Located on a sprawling property in Southwestern Ontario, this outdoor space was designed for a busy family of cooking and entertaining enthusiasts. The homeowners wanted to maximize their time spent outdoors and create a beautiful and comfortable space to cook and host large gatherings for family and friends. The landscape and renovation experts at Frontiers Design + Build collaborated with Guelph based Urban Bonfire Dealer Partner, Paragon Kitchens, to bring this project to life.

Doug Taylor of Frontiers Design + Build explains “it’s a large backyard, so entertaining from the main house was not feasible. The outdoor kitchen had to be designed as a standalone space to facilitate cooking and serving.”

The kitchen and adjacent lounge area, which includes a stone fireplace, are situated under an impressive timber frame structure. “The outdoor kitchen in particular is certainly an entertainer's space, with a large bar area and vantages to the television, pool, and multiple lounging and dining spaces” shares Doug.

The homeowners had a detailed list of must-have cooking appliances, fixtures and design features, including a 48” grill, power burner and two beverage fridges by DCS. “We had to find the right spots for these while making sure we had distinct work zones for cooking, clean-up and entertaining – the same basic principles we apply in interior kitchen design” explains Aileen Brown of Paragon Kitchens.

The spacious U-shape configuration allows for cooking and clean-up on one side, with a sink, plenty of counter space, storage and refrigeration, and entertaining along the seating section. “We wanted to give them all the convenient amenities that you would have in your indoor kitchen” shares Aileen.

Fun fact: This project had two outdoor kitchens. The larger kitchen, shown here, is located on the lower level of the property near the pool and lounge areas. The second, much smaller kitchen was built upstairs and adjacent to the house to allow for cooking all year long, even during cold Canadian winters.

The aesthetic for this space was warm, inviting and classically organic. Aileen explains that bringing this vision together with Urban Bonfire’s modern lines was a fun challenge.