin
Thanks to the flexibility of Unilock products, you can customize your outdoor kitchen with a number of convenient nooks and crannies. Carve out space to include outdoor garbage bin storage or a trash compactor, and keep your garbage safe and sealed away from wandering eyes, and pesky critters!
Save the trip, wash your dishes outdoors
If you plan to do most of your cooking outdoors during the hot summer months, it only makes sense to want a lot of counter space and a sink with running water. Avoid carrying a load of messy dishes in and out of the house and create a comfortable space to clean and dry dishes all in one convenient location. Much like electricity, Ensure you can handle the additional costs associated with hiring a plumber to install a water line and proper drainage channels for your outdoor kitchen.
Building a low-maintenance outdoor kitchen
Investing in a Unilock product reflects a commitment to excellence. Our pavers now offer a better level of quality than before, combining the best of both worlds in terms of visual beauty and functionality, thanks to our exclusive variety of product technologies. Caring and maintaining your pavers is paramount, so there are a few things you need to keep in mind if you want to preserve your pavers for a lifetime.
Sealing your outdoor kitchen pavers, the right way
Sealing the pavers in your outdoor kitchen area is always a good idea if the pavers are not pre-sealed in the factory by our exclusive EasyClean Technology. If you do plan on sealing, there are a few things you need to know. Make sure you properly clean pavers of any dirt, grease or efflorescence residue and make sure they are completely dry before sealing. It's best to apply sealant when it's sunny and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Once sealed, it is recommended that you reapply it every three to five years to refresh the look and to maintain the protection.
Build your outdoor kitchen in a sheltered area
Installing your outdoor kitchen under or around some type of shade is important in order to protect your appliances from the elements, including rain or snow. A wooden pergola, covered shelter or retractable canopy will help ensure that you’re ready for any weather changes, while ensuring you will be able to use your appliances year round.
Winterizing your outdoor kitchen
As you head into the cold, snowy months of the year, it’s vital to take the right precautions to winterize your outdoor kitchen appliances, so that they are running correctly when you return to use them in the Spring. Add pipe insulation and turn off any water valves under your sink to lessen the possibility of freezing and cracking this winter. Remove any food or beverages from your outdoor refrigerator, turn off any gas lines, and then cover your appliances with protective covers. Consider taking small refrigerators inside for the winter for added protection.
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Browse our Design Idea Catalog
Explore endless design possibilities through our Design Idea Catalog. Browse our extensive portfolio of paver and wall products, and get inspired by our outstanding design projects that will fuel your creative expression.
Visit an Outdoor Idea Center
Experience the beauty and quality of Unilock paver and wall products in a life-sized setting by visiting a local Outdoor Idea Center. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff are on hand to answer any questions and offer free product samples.
