Where to get free / buy outdoor kitchen plans?

[steve_b_ebay]

Hi just joined this forum and have looked through most of the posts here but could not find anything here related to finding outdoor kitchen DIY free plans or buying plans (modest price - of course).

Anybody know any good sites?

Thanks

[Modthyrth]

Re: Where to get free / buy outdoor kitchen plans?

I don't know of any source like that I'm afraid. I know the BBQs Galore forums used to be a great resource, but they took down the forums when the company started going into bankruptcy, and all that great information was lost.

I just looked through a few books on outdoor kitchens, clipped articles from home and garden magazines, cruised local lanscape architect's websites, and enjoyed reading about outdoor kitchen designs including WFOs here. Every site is so different that I think you're best served taking a custom approach; I don't think many ready-made/ready-planned solutions would work well. I certainly never saw one we could plunk down in my yard gracefully.

I'd start dreaming up the elements you want, map out the space either on graph paper or a program like Google Sketchup, and start messing around!

It's also important to check with local building codes as you're making your plans. I know my design had to change completely when I learned about setback regulations, required distance from house, etc. It ended up being something of a puzzle--how can I fit in these elements that I want in this space following these guidelines?

If you're looking at buying a design, I think it's worth having a local landscape designer come out and draw up custom plans for you. I bartered with a landscape designer on Craigslist to come to our house and do just that for us at the beginning of my project. He had insights and ideas that were beautiful, and unlike anything I'd dreamed up. I didn't use his designs exactly, but it was a great starting point for refining into my final plan.