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Outdoor kitchens: The latest home improvement craze

By Amy Collins-Walker โ€ข Leave a Comment

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Sponsored by Australian Gas Networks

The COVID effect has been felt across all quarters of the home and the outdoors havenโ€™t remained immune (pardon the pun!). In news that will surprise nobody, given the lockdowns that many endured, Australians are currently all about creating sanctuary-style homes that they never want to leave, and an improved backyard is an important piece of the puzzle.

โ€œThere has been a huge explosion in landscape design since COVID and the value of the backyard has shot up. People now see it as an extension of the house and the outdoor kitchen is becoming more important with people wanting to entertain at home much more,โ€ says landscape designer, and Mint Design director, Darin Bradbury.

Mint Design’s Williamstown project. Photo by Daniel Corden

And while the outdoor BBQ, bar fridge and sink setup isnโ€™t new, outdoor kitchen design is becoming much more sophisticated as people seek the same finishes outside that they have inside their homes. โ€œPeople really see the outdoor kitchen as an extension of the house and there has been a real push to outdoor entertaining. People want a great kitchen and pool and everything at their fingertips,โ€ says Darin.

Image: Kastell Kitchens
Williamstown by Mint Design
A Mint design project. Photo by Daniel Corden.

โ€œThe standard outdoor kitchen benchtop size is 2.4 metres long and it will typically house a BBQ, bar fridge and sink. I always try to encourage a sink so that you can wash your hands after handling meat,โ€ says Darin who says who recommends space either side of the sink for platters and the like. The designer has also seen an explosion in interest in different cooking options with smokers, chargrill BBQs and pizza ovens currently the most requested items.

Real Dads of Melbourne project. Photo by Sally Goodall.
Darin favours surface mounted minimalist barbecue designs like this one used in the Real Dads of Melbourne’s holiday home. Photo by Sally Goodall.

โ€œYou used to have to buy a DIY pizza oven kit that had to be built into the benchtop but now there are plenty of great pre-fab options that sit atop the bench. They are smaller and donโ€™t take up as much space and most of them have a gas starter so the days of sitting around waiting hours for your pizza oven to heat up are over,โ€ says Darin. The latest pizza oven designs allow you to pre-heat with gas and then add wood.

Gas is still the main energy source for outdoor kitchens with the open flame a must for keen barbecuers. โ€œPlumbed in gas and gas bottles are the standard for outdoor BBQs as thereโ€™s nothing that heats as fast and is as hot as gas when youโ€™re outdoors in the elements,โ€ says Darin.

Barwon Heads by Mint Design
Mint Design’s Barwon Heads project

When it comes to cost, many people are shocked to discover that an outdoor kitchen will set them back at least $15,000 but itโ€™s largely due to the materials required. Outdoor kitchen materials have to be able to handle variations in temperature and sunlight and said finishes donโ€™t come cheaply. โ€œIf your kitchen is fully exposed you need outdoor grade materials but if itโ€™s under a pergola you will have more leeway with materials,โ€ says Darin. 

When it comes to the bench top, Darin says that Dekton surfaces as well as natural stone or concrete are great options. โ€œA ceramic material, Dekton is very pricey, but you can get a stone-look and itโ€™s very durable and easy to clean. Concrete is a great option, but it must be sealed and resealed over time,โ€ says Darin. 

Keilor East by Mint Design
Keilor East project. Photo by Daniel Corden.

Cabinetry materials are another challenge as you need good durability there too; Darin recommends Tricoya MDF which is a laminated timber that doesnโ€™t shrink or swell. โ€œYou can paint that material in any colour that you like,โ€ says Darrin. Cement sheeting is still a popular product for cupboard doors but, alternatively, Polytech has a lot of great outdoor cabinetry finishes which give a timber or stone look. โ€œAgain though, that product is expensive. If you want a slick, seamless outdoor kitchen the sky is the limit when it comes to what you can spend.โ€

As TV interior designer James Treble shared with us recently, the majority of his clients prefer cooking on gas. Thinking about gas at the early stages of a build or reno, and making the most of your gas connection, if you plan to have one, is paramount, he says.

โ€œPeople need to think about if theyโ€™re cooking al fresco and having a gas point there too for their outdoor kitchen or built-in barbecue. You might also want a powerpoint there in case you need it for an ignitor, or perhaps an outdoor fridge, and even plumbing for a single sink.โ€

Canโ€™t afford that outdoor kitchen right now? Allow for the plumbing, gas and powerpoints now at the build stage, so itโ€™s an easier job later when you can.

Installing an outdoor natural gas BBQ? You may be eligible for a rebate!

