How to make your outdoor kitchen cosy

Styling your outdoor kitchen starts with warm 2700 K light and greenery that truly belongs to the space, and ends with tableware, colours, textiles and a heat source for the late hours. The kitchen itself is usually beautiful already. The styling decides whether it also becomes a meeting place where people linger. Here you'll find what works, step by step, with concrete dimensions and values, because advice on styling in particular often stays surprisingly vague.

Lighting that is warm and can handle rain

Good lighting around the outdoor kitchen has two layers. Above the worktop you need directed light, a spotlight or wall light, so you can see whether the steak is done even in the dark. Around the table and seating area, go for mood lighting: festoon lights, for example, or a lantern on the worktop. Choose bulbs at 2700 K for this, the extra warm white light you know from the old incandescent bulb. Cooler white at 4000 K quickly feels like a car park outdoors.

When buying, check the IP rating. Under a roof, according to the lighting retailer Lampenwelt, IP23 is enough for wall lights directly under the roof. IP44 (splash-proof) is the relaxed choice there. Fully exposed to the weather, you need at least IP65, because only that rating withstands water jets in heavy rain, and an autumn storm with driving rain is exactly that. The code is on the packaging. A quick check saves you new lights next spring.

Greenery that belongs to the kitchen

Plants work best when you treat them as part of the outdoor kitchen and plan them as a permanent fixture. Place a raised bed or a large pot of kitchen herbs right next to the kitchen. According to the gardening magazine kraut&rüben, thyme and rosemary come through winter well as long as the soil stays dry and drains well. Sow basil afresh every spring. Herbs within arm's reach of the chopping board are practical and smell wonderful while you cook.

A climbing plant takes on the role of a wall. A pergola or wire frame with Virginia creeper or passion flower provides shade, breaks the wind and blurs the line between kitchen and garden. Ivy works too, but clings permanently to walls and fences, so only plant it where it can stay. A row of lavender along the edge frames the cooking area and draws bees to the flowers, well away from the table.

Incidentally, the wood itself is part of the styling too. Treat Douglas fir with natural oil and the grain stays visible. Left untreated, Douglas fir weathers to silver-grey. For us that is a colour and a perfectly legitimate look, even if tastes differ.

The right height makes cooking comfortable

Styling is more than decoration: the dimensions also decide whether the space feels good. The German kitchen industry association Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche (AMK) recommends a working height 10 to 15 cm below elbow height, measured with your arm at a 90-degree angle. The classic 90 cm, which used to apply to people 165 to 170 cm tall, is now considered outdated by the German kitchen portal Küchen-Atlas, because people have grown taller and their backs feel it every evening.

So take a quick measurement before you buy bar stools or a side table. It takes two minutes. A few centimetres decide whether you cook standing upright or spend the whole evening hunched over.

Choose colours starting from the worktop

The easiest way to choose colours is to start from the largest surface, and that's the worktop. A worktop in 12 mm sintered stone comes in distinctive colours, from deep black Black Betty to light Snowy White, with Granny Grey and Gold Flames in between. With a black worktop and a black tap, copper or wooden accessories look superb. With a light worktop, you'll tend to work with earthy tones and terracotta.

If you go for an outdoor kitchen with a black frame, bear in mind that black-stained wood slowly fades in full sun. A spot with a little shade or a refresh every few years keeps the look crisp. Good to know: a kitchen in natural Douglas fir is more forgiving in that respect.

Tableware, glasses and textiles complete the picture

Proper plates and glasses suit a wooden kitchen with a stone worktop. Plastic cups are more reminiscent of camping. Put a set of sturdy plates and wine glasses in one of the kitchen cabinets, with cutlery to match, and you'll never carry stacks of crockery through the patio door again.

Meanwhile, a wine cooler with room for 18 bottles keeps the wine at drinking temperature. Outdoor cushions and a rug in the seating area dampen sound and soften the space. Choose textiles that can cope with moisture.

That's really all you need in an outdoor kitchen: clear worktop, light, herbs, tableware within reach. The rest is a matter of taste.

Warmth and something personal for the evening

Fire keeps a patio liveable once the sun has gone. A fire table or patio heater by the seating area makes sure guests stay put and leave their jackets on the hook. Place the heat source by the table, because that's where everyone gathers. The space next to the grill then stays a work area. If you have a kamado in your kitchen, use the residual heat after dinner for marshmallows or a grilled dessert.

Finally, hang up something that says something about you: a wall shelf, souvenirs from your travels, a print that can cope with the outdoor air. A few well-chosen pieces make a stronger impression than a wall full of things. How to hang things up while leaving the Douglas fir unharmed is something we haven't fully solved ourselves yet. A hook over the edge of a shelf works best so far.

Frequently asked questions