Small outdoor kitchens are as practical as they are fun. Cooking outdoors during the warm months of the year means we prevent heating up our homes and are smart about how we use energy. For this reason, many warm climate cultures use outdoor kitchens as their main cooking space. It's also a whole lot of fun and doesn't require a big budget or a ton of space to set one up.
In addition, some of these inspirational outdoor kitchens have great eco-friendly features. Photo 3 features a watering can used to collect waste water for plants. It's DIY, designed by Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama, so you can significantly raise the green features of this project by building it with reclaimed or FSC certified wood, and recycled parts. Photos 1, 2 and 4 also display great green features like repurposed items, recyclable materials and multifunctional items.
Outside of eco-friendly features, the Cuebe, in Photo 5, stands out as the winner of size. At one meter cubed and built on wheels, this cooking station is space efficient and portable throughout your whole patio or balcony. Unlike the other mini kitchens, however, it doesn't feature a washing station.
Whether you favor size and portability, or green features, cooking outside during warm months is a fun and smart way to prevent heating up your home.
MORE OUTDOOR KITCHENS ON APARTMENT THERAPY
• DIY Outdoor Kitchen Station
• Indoor-Outdoor Kitchens
(Images: 1. David O. Marlow from Architectural Design; 2. Skonahem; 3. Nina Tolstrup of Studiomama; 4. Maalaisunelma magazine; 5. Cuebe)
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I just love outdoor kitchens. I built this for one of my customers. http://d-dsouza.blogspot.ca/2011/08/living-space-outdoor-kitchen.html
I love this post. I have been looking for ideas to build my own outdoor kitchen. I want functional and inexpensive. My internet searches pulled up gobs of over the top, $$$$ outdoor kitchens, but very little like these.
I would like to know where I can buy some corrugated sheet metal, like in those first two pictures! I've tried all the home improvement stores and it's like they've never heard of the stuff.
To me that's not "corrugated sheet metal" so much as metal roofing panels (we have it for our roof). Anytime we've needed pieces we've gone to a roofing company, but I know our local Rona also carries it. Perhaps they're not sure what you're asking for? The stuff is pretty long (10 ft panels maybe?), but it cuts reasonably easily with tin snips. Comes in tonnes of colours and different styles of hills and valleys. Perhaps if you asked around you could find someone with some left over from a roofing project?
<A HREF="http://www.kitchensinfocus.com.au/">kitchens</A> are so many lokks are there.