If you have a passion for cooking and love the outdoors, then an outdoor kitchen for your Central Illinois patio area can offer the perfect extension of your living space. In combination with a designated eating area, this feature can transform your patio into a stunning area for entertaining family and friends.
Building an outdoor kitchen
Features such as BBQ grill islands, pizza ovens, fridges and other amenities can be used to achieve the desired result of a fully functional outdoor kitchen. Unilock’s concrete products provide resistance to de-icing salt, and are able to withstand extreme freeze-thaw cycles. This ensures outstanding long term protection for your outdoor cooking equipment and the aesthetic of your outdoor kitchen.
The durable, non-slip surface of Unilock’s wide selection of patio pavers make them safe for floor areas where cooking and preparing food takes place and are easily cleaned after a messy cook-out. With all that protection and visual appeal, your outdoor kitchen area can easily form the focal feature for your patio area, while maintaining its practical use for decades to come.
Using vertical features
A variety of vertical structures can be created using wall products that complement the aesthetic of your outdoor kitchen. The design possibilities are endless, with steps, pillars, seat walls and grill islands being just a few examples of what can be achieved. Adding vertical elements can add depth, dimensionality and division to your outdoor space, and incorporating color and texture accents from the surface of your patio can create a seamless design. Using the same tones in this way can help tie your project together.
Unilock offers a wide selection of concrete materials ideal for the construction of vertical elements in your outdoor space. Rivercrest Wall, as an example, has the character of stacked natural stone with all the durability and affordability of concrete, making it ideal for garden walls and pillars. Belmuro Wall has a contemporary feel and comes in a variety of shades that can be used to complement any paver.
Creating outdoor rooms
Whilst designing your outdoor space, distinct areas can be created in order to accommodate different functions or break up the expanse of an area to increase visual and spatial interest. One way to do this is by creating multiple levels. These levels can then be connected using steps to bridge the elevation. Alternatively, adding a seat wall can separate two or more areas, whilst also providing additional seating for guests and doing away with the need for large amounts of furniture. Pillars can be added to the ends of low walls or stand by themselves as subtle space dividers. These can add to the aesthetics of your design and can be used for mounting lanterns, sculpture or potted plants.
Choosing stone that complements your home
Unilock’s stone pavers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, helping to provide you with the perfect choice for your patio design, whatever your personal preferences and requirements. Using large stones with a minimalist feel, separated by straight lines, complements a modern home perfectly. A home with traditional aesthetics can be echoed in a rustic patio with smaller stones and a weathered texture.
