This post was originally posted on Aug. 27, 2018 and updated March 20, 2020.
When designing your outdoor space, there are factors to consider, including space for entertaining, personal style, and how they should tie together to create an outdoor kitchen that will satisfy your needs.
The L-shaped kitchen is a standard design for many indoor kitchens. Hailed for its ergonomic benefits, it is a sensible and popular choice. And its versatility makes it ideal for entertainment spaces including outdoor kitchens. This outdoor kitchen layout offers a significant amount of counter space for food preparation and outdoor cooking without taking up a lot of room making it the perfect choice for any size backyard or patio.
Related – Outdoor Kitchen Location Tips
What makes the L-shaped kitchen design so efficient is that it facilitates a sensible work triangle for the cook. This includes easy access to the food preparation, cleanup and cooking areas and elements of the kitchen providing a simple and effective workspace while still allowing interaction with guests.
Since guests like to be near the cook – who may be doing double duty as the host and handling food prep – adding additional counter space such as a bar top with seating, allows them to remain near the action and, at the same time, reduce foot traffic, helping the cook to stay on task. A cocktail bar or an outdoor kitchen island are also options that can be added. These can be installed along right-angled walls and opens the center area up.
Appliances such as a grill, pizza oven, refrigerator, sink, cabinetry for storage even a wine chiller or kegerator can also be added. Wall cabinets can help to maximize storage space and blend well with the aesthetics of the outdoor kitchen design.
In addition to a backyard or patio, rooftop living spaces can also easily accommodate an L-shaped outdoor kitchen. The functionality of a traditional L-shaped kitchen design with a grill, built-in sink and matching wall cabinets maximize space creating a communal setting.
Some advantages of the L-shaped layout kitchen include:
- perfect for corner space
- suitable for small and medium kitchen areas
- benchtops and cabinets can be adjusted to length
- easy working triangle for outdoor entertaining and grilling
- perfect for open plan designs
- easy access by cook
Related – Are Outdoor Kitchens Worth the Investment?
As always, it is helpful to consult with an outdoor kitchen designer who will work within the outdoor living space and its amenities such as a pool house, deck or patio structure. The emphasis is on the work triangle created within the outdoor space and, even if you’re not making significant structural changes outdoors with a full renovation, you can enhance the layout with the right amount of stainless steel cabinetry. Check out our gallery page for plenty of outdoor kitchen ideas.
Looking for design layout insight for the outdoor living area? Contact one of our in-house designers by calling 203-626-5625 for more kitchen ideas for the outdoors today!