Blogstone

Reprinted from The Virginian-Pilot © August 18, 2010

By Nora Firestone

Phil Sawyer and his wife, Barbara Watz Sawyer, consider almost any given day in Hampton Roads "our time of year."

 

If their backyard beckons, as it does about nine months a year, outdoor entertaining's in season - whether for the pair or a party, and especially since the 2005 addition of their outdoor kitchen.

It's a trend that's made its way from the West Coast, said George T. Vincent Jr., owner of Brickstone Studios in Norfolk, and has gained popularity as homeowners strive to maximize living space and reassess spending, he said.

"Now, instead of taking an extravagant vacations, they're investing in their homes," David Becker, Brickstone vice president, explained.

Brickstone, which has long specialized in indoor fireplaces and cast sculpture, picked up on the outdoor living trend last winter and offers customized kitchens and entertainment accessories for fresh-air entertaining.

In a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects, 94.4 percent of residential landscape architects rated outdoor living spaces, including kitchens, a "somewhat or very popular (trend) for 2010." More than 90 percent rated seating and dining areas, grills, lighting and fireplaces and fire pits among the most popular elements, with inclusion of refrigerators and sinks noted by about 50 to 53 percent.

"Customize is the name of the game for us," Vincent said. Last winter "we focused our full attention on outdoor kitchens" and coordinating elements, like outdoor fireplaces; fire pits, tables and urns; patios; and retaining walls, which can double as installed seating - another popular concept, according to the survey.

Brickstone kitchens, made of either glass fiber-reinforced concrete or galvanized steel frames with cement exterior surfaces, are priced by the foot and can be sized, configured and hand-finished according to homeowners' specifications. The composite units come in a money-saving "contractor" version for do-it-yourself finishers. Counter tops in the highly-customizable composite or natural stone impart stylish functionality to coordinate with surrounding colors, textures and themes.

 

Budgetary and entertaining needs are key when planning an outdoor kitchen, said Megan Becker and Marysharon Melchiorre, designers at Brickstone.

Are they casual cooks or proficient chefs, preferring gas, wood or charcoal?

How often will they use the kitchen and how many people should it seat?

Will it ever accommodate bartenders or caterers?

Also, know angles of sun, shade and prevailing winds, and consider views from seating and food preparation areas, they said.

In design, consider location, scale and existing architectural elements and strive for low maintenance, Becker added.

The industry also offers extras like pizza ovens, warming drawers, wine chillers, keg tappers and audio and video systems.

Kathy Meyer needed an entertainment setup within a covered area of her Oceanfront property in Virginia Beach. Brickstone designed a curved bar to seat eight. It features a stainless-steel refrigerator, pull-out cooler drawer and covered bar station bins, as well as a large gas fire table and fire urn.

Designers pulled from the colors of Meyer's yard and pool, finishing the surfaces with sand-colored tops and recycled glass in sea-themed blues.

Meyer didn't need a grill and uses a water jug instead of a sink. For about $17,000, "it's just changed the way we entertain outside," she said.

A Suffolk kitchen also by Brickstone sports a concrete unit, with refrigerator, drawers, 42-inch TwinEagles grill and side burner; fire features; and an 88-foot retaining wall with coping - all specially finished to "marry" the colors and textures of the brick home and existing hardscape, Becker explained.

The Sawyers, of Virginia Beach, had considered most everything in advance, beginning with size and appliances.

Phil Sawyer, 63, designed their 10 -by-6-foot bar and service area and 16-foot cooking space complete with a gas grill, refrigerator and sink for light cleaning and cooking needs. The couple needed ample and concealed storage for trash and recycle bins, grill utensils, glasses, dishware and accessories. They purchased durable materials like composite decking and slate tile from local home-improvement stores and planned electrical outlets and lighting.

For shade and shelter they added a roof, which sports a ceiling fan and structural niches for knickknacks and kitchen gadgets.

Situated steps from the indoor kitchen for the occasional trip back in, the Sawyers' outdoor kitchen has become an extension of the house - "an outdoor room," Phil Sawyer said.

Since its completion, the couple has hosted the wedding of one son and a baby shower for another.

"The bartenders have all said, 'This is a perfect setup for us,' " Barbara Watz Sawyer said.

As the kitchen is the hub of their home, "this is the hub of our backyard," she said.

 

The value of outdoor living spaces seem to hold up in today's competitive housing market, experts say, with returns on investment comparable to that of an indoor kitchen remodel or higher.

Consider the home's resale value, and don't overbuild, advised Barbara Watz Sawyer, a Realtor with Rose & Womble Realty.

Her kitchen would cost about $10,000 to $12,000 to duplicate. She'd expect a 100 percent return on investment at resale "because we didn't bring the price up to an unrealistic expectation," she said.

The Sawyers said the return in use and leisure has paid off.

"It's not only an outdoor kitchen for us," Barbara Watz Sawyer said. "Our friends love it, too. Nobody's ever late to a party. They all come early so they can sit here."

what’s cooking

Homeowner Phil Sawyer and David Becker of Brickstone Studios offered advice on the outdoor kitchen-building process:

• Keep construction running smoothly with good client/contractor communication.
• Ideally, an architect or designer should draw the plans by which the contractor builds. If that’s not an option, prepare to be on site or very accessible while it’s being built, he said, because “there are decisions to be made every day that you didn’t think about,” Sawyer said.
• Save money by purchasing the essentials first and adding elements in phases later, Becker suggested. Know that it’s more cost-effective to plumb and/or wire for future needs at the start.
• Purchase the best grill you can afford. Cheaper grills typically need to be replaced eventually – and a replacement model won’t necessarily fit the original space, Becker said.

 

Nora Firestone, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

 

Posted on August 19, 2010 to   Outdoor Kitchens & Fireplaces