Take the party outdoors Take the party outdoors (July 02, 2004)

Fire up the barby -- and more -- this 4th of July

by Steve Shih

J amming 20 hungry water-polo players into a kitchen can be a messy feast unless the kitchen can be hosed down afterward.

That's what Matt Sorgenfrei and his wife, Vangi Uribe, discovered after they decided to build a cheap alternative to the kitchen being renovated inside their Midtown home.

Finding room to feed the team was only one of the long-term benefits to building an outdoor kitchen.

"Since we frequently entertain in our backyard, a kitchen that flowed into the yard was the logical addition," Uribe said.

Having an outdoor kitchen can be more than a convenient way to keep your carpets clean and your hands Palmolive-soft. Expanding the usable space in your home can open up a whole new avenue of possibilities.

"It feels like another world when we're out here," said Sorgenfrei.

According to Los Altos designer Marcie Greenberg, people like the convenience of having everything at their fingertips in an outdoor kitchen -- instead of trooping back and forth from patio to indoor kitchen.

Designing an outdoor space takes the same consideration as any remodel. "People should really truly think about their own personal lifestyle," Greenberg said. "You need to embrace what you have."

Sorgenfrei and Uribe quickly expanded their ideas about building a short-term solution to their missing indoor kitchen. Realizing that feeding a water-polo team required something more than the standard 18-inch Weber grill, they bought the Grand Turbo 38-inch grill from Barbeques Galore in Palo Alto. The gas-powered grill has 874 square inches of cooking area and includes a heavy-duty rotisserie.

"This way we can cook the whole chicken," Sorgenfrei said.

Even after finishing the kitchen, the couple realized they needed more counter space. Twenty-two feet was enough for a buffet spread, but not to support the hub of friends that always seemed to gather around the kitchen during parties.

"We are going to add another counter to provide more seating outside because we find that most people still like to be in the kitchen, even when the kitchen is outside," Uribe said.

But dropping a fully equipped kitchen into a backyard is like Godzilla landing in Tokyo: Both can leave a mean footprint behind.

"I think space planning for outside living is very important," Greenberg said. "Proper space planning is critical to creating any illusion of what you are trying to convey."

The outdoor kitchen is no different from an indoor one -- both blend functionality and aesthetics. Ideally, everything essential can be located within arm's reach. But, not every space will be able to support a set of four side-burners or an intricate layout of Mexican tiles.

Greenberg, whose company MSG Design is based in Los Altos, suggests that counter-top designs shouldn't include grout because it is difficult to clean and maintain when exposed to outdoor elements. Instead, she recommends slab materials, like granite, or any type of smooth surface, such as metal and wood.

"I'm doing more mahogany. People tend to like the way it weathers without the high maintenance," Greenberg said.

Sorgenfrei went up to Echeguren Slate in San Francisco to find the Chinese lotus slate that matched the color scheme of the house while still maintaining the easy-to-clean feature of the kitchen.

Because an outdoor carpet would be difficult to clean, Uribe painted rug images directly onto the patio, "keeping with the hose-it-down theme," she said.

One key difference in planning an outdoor kitchen is the need for space heaters, outdoor fans or special lighting. Putting a fireplace or fire pit in the yard can create an outdoor living space similar to a living room, with ample seating, Greenberg said.

If there is no space for a fire pit Barbeques Galore also offers gas patio heaters that can keep guests warm during brisk nights. For Sorgenfrei cooling was also an issue so after building a pergola with a lattice roof he went to Home Depot in East Palo Alto for some overhead outdoor fans.

Greenberg points out that electric outlets outside are not only critical for appliances such as lighting and overhead fans, but can also be used for convenient amenities like coffee-makers or a boom box.

Putting in an outside kitchen isn't inexpensive -- even the pre-fabricated units sold by Barbeques Galore can cost more than $15,000, but Greenberg points out a kitchen is the same outside or inside and the costs will be too.

"If they want to create a kitchen outside then that's what they should expect to spend," Greenberg said. Editorial intern Steve Shih can be reached at sshih@paweekly.com.

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