When it comes to outdoor kitchen design, the important things are your space, your style and function needs, and your budget. That may sound like the list of important things for any design, but it is especially true when it comes to outdoor kitchen designs. Outdoor kitchens are to some degree a luxury item. You don’t have to have one in your home and you can live happily ever after for many years. But the addition of one creates a unique place outside your home where you can entertain and enjoy friends and family. It also adds real value to your home,m and creates separation in terms of features and quality when it comes time to sell the home.
Having said all of that, let’s talk about how to design your outdoor kitchen. Back to that short list we go. How much space do you have? If you can only fit a small cabinet and a grill, the design phase can quickly enter the detailed stage when you choose things like granite, tile, paint color, etc. But if you have a good sized space that is large enough to present some options on the shape and dimensions of the area, things can be more complicated. If you have a creative mind, you can experiment with different layouts on your own. The best way to do this is with blue painters 
tape. You can tape out different layouