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Modern Stone Outdoor Kitchens for today's backyards
We’re always excited to see photos come back from our clients, and the stone outdoor kitchen project featured in this week’s blog is no exception. The product used is our Aksent Series panel in the Ebony color. The Aksent panel is a newer product in our natural stone veneers line up, and is a modern twist on the traditional split face stacked stone cladding panels that we’ve been making for close to 15 years. With a honed face, blocky geometry, and clean lines the Aksent panel leans toward modern design. The Ebony color, which we also make in Lynia Interlocking Tiles and Planc Large Format Wall Cladding, is the darkest stone in our line up, and as such is a very bold combination which we were excited to see used in a modern stone outdoor kitchen.
Stone outdoor kitchens are becoming a popular option to enhance an outdoor living space. There’s no real hard and fast definition of an outdoor kitchen space, but most of them will include some sort of grill station, sink, and under cabinet refrigeration. The types of materials used can truly run the entire spectrum from basic concrete panels and siding, to faux stone veneer, to natural stone veneers like the Norstone Aksent 3D Panels in this featured project. Natural stone veneers, whether in a polished and honed format, or a more traditional ledgestone look, offer the authenticity and durability that you just won’t find in a faux stone or other manufactured product, and are sure to go well with granite countertops and high end appliances common in most of today’s outdoor kitchens.
The thin and lightweight characteristics of natural stone veneers is another reason why they work so well on outdoor kitchen projects. Less weight means the structure itself doesn’t have to be over-engineered and with all of Norstone’s natural stone veneers weighing less than 15 lbs a sq ft, they can all be installed using direct adhesion / setting materials versus worrying about mechanical fastening. Natural stone veneers also have the benefit of being thinner than full bed natural stones, which comes in handy when working in the often tighter confines of an outdoor kitchen.
In addition to a wide range of design and material selection options, there’s a whole world of outdoor kitchen ideas to consider to make a project like this truly unique. Some might favor more of an entertaining space with ample bar stool seating and counter top space, others might envision more of an outdoor living space with the kitchen meant to support a more relaxed area where the outdoors can be enjoyed in relative comfort. While still others might envision the space with more of a specific culinary focus, perhaps including a built in pizza oven or flat top grill where all sorts of delicious meals can be prepared. Whatever outdoor kitchen ideas support your vision for this kind of project, featuring natural stones on places like the bar front, seating areas, and backsplash is a great way to elevate the space in terms of design.
There are two distinct features on this project that received the Aksent modern stone wall cladding – an “L” shaped outdoor kitchen and a square low slung fire pit. No expense was spared on this outdoor kitchen with the stone being used on the front face as well as on the interior wall sections. Something that is subtle to most people, but really stands out to us is how awesome the finger jointed stone outside corner units worked in this application. As the stone turns the outside corners as it moves from the front face to the inside face of the outdoor kitchen the look is incredibly seamless. Kudos to the installation team on this project for a great job not only on the corners, but on the multiple cut outs along the grill, refrigerator and other stainless steel doors on the inside wall.
The fire pit is also a really nice feature, and the use of the same Ebony Aksent stone really helps create a consistent design them in this space. The low slung design of this fire pit and the fact that its a gas unit is more suited for creating a nice ambiance when the sun goes down versus putting out much heat, and is perfect for facilitating conversation over the flames. The durability of the stone makes it a perfect choice to mesh in with the hardscape of the pool deck and stand up to years and years of feet leaning against it.
As we mentioned above, the Ebony color is a bold choice for any project, which was flawlessly executed here. The dark color of the stone works matches nicely with the dark colored stone counter top and is a nice complement to the stainless steel grill and other fixtures in terms of smoothness while still contrasting color wise. From a color standpoint, the two biggest color splashes in this project, the light natural stone of the outdoor paver deck and the dark color of the Ebony modern stone wall cladding foil each other wonderfully.
And if you thought a light / dark stone color combination was a little boring, this project hits you with an unexpected dash of blue, both in the glass media of the fire pit……
And some cool LED light strips mounted to underneath the counter tops that cast a cool blue hue across the stone. While not every space can make bold color choices like this project has, we love when someone is willing to take the leap to design and build something that speaks to them!
Outdoor living areas are one of the hottest growth segments in home renovation and one of a handful of spaces in your home where you can gain positive return on your investment dollars if done correctly. Long the bastion of more traditional looking split face stone, we’re excited to see clients like this one taking a bold step and working with smooth faced materials outdoors. Thanks to our client for sharing their super cool project with us and if this project inspired you to think about an outdoor kitchen project of your own, contact one of our design experts today to learn more about why stone is a great choice and how it can best be used for your specific project. Until then, cheers to the last couple months of summer and catch me at this fire pit!
