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Designing a barbecue area (Photo by Jane Gates)
Designing a barbecue area into the patio or landscape is an important feature that can help turn the garden to an extension of your living space. Here are some tips that should help you come up with a design that should help enhance your space both practically and decoratively.
First you want to locate a barbecue in an area with easy, flat footing and convenient to the kitchen. You won’t want to be toting platters of food or spillables for any distance between kitchen, barbecue and eating areas.
Also consider the flooring. Chances are that if you are going to be barbecuing, grease and other materials are likely to fall and stain the area around the grill. Use a flooring material that you can clean or that will easily absorb any oils or greases.
Think about what kind of barbecue you want. Are you using a simple portable barbecue that can be moved to different areas? In that case you can change locations and just shop for a barbecue that offers the features you’d like at the price that fits your budget. Or are you looking for a permanent placement for your barbecue? If you choose the latter, you will want to make sure you design a space that will be both practical and attractive. If you are interested in a build-in barbecue then you will want to think through your design carefully so it becomes part of the overall landscape picture.
If you are building a new landscape and are not sure of what kind of barbecue you will want, you might want to stub in a gas line and have it capped so you can construct a permanent barbecue in the future without having to rip up your patio or landscape to install utilities.
Other considerations to keep in mind when designing a barbecue area are colors, textures, access and views. Use colors that are already a theme in your landscape or house. You can texture your barbecue with brick, stucco, wood, tiles, stone or less usual materials. Make sure top, flat surfaces are easy to clean and practical for food and dishes. Figure out if there are other features you want with your barbecue. A sink, oven, roof, vents, a refrigerator, work surfaces are just some of the useful adjuncts to a barbecue area. Also remember people will be served, cooks will cook and you may even incorporate a bar, so you will want a barbecue area to be in a comfortable area with attractive surroundings or views for your guests to enjoy.
One more practical thing to keep in mind when designing a barbecue area is safety. Any cooking should be located where fire or smoke will not be a danger to your home, family or guests.
Designing a barbecue area can be creative and fun. Make sure yours fits into your general landscape design, functions practically and is built with your budget in mind. A well-build barbecue will give you years of service and enjoyment.
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