15 Covered Outdoor Kitchen Ideas for Every Season and Style

Keep Views Intact

A covered outdoor kitchen includes a lot of solid construction that can sometimes feel disparate from the rest of your yard. To make it feel more integrated, it can be helpful (and relaxing) to direct your views toward greenery.

"[This can be] trees across the yard or views of distant nature," says Kevin Lenhart, design director at Yardzen. "I like using galley kitchen layouts with the counters laid parallel to key views."

Flank With Seating

Since outdoor kitchens are so often used for entertaining, having weatherproof seating ensures that everyone can be part of the cooking and conversations.

"Integrating bar seating on the opposite side of kitchen counters is a great way to build social space," says Lenhart,

Here, a weathered wood dining table and fire pit are set adjacent to the kitchen, creating cohesion with the matching white accents.

Line Up Appliances

Creating a nook for your outdoor kitchen is a simple way to ensure it gets some cover. Plus, you can add a few fun elements, like the stone pillars and bar in this example.

However, be sure to line up all appliances that require venting. "[This is so that] there can be one vent hood instead of several in different areas, since they can be so visually obtrusive—and for ease of cooking," says Becca Bastyr, senior landscape designer at Mom's Design Build.

Accent With Lighting

This outdoor kitchen by Mom's Design Build is covered with a breezy pergola and accented with string lights that cast a dreamy glow over the space when the sun sets.

A woven back wall ensures the outdoor views aren't completely obstructed; several appliances are cleverly concealed.

Position Away From Direct Sunlight

If you're cooking often, especially during the warmer months, then Bastyr suggests considering the path of the sun—and trying to place cooking appliances where it won't be beating down.

"For example, [in the] early evening, the sun is low enough that it can be in your eyes if the back of the appliance is west-facing," she says.

Add Overhead Lighting

Get creative with your ceiling additions. "Take advantage of an overhead structure when considering task lighting and where it should go," says Bastyr.

Here, her team hung several pendants over the prep counters and added recessed lighting for additional brightness.

Go Beyond a Grill

We often think of grills for outdoor cooking, but Bastyr always pushes for a flat-top cooking surface as well.

"I think it is more versatile than a grill," she says. "I even think steak cooks better on a flat top—imagine scallops! People still prefer their grills, but they've started adding this second cooking surface—and they're using it more than they thought they would."

Keep the Cover Breezy

Whether you opt for a solid roof or a breezy pavilion depends on your outdoor space and design style. Here, an open-slatted pergola offers shade for this seaside kitchen, while also maintaining a breezy feel that connects it with its surroundings.

Opt for a Full Enclosure

For those who love to cook outdoors year-round, Bastyr recommends a full roof.

"It should have some kind of enclosure for cold-weather protection," she notes. Here, an angled pavilion keeps rain and snow at bay, while a fireplace anchors the rustic space.

Blur the Indoors and Outdoors

Blurring the line between indoor and outdoor spaces can help make a covered kitchen feel less stark—like in this southern California home.

"We installed a hydraulic serving window that opens directly from the chef’s kitchen inside, so passing food and drinks between the two areas is effortless," says interior designer Mark Langos.

Langos also included a range hood to help control smoke, as well as overhead infrared heaters.

Include Foldaway Windows

In this project, Langos opted for accordion-style foldaway windows that open directly to the pool and patio.

"[It's] served by bluestone countertops and flagstone floors that visually and physically extend from the interior out," he says. "Custom cabinetry accommodates apartment-sized appliances."

Take Notes from Nature

Materials and furnishings should complement both indoor and outdoor aesthetics.

"In this beachfront home, we used the same wood tones from the interior floors and cabinetry in a series of beams on the ceiling," says Alex Thies, founder and creative director of Adelyn Charles Interiors. "The tile floors were chosen to convey the tones of the white sand on the beach."

The designer also included drop mosquito screens and hurricane shutters, which are hidden in the ceiling and columns.

Make It Luxurious

Inspired by Balinese architecture, which embraces indoor-outdoor living, this opulent kitchenette opens up to the yard via floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors.

"We incorporate millwork into our projects, so the space was perfect to create a custom-built feature [with] stone," says Brittany Farinas, creative director of House of One.

Opt for an Adjustable Pergola

Adjustable louver pergolas are gaining popularity in outdoor kitchens. 

"Provided they are of high quality, they can be a rain-proof, full-shade ceiling when closed, or allow dappled light and cooling breezes through when left open," says Lenhart. "It’s hard to imagine a scenario where an adjustable ceiling isn't preferable to a fixed one."

Disguise Weather-Proof Materials

Outdoor kitchens should be made with weather-proof materials, but that doesn't mean they have to sacrifice overall style.

"The cabinetry we use outdoors is not real wood, but a faux wood composite made from high-density foam that gives the look of white oak [and] can withstand exposure to the elements," says Thies.