This Houston outdoor kitchen and entertaining area offers a modern take on Mediterranean style. Designed and built by Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, this fully loaded family and entertaining space echoes the stucco, travertine tile patio and Mediterranean style of the existing home while exuding a more modern, transitional style. “This was a high-profile client – both VPs of different oil and gas companies who entertain affluent guests on a regular basis – so they wanted to make sure they had high-end appliances and all the latest amenities they could order,” says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Outdoor Homescapes and owner of LGH Design Services in Houston. “They also have two kids, ages 7 and 10, and wanted a family gathering space that better accompanied their new, luxurious pool.” What really sets apart this outside kitchen design idea, however, is the way the elements are used throughout the space. “Usually, outdoor kitchen designs for a backyard are grouped into one island or cabinet,” explains Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. “But here, the patio, roof and fireplace were all in place, separated by stucco columns, and the outdoor kitchen elements had to work around them.” A 14-foot-long cooking island houses a built-in Fire Magic grill with a Magic View Window (allows the chef to check on food without lifting the lid and losing valuable heat). The island, the countertop of which is "Carnaval" granite from Lackstone, also features a Fire Magic power burner, warming drawer and trash drawer. On one side of the fireplace, forming an “L” with the cooking island, sits a built-in Primo ceramic grill. On the other side of the fireplace is a 3-foot-long cabinet housing a bar with a wine cooler, ice maker and upper cabinet. And finally, just outside the patio door is a 7-foot-long cabinet with a modern Kohler sink with a high-arc Moen faucet (sink and faucet from Faucets Direct), a trash drawer and another upper cabinet. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, by the way, outfitted both cabinets with glass inserts, custom pulls and three-way sensor lighting. “At the beginning, this was basically a blank space with a fireplace in the middle,” says Maxey. So Outdoor Homescapes upgraded the fireplace with Austin Stack Stone in white (No. 401) from Colorstonescreenshot vickers mosaic tile rectangle. "The stone added that pop,” notes Maxey. The fireplace’s espresso-colored, distressed wood mantel (from Mantels.com) and upper wood cabinets were both stained with the Minwax color Jacobean. The ceiling fans were also updated with ones featuring similarly espresso-colored, wooden fan blades, to match. The table in the middle - a cast-iron, Mediterranean style gem with hand-forged scrollwork designs from Patio 1 in Houston – seats 10. “We wanted this kind of Mediterranean feel,” says Maxey. “We wanted rustic, but the appliance package was so new, with all its stainless steel, so we kept a the cabinets and the columns stucco instead of stone for a more clean, modern look and then did the custom tile backsplash and mosaic in more of a rustic, Mediterranean look." The backsplash is a 1-inch travertine tile background with 4-inch square metallic insets, both from Floor & Decor. The tile for the 18-by-24-inch rectangle mosaic came from Great Britain Tile Co. and included a Dianno Reale tumbled border and background. The bronze, diamond-shaped insets are tumbled Dark Emperdor tile and the scrolls are tumbled Noce tile. The client, who admits they have high standards, was more than pleased with the project – especially browsing through Outdoor Homescapes’ vast library of patio kitchen design ideas, the 3D virtual video tour that let them preview the project from every angle before construction. They also liked the personalized design consultation. "OH provides a very neat service where one of their designers will either shop/buy for you or shop with you for the more detailed pieces that will finish your home," reads the client's review on Houzz. "This was a very positive, personalized feature ... Lisha helped narrow down an enormous marketplace of materials and finishes to a few we could choose from."

Sunset Construction and Design specializes in creating residential patio retreats, outdoor kitchens with fireplaces and luxurious outdoor living rooms. Our design-build service can turn an ordinary back yard into a natural extension of your home giving you a whole new dimension for entertaining or simply unwinding at the end of the day. If you’re interested in converting a boring back yard or starting from scratch in a new home, look us up! A great patio and outdoor living area can easily be yours. Greg, Sunset Construction & Design in Fresno, CA.

Large skylight with aluminum frame around each pane of glass is sloped to offers natural light and contains no tinting. The unit was made by CrystaLite Inc., based in Everett, WA

Landscape Design: AMS Landscape Design Studios, Inc. / Photography: Jeri Koegel

Full view.

© 2012 Ben Case, Down to Earth Designs, Inc.

Outdoor kitchen with side by side bbq, Komodo Joe 24" smoker, bar sink w/ removable cutting board, built-in fridge to right of smoker, built-in waste basket and paper towel holder in cabinet to right of bbq, and to the left of the bbq a condiments / ice bucket combination built-in countertop appliance. Countertop is polished concrete, cabinets are modular stainless steel with integral handles. The canopy is manufactured from steel HSS tubes, powder-coated in fine textured black, the canopy ceiling is linear strip cedar, the roof is standing seam metal. There is a built-in custom eavestrough at the base of the roof that leads to the downspout chain seen behind the bbq. A custom gate (seen to the left of the kitchen area), together with metal screened panels form part of the overall canopy structure. The canopy relies on tension rods at the back of the structural posts to support the approximate 6' of roof cantilever that extends well past the front of the countertop. Linear LED lights are built-in to the three lower horizontal tubes that project off of the main columns over the countertop.

6315 Stefani, Thomas Signature Homes Special Thanks to: Land Pro Creations & Rock Materials

A masonry grill station of Eden veneer with a cut bluestone coping surrounds a ProFire gas grill, side burners, trash and recycling pull out and outdoor faucet and sink. A Kamado Joe Classic Joe was also integrated within the grill station. A bar overlooks the roofed fire pit/entertainment area allowing guests full view of the outdoor television. A bluestone patio echoes the coping of the bar and grill station.

Arcadia Outdoor Kitchens

Gorgeous beach/tropical styled BBQ kitchen. Dual- Level Exterior BBQ Concrete Countertop. Pour in Place sleek looking concrete countertop. The selected color is an Alternative Constructors custom color: Steel Reserve.

Outdoor kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven.