Spring is on its way, which means gardens will soon need to be ready again for barbecues with friends, staying outside until the small hours and cooking up a storm in your outdoor kitchen.
With an outdoor kitchen you actually get enjoyment all year round, as in winter you're already looking forward to using it again in spring. Of course, it's all the more enjoyable if your outdoor kitchen looks great in summer.
That's why we're giving you 5 tips for dressing up your outdoor kitchen. You can read them below!
Hang ambient lighting around your outdoor kitchen
Beautiful lighting does a lot for that outdoor feeling. It creates a cosy feel and makes those warm evenings last even longer. Think of nice spotlights from above or below, or perhaps even a string of lights hung by your outdoor kitchen and table.
A combination of both is also lovely. For example, you could put spotlights by your outdoor kitchen so you can see everything clearly while cooking, and hang a string of lights over your outdoor dining table, which gives a cosier feel and encourages lingering at the table.
It's also a nice idea to put a lantern on the worktop of your outdoor kitchen. This looks lovely on your table too, to tie it all together. These lanterns come in different styles, scents and colours, so there's always a nice one for you.
Always make sure the light has a warm colour, such as yellow or even almost orange. White light creates a cold atmosphere, and that's obviously not cosy.
Add a bit of greenery to the kitchen
A bit of greenery in the form of flowers or plants is never a bad idea. Especially not in your outdoor kitchen – it really gives you the feeling that you're cooking outdoors.
An outdoor kitchen is often under a canopy or veranda, which can make the outdoor feeling fade a little. Putting a few nice plants on your worktop or table brings that outdoor feel back.
Hanging plants are also a nice idea, on the wall of your canopy for example. Think of a small ivy in a pot, or another plant that trails nicely over the edge.
Ivy climbing up your veranda or canopy also looks great and brings your garden and outdoor kitchen together completely. It does need a bit more maintenance than a plant in a pot, though.
Hang some art around your outdoor kitchen
Art always adds atmosphere and gets people talking. Think of beautiful souvenirs from holidays, photos of your family or ones you've taken yourself, or art you've "simply" bought in a shop.
By hanging outdoor art, you really dress your outdoor kitchen to your own taste. It makes it a bit more personal and refined. So make sure you genuinely like the art yourself and aren't just hanging it up because it's mentioned in this article.
An extra tip is to make sure you choose art that's suitable for outdoors. Not all art is, and it would be a shame if it got ruined as a result.
A fireplace by your outdoor kitchen works wonders
An open fireplace, or rather a fire stove, creates an incredible amount of atmosphere. It gives the same warmth as ambient lighting, or actually even more.
You can also toast marshmallows after dinner and perhaps make s'mores. So you get atmosphere, warmth and a tasty dessert.
Equip your outdoor kitchen with proper tableware
A beautiful outdoor kitchen full of atmosphere, warmth and greenery is lovely, of course, but if you're eating off plastic or paper plates and drinking from plastic cups, it quickly feels like camping. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but proper tableware feels homely and is nicer to eat from.
So put a few nice (wine) glasses, plates and cutlery in the cabinets of your outdoor kitchen. This doesn't have to be expensive, but it does feel more luxurious and really completes your outdoor kitchen.
Those were 5 tips for dressing up your outdoor kitchen. You don't have to do everything at once – one or two tips will already create much more atmosphere and a smart garden with a personal outdoor kitchen.