Designing and Building and Outdoor Kitchen, Madison, WI

Building A Summer Kitchen For Entertaining

After surviving a harsh Madison winter, many of us want to make relaxing in the sunny backyard a full-time job. Adding a summer kitchen is an investment that adds value and versatility to your home, while helping you enjoy summertime to its fullest. Moreover, your summer kitchen can be as simple and straightforward, or as elaborate and gourmet, as your space and living needs require.
Designing any outdoor space has special considerations that can be overwhelming to a beginner. Here are some things we at Degnan recommend considering before any summer kitchen build project.

Your Space

Luxury Patio and Outdoor Kitchen Design Madison WI-9.jpg — Outdoor Kitchen Design

The grilling station is placed adjacent to the 3-season porch and the large patio doors, providing connection to multiple useful areas of the home. Whether dining indoors our outdoors, the grilling station is convenient for these clients in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Size - Your yard space will determine the upper limit on your summer kitchen's size. Whether you’re working creatively within strict limits or have some flexibility, it’s helpful to think about how you intend to use your summer kitchen. Do you regularly entertain large numbers of people, or favor more intimate gatherings? Do you plan on cooking elaborate meals, requiring more prep area and cold storage, or is your style more burgers-and-beer, making it better to use that area for grill-space and a bar-top?

Location - Think about the placement of the kitchen relative to the home. Most people want their summer kitchens as close to the home as possible, making it easier to travel between the indoor and outdoor kitchens, as well as to connect appliances to electric, gas, and plumbing lines if necessary. Others prefer a spot by the pool or firepit, where people tend to congregate and socialize.

Flooring - When designing a space from the ground up, the flooring is a great place to start. You will need flooring that can endure various weather conditions and stand up to grease or food stains. Particularly if your summer kitchen is near a pool, you will want flooring that does not become slippery when wet.

Appliances in Your Summer Kitchen

Luxury Patio and Outdoor Kitchen Design Madison WI-13.jpg — Summer Kitchen Appliances

This outdoor kitchen boasts a refrigerator, grill, and dedicated storage cabinetry. Stainless steel prevents rust.

Grill - The grill is the centerpiece of any summer kitchen. Choose a durable, high-quality appliance that will last you many seasons. Place it where it will be easily accessible, but not too close to high-traffic areas where children may be playing. If your grill is close to your home, also be sure that the smoke will not drift into your home or your entertaining areas.

Sink - Depending on your needs, an outdoor sink can be a large food-prep and washing area, a place to wash glasses and barware, or a quick spot to rinse your hands. Any outdoor sink will either need to be hooked to a hose or to your home’s water supply.

Fridge - We’ve come a long way from the styrofoam cooler. Having a small refrigerator in your summer kitchen provides easy access to cold storage during every July heat-wave. It also eases pressure on your in-home fridge, which can quickly fill with drinks and food during summer cook-outs.

Extras - For aspiring home chefs, there are many appliances that can provide additional function and fun to your summer kitchen, including hibachi grills, smokers, beer taps, rotisseries, and pizza ovens.

Your Winters

Sunroom Addition Home Remodeling Madison WI Degnan Design Build Remodel-15.jpg — Heating an Outdoor Room

A gas fireplace is a good way to provide heat to an outdoor room. Natural gas is a relatively inexpensive heat source and can be turned on and off at will. If you will only need to heat the space intermittently, then a gas fireplace is a good way to accomplish this in a beautiful way.

Although no one wants to think about the cold when designing their summer kitchen, building your space in a way that can be easily winterized will preserve its durability and save you a lot of heartache in the long run.

Seating - No one wants their summer furniture to be garage clutter for half the year. If you can choose seating that is easily movable and stackable, this will increase the versatility of your entertaining area in the summer and make winterizing a lot easier.

Storage - Under-counter storage can be a great way to get the most out of your space. This is a spot for bags of charcoal, grill tools, centerpieces and candles, and whatever else you need to protect from the cold and wet, and will want easy access to come June.

Coverage - Having some degree of coverage for your summer kitchen area can be a smart choice. It allows you to use the space in a variety of weather conditions during the summer, and helps protect everything during the winter. Just be sure that whatever option you are considering allows for adequate ventilation.

Heating - Adding a heating source – or multiple – can extend the seasonality of your summer kitchen while also adding ambience. Consider a fireplace or firepit as part of your summer kitchen, or for a simpler option, add heat lamps around seating areas.
Adding a summer kitchen to your Madison home is an investment not only in your property, but in many long summer nights of enjoyment.

Contact Degnan Design Build Remodel for more information about creating the perfect outdoor kitchen for your home.

About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.