Outdoor kitchen: See this cool style and 5 expert tips for creating your own

(Image credit: Image Blakes London)

By Ruth Doherty 2020-08-21T10:12:18Z

In a leafy suburb of south-west London behind the facade of a pretty Victorian terraced house lies a remarkable urban paradise.

The owner and his wife spent the first few months of lockdown imagining what a summer staycation of dreams might look like, before setting about turning it into a reality.

Bringing together some of London’s most coveted glazing specialists, garden designers, landscapers, and kitchen and joinery designers at Blakes London, they were able to create a space within their home that meant they never wanted to leave.

As Ibiza aficionados with an earlier career promoting nightclubs, years of entertaining on the White Isle and throughout the glamorous party hotspots of Europe had a significant impact on the clients’ vision for the space.

From the relaxed seating area to the outdoor kitchen and dining area, through to the kids play cabin, this garden screams good times.

But the showstopper within the garden is undoubtedly the outdoor kitchen.

The units are made from sustainably sourced Iroko timber. This African hardwood is a fantastic alternative to teak, particularly for outdoor furniture, as its naturally high oil content makes it incredibly stable and unlikely to crack as temperatures change. And unlike teak and oak, which tend to bleach and turn silver over time, Iroko starts as the soft yellows you see in these images and darkens to a deep, rich, coppery tone.

Fully kitted out with not just one, but two barbecues, the clients wanted the ability to cook for large groups and also ensure they had all the necessary toys to create restaurant standard fare. Burgers, sausages and delicate fish work fantastically well on the Napoleon integrated gas BBQ. However, for a show-stopping extravaganza, the ceramic Egg BBQ is the hero.

Blakes London chose to use large format Xtone porcelain tiles for the work surface of the kitchen. Xtone is a fabulous low maintenance and highly functional alternative to concrete or renders.

This large-format porcelain tile will maintain it’s colour over time and is both frost and heat resistant. An added benefit being that it is incredibly hygienic so can be used as a food prep surface. Perfect for this family who loves to make their own pizzas in the Ooni wood-fired pizza oven. Bellissima!