Australian Gas Networks have rebates available for customers on their networks who are installing or purchasing new outdoor gas appliances. You can get more information here: Rebates | Australian Gas Networks

For more on Mint Design

TV interior designer shares what to get right first time
Sponsored by Australian Gas Networks Building or renovating a home is fraught with multiple decisions and competing priorities. But TV…
Jason Hodges’ expert guide to a Hamptons style outdoor area
For over a decade, Australians have had a love affair with the Hamptons style, with the trend increasing throughout the…

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February 16, 2023

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Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3? Just 3 of the kitch Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3?

Just 3 of the kitchens in the @duluxaus Colour Awards 2023 shortlist which will give you some serious inspiration!

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Projects by @studio__bright @kaiko_design and Georgie Shepherd Interior Design. Pix by @arorygardiner @fiona_susanto and @christophermorrisphoto 

#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony m We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony makeover using @kmartaus stone tiles!

Nineties townhouse in Lennox Head or villa in Greece? You decide! All up it cost $2000 including all materials and she did the work herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Wallpaper in every single room! What do you recko Wallpaper in every single room!

What do you reckon? You'd think it would be overkill but it isn't because so many of the designs are subtle yet still impactful.

Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

You can also watch a video tour with Bec Douros as the house featured on Open Homes Australia over the weekend.

Via link in bio now.

#wallpapergoals #wallpaperdesign #australianwallart #australianwallpaper #wallmurals #wallpapermural #wallpapermurals #wallpapereddoor #digitalwallpaper #digitallyprintedwallpaper #customwallpaper #wallpaperaesthetic #wallpapertrends #wallpaperaustralia #grafico #graficowallcoverings #melbournebusiness #melbournesmallbusiness #openhomesaustralia #theblock #becdouros
Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! 

Braved the rain second morning in a row to feed the animals at @edenfarmescape because life's too short to worry about a bit of mud and drizzle!

Feeling relaxed ๐Ÿฅฐ
Did you see this cracking little transformation on Did you see this cracking little transformation on @sellinghousesaus last night?

We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before ๐Ÿ˜‚

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterrenovation #beforeandafterlivingroom #renoshow #realreno #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #bluekitchen #budgetkitchenmakeover #budgetdiy #budgetmakeover
How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION? How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION?!

Our friends at @mintdesignau have done it again!

Homeowner Briony Marsh says: Itโ€™s totally changed our home lifestyle now we can sit outside on the lounge in the sun or shade, be in the pool, spa, sauna or cooking pizzas and hanging out with friends. It sounds cliched but it really feels like we are on holiday at home!โ€

Head over to the blog to see the finer details, including a sauna and a seriously good looking copper pizza oven. There's a lot packed into this space!

#backyards #smallpools #smallpool #homesauna #pizzaovens #outdoorpizzaoven #landscapedesigner #mintdesign #holidayathome #resortstylehomes #landscapeartist #backyard #exteriorinspiration #exteriormakeover #exteriordesigns #pergoladesign #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno. L Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno.

Located inside a 1912 sandstone villa in Adelaideโ€™s Kensington, this bathroom makeover combines classic and contemporary elements that complement the homeโ€™s original, period features. 

Designed by the homeโ€™s owner @designby_Tahirih, who is a property stylist too, the renovation came sooner than expected after water ingress made the makeover of their only bathroom an urgent necessity!

The whole project cost an impressive $20k, project managed herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

#realrenovations #realhomes #realreno #heartyourhome #renoaddict #freestandingbath #classicbathroom #classiccontemporary #classiccontemporaryinteriors #theinteriorsaddict  #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #homestaging #laundrymakeover #bathroomrenovations #bathroomremodels
Maybe it's an antidote to the grey weather but we Maybe it's an antidote to the grey weather but we find some of the most colourful interiors from my motherland, the UK!

This beautiful lilac kitchen is found in a renovated apartment by @llidesign in a grand mansion block in London's Bloomsbury. You can tour the rest of it on the blog now, via link in bio.

#londonapartment #bloomsbury
#bloomsburylondon #luxuryapartment #westendlondon #lilackitchen #colourfulkitchen #londonhome #londonhomes #londoninteriordesigner #londoninteriors #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsdaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #kitchenshelf #kitchenshelves #kitchenshelfie #openshelves #openshelvingkitchen
I remember the chair being such a key purchase whe I remember the chair being such a key purchase when I put together my first ever baby room for Seb. I spent many an evening relaxing on mine while pregnant as I tried to get my head around impending motherhood! Not only are glider recliners like the Chelsea fromย @iltuttoย the most comfortable chairs EVER for those many hours spent feeding and settling, why shouldn't they look this good too, am I right?!

Did you love your nursery chair? Did it look this good?!

See more on the Il Tutto Chelsea Glider Recliner Chair via link in bio now.

#feedingchair #nurserychair #nursingchair #reclinerchair #nurseryroomdecor #nursery #nurserygoals #nurserydesign #babyroomdecoration #babyrooms #babyroominspo #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #iltutto #newmumlife
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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