Inspiration for a mediterranean courtyard water fountain landscape in San Francisco.

Photo Credit: Tunia Hyland
Inspiration for a small mediterranean drought-tolerant and full sun backyard landscaping in Albuquerque for summer.

Here in Florida, we’re blessed with great weather year-round. So it’s no surprise that outdoor entertaining areas are an extremely popular way to enhance outdoor living. When our clients requested an update to their existing outdoor kitchen while they were away on vacation, we were ready to hit the ground running. While their beautiful 2-story home on a golf course had a pool and covered lanai area, the existing outdoor kitchen just didn’t function well for their needs. Mainly, they craved additional counter space and more seating. And, as avid football fans, with a son playing on a renown Division 1 college team, they also wanted a large screen TV to watch games. After all, what better way to share game day excitement than at a barbecue with family and friends? A Bigger, Better Kitchen Layout Our brilliant design team came up with a much larger, u-shaped outdoor kitchen layout for increased functionality. The extra base cabinets provided plenty of storage as well as a foundation for additional countertop space. Adjacent to the sink, we added a 24” outdoor refrigerator to keep food and beverages chilled, and the high top bar allowed for more seating around the perimeter. For cooking, our clients selected a much larger Lynx grill and side burner to replace the original grill. While the kitchen was already set up for a grilling area, it required a hood, so we built and installed a custom hood for proper ventilation. Then, we added a large screen TV above the hood for easy viewing. Finishing Touches To softly illuminate the entire space at night, we installed additional recessed light fixtures into the ceiling and under the grill hood. We also tied the Cypress wood ceiling and the crown molding together into the design with a luxurious cabinet stain. Along with these finishing touches, we added a decorative travertine stone backsplash behind the grill and homogenized the front face of the bar for a polished, matching look. Ventilation Challenges With the outdoor kitchen lanai located directly under a second-floor living area, we had expected to tuck away ventilation ductwork between the second-level floor joists and the exterior wall running parallel to the grill hood. However, upon further investigation, we discovered the second floor joist system, in fact, ran perpendicular to the grill hood. In short, we needed a new way to hide the venting without compromising the original design. Our team came up with an inspired solution: Construction of a false wall behind the outdoor kitchen allowed us to run ductwork without creating a visible chase for the vent, thus maintaining a symmetrical look on both sides of the grill and decorative hood. Exceeding Expectations In the end, we didn’t just meet our clients’ needs for a beautiful outdoor kitchen update – we exceeded them. As planned, we completed the new outdoor kitchen while they were out of town. But when our clients returned from vacation, they were so impressed with the results (and the stress-free design/build experience) that they promptly hired us for another extensive remodel – a stunning home addition!

The custom arbor creates a cool intimate sitting area thanks to a cantilevered steel canopy with die-cut panel by Parasoleil. Arizona flagstone pavers and a boulder fountain ground the space in lush plantings. 'Koi' artwork (acrylic on reclaimed glass windowpane) by owner. Photo © Jude Parkinson-Morgan.

Tuscan master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in Portland with white walls and a standard fireplace

Jerry@proview.com
Tuscan terra-cotta tile and orange floor laundry closet photo in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, tile countertops, green walls and a stacked washer/dryer

Large mediterranean white two-story stone exterior home idea in Austin with a tile roof

Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean travertine floor and beige floor entryway remodel in San Diego with white walls and a dark wood front door

Painting small spaces in dark colors actually makes them appear larger. Floating shelves and an open vanity lend a feeling of airiness to this restroom.

Example of a large tuscan light wood floor and beige floor dining room design in Phoenix with beige walls

Inspiration for a mediterranean family room remodel in San Francisco

Inspiration for a mediterranean medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in Los Angeles with white walls

Inspiration for a mediterranean backyard patio remodel in San Francisco

Inspiration for a large mediterranean terra-cotta tile and orange floor kitchen remodel in Phoenix with an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, white countertops and shaker cabinets

Living room - huge mediterranean formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room idea in Austin with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

This is an example of a mediterranean water fountain landscape in Santa Barbara.

Large tuscan beige two-story stone exterior home photo in San Luis Obispo

Example of a tuscan dining room design in Miami

Inspiration for a mediterranean bathroom remodel in Los Angeles