flexiblefullpage - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
Currently Reading

Alfresco Attraction

Advertisement
billboard -
Management

Alfresco Attraction

More often than not, outdoor living space will include an open-air kitchen complete with top-of-the-line appliances and high-end finishes designed to be both functional and beautiful.


By Ann Matesi, Contributing Editor April 30, 2006
This article first appeared in the PR May 2006 issue of Pro Remodeler.

Sidebars:
New Ideas for a Hot Market

Living space dedicated to outdoor entertaining continues to be on a meteoric rise in popularity across the country, particularly in the warm-weather climates where the outdoors can be enjoyed year-round. More often than not, this outdoor living space includes an open-air kitchen complete with top-of-the-line appliances and high-end finishes designed to be both functional and beautiful.

The key element in a great outdoor kitchen is a high-performance grill.

"We include an outdoor kitchen in literally every home that we build," says Houston based custom builder Brian Thompson, whose $2.7 million showcase home in Piney Point Village features a charming pool-oriented loggia that features its own amenity-packed grilling station and hearth-side dining area.

"Our mild climate is conducive to outdoor entertaining," says Thompson, "so this type of space is a must-have for our clients. And they are willing to spend a lot more money customizing their outdoor living areas these days than ever before. It is not at all uncommon for them to anchor the space with a high-performance grill that costs thousands of dollars. In our market, we are also doing a lot of built-in crab or shrimp boilers, custom vent hoods, and complete plumbing packages including garbage disposals and wet bars."

"We typically plan outdoor entertaining space to be at least partially under roof in order to provide protection from the hot summer sun," says Thompson. "But when you cover a space, you always have to worry about ventilation. You don't want it to become uncomfortably warm. We make every effort to position an outdoor room so that it has at least two open sides on it. This will promote natural breezes that help to cool the space."

Climate Doesn't Matter

Although a northern climate may limit its practical use to six to eight months of the year, the demand for outdoor cooking and entertaining spaces is on the rise in the northern states as well, says Charles Page, one of the Chicago area's premier architects.

"I am seeing more and more interest in outdoor kitchens all the time," says Page, who designs high-end residences for some of his market's most discriminating buyers. "I would say that nearly 100 percent of my clients want outdoor space where they can cook and entertain friends and family. For those that don't start out with it, I find that they're coming back to me to add it on later because they wish they had it."

Page uses the concept of a traditional screened-in porch to extend living space to the outdoors in the homes he designs for his upscale clients. "I include a screened porch on almost every home that I design because this is an element that is ideally suited to this area. They provide sun control, rain control, bug control and a sheltered space for an outdoor kitchen. If a client wants to be able to use the room all year round, removable window panels can be used to replace the screens and radiant heating installed in the floor will provide extra warmth on chilly days."

A Page-designed screened porch is anything but run-of-the-mill. Most feature beautifully detailed trim, volume ceilings, remotely operated gas fireplaces and custom-built masonry grill centers complete with granite countertops.

Water features such as ponds and waterfalls have replaced swimming pools as the focal point for outdoor living space in his market, says Page. "Pools were much more popular back in the '80s in this area than they are today. Homeowners who have them installed these days really want them."

In situations when a client's outdoor living space is not covered, such as for a terrace surrounding an in-ground pool, the cooking area is generally developed as an extension of the overall landscape plan, says Keith Appelhans of Wauconda, Ill.-based Apple Landscaping, which builds an average of 150 outdoor kitchens annually in Chicago's northern suburbs and southern Wisconsin. "Freestanding masonry islands that include a top-of-the-line grill, refrigerator, storage cabinets and even a sitting area or rounded peninsula at one end are very popular," says Appelhans. "We typically use granite for the countertop because it stands up well to all kinds of weather and still looks beautiful."

Appelhans says that some clients protect their high-end investment from the elements during the winter by installing a custom-built cover. "There are some appliances that are specially designed to handle the temperature extremes that we have in this area," he says, "but many times we will design the island so the appliances can be removed and stored elsewhere when not in use."

 

New Ideas for a Hot Market

"The outdoor living area is really the focus of explosive growth for the industry today," says Carol Kaplan, media and public relations manager for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. For contractors who want to keep pace with the newest trends in products, materials and installation techniques for outdoor living spaces, the HPBA Web site ( www.hpba.org) is a good place to check out.

The international trade association's membership includes manufacturers and their representatives, retailers, distributors, service and installation firms, and other companies and individuals with business interests in the hearth, patio and barbecue products industry. The HPBA also sponsors an annual Hearth & Home Expo where more than 500 exhibitors showcase and demonstrate the latest innovations and technology in hearth, patio and barbecue equipment and accessories. The 2007 HPBA Hearth & Home Expo is scheduled for March 14-17, 2007 in Reno, Nev.

Living space dedicated to outdoor entertaining continues to be on a meteoric rise in popularity across the country


Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
leaderboard2 - default

Related Stories

How to Create a World-Class Remodeling Team

Great remodeling companies position themselves for the future with the right players

Everyone Should Have a Number: KPIs for Your Design Build Team

Measuring key performance indicators guides your team to success while creating accountability and ownership

How to Revamp Your Pre-Construction Process 

Experiencing too much slippage and delays? See how Bridget Bacon of Red House Design Build solved these issues by improving the remodeler's pre-construction process

How This Remodeler Revamped Their Pre-Construction Process

Bridget Bacon of Red House Design Build outlines how she helped transform the pre-construction process for improved finances and morale

Building A Small Projects Division from the Ground Up

Through hard work and careful strategy, Harth Home Services has seen big growth

A Mindset of Serving Others

A research study shows surprising results about what makes us take ownership of our work.

3 Keys to Successful Team Management

On this episode of Women at WIRC, hear Laura Burnes delve into her approach to leadership and project management, in addition to sharing insights into Adams + Beasley Associates' winning culture. 

Preparing for an Uncertain 2024

Here's how remodelers can prepare for unpredictable market

4 Steps to Prep Your Business for Contraction

How a remodeling company plans ahead for the worst of times (and the best of times)
 

Helping Remodelers 'Get Their House In Order'

From remodeler to NARI executive to industry consultant, Diane Welhouse uses her expertise to help business owners 

Advertisement
boombox2 -
Advertisement
halfpage2 -
Advertisement
native1 -

More in Category




Advertisement
native2 -
Advertisement
halfpage1 -
Advertisement
leaderboard1 -