Outdoor Kitchen Design Madison, Wisconsin

Designing an Outdoor Kitchen For Madisons Climate

Today a huge trend in home improvement, no matter where you call home, is creating a beautiful hardscape outdoor kitchen. Typically, when you see a television show like Fixer Upper featuring outdoor kitchens, they're being built in a warmer climate. But that doesn't mean that if you live in a place like Madison, Wisconsin you don't want one too!

We often get calls from customers looking to add a beautiful outdoor living space to their home here in Madison, and often that request includes a full outdoor kitchen. While we may not be able to enjoy them year round, with proper construction techniques, cold-weather designs, and regular maintenance, an outdoor kitchen can be a great addition to your Wisconsin home.

While the winter weather can be rough, with the proper materials and design and an understanding of how to protect your investment during the coldest winter months, you too can have a stunning outdoor kitchen! Let's look at the challenges, and we how overcome them here in beautiful Wisconsin!

Make it Custom!

outdoor kitchen grilling station in screened porch — This screened porch includes a grilling station, with a vent hood, for sheltered grilling available rain or shine.

In warmer climates, contractors typically use “outdoor kitchen kits” for their projects. These include a pre-ordered, pre-made frame, fiber cement board or stone veneer, prefab tile or granite countertops and all the other materials needed to construct the framework. Kits are shipped in pieces ready to be assembled by the contractor on site. These kits cost about half as much as a custom-built kitchen, which can make them an attractive option for homeowners, and if you live in the south they work just fine. But the fact is, they're not designed or built to stand up to the extreme winter weather in a place like Madison!

Here at Degnan Design Build Remodel, we work with homeowners to educate them to the realities of constructing a proper outdoor kitchen for our cold climate. It's important for the homeowner to understand the process and for us to understand their expectations. If the goal is to use the space for all four seasons, we need to keep that in mind when designing and placing the site. It can be done, but there is a cost involved. The homeowner should ask themselves:

• How often do you want to use the space?

• Do you have the budget, and is investing in the higher-end grills, cabinets, decking, stones and furniture needed to create a cold weather ready outdoor kitchen?

• Will it add value to your home at resale and is that a priority for you?

There are also challenges involved that we discuss together for example, bugs, and winterization needs (gas and electrical lines will need to be protected from weather, furniture will need to be stored.)

Finally, we discuss the importance of placement. If you're planning on grilling year round placing the kitchen close to your home, and sheltering the cooking area from harsh weather or flood zones all need to be determined before construction begins. It's also important to take into consideration privacy, and incorporating the design into your current landscaping.

It's All In The Build...

durable concrete countertop outdoor kitchen — This outdoor kitchen grilling station uses stainless steel cabinetry inside a masonry enclosure, and a concrete countertop, for durability in Wisconsin’s wide range of seasonal temperatures.

When constructing a cold weather outdoor kitchen it's important to use the proper materials. Those outdoor kitchen kits use fiber cement board, and stone veneer which is not rated to hold up well under harsh conditions. We generally suggest using composite decking over wood, avoiding porous stones like limestone or travertine which can absorb moisture and crack, and are prone to staining.

Sealed granite and stainless steel are excellent materials choices. For cabinets consider marine grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is designed specifically to stand up to extreme heat and cold, direct exposure to rain, and snow. It will not split, crack, or fade and unlike wood, is completely water and stain resistant.

For the cooking surface, stainless steel is the best option for avoiding damage from harsh weather.

Here in Madison, we often suggest add-ons to make year round grilling not only possible, but enjoyable! Adding elements like outdoor heating lamps, a gas fireplace, a screened in area with glass inserts for the winter, pergolas, or even radiant heating (which can be expensive, but is worth it if you plan on true year-round use) are all additions that can keep you grilling all winter long!

Outdoor Kitchen Maintenance Tips

The truth is, you're probably going to have to shut down your outdoor kitchen during the harshest winter months, and maintenance is a key factor for keeping your outdoor kitchen properly functioning for many years in a cold climate. Taking these simple steps can help you to avoid costly repairs .

• Shut off any water running to your outdoor kitchen – ask your contractor to install an indoor shut off valve so it won't freeze.

• Drain all the water lines - including the sink, ice makers, refrigerators and kegerators. Leave the drain valves open.

• Don’t forget the waste line - water collects in the p-trap. RV antifreeze solution can be used to address this.

• Switch off the power – again if possible have your contractor install a dedicated interior circuit breaker.

• Thoroughly clean the grill, cabinets and refrigerator - Wipe everything down with a good protective stainless steel polish.

• Don't cover refrigerators and ice makers - Moisture can get inside and damage the electrical.

• Remove ice trays and automatic ice maker bins - Wipe everything down.

• Close sink shot off valves, drain supply lines, completely remove faucets and store indoors - and cover to prevent debris from getting in the basin.

• Seal your stone countertops before the winter season to prevent any damage to prevent leaf stains, or cracks and chips cause be expending moisture that enters the stone.

Creating a beautiful outdoor kitchen for your Madison home requires a little planning and some regular maintenance, but when properly designed and constructed it can provide you, your family and your friends with a wonderful gathering spot to make memories!

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 1/23/19.

If you're consider installing an outdoor kitchen and you live in the greater Madison Wisconsin area, call the experts at Degnan Design Build Remodel. We understand the unique needs of our area and can help you to design your dream outdoor kitchen. Give us a call and let's discuss your 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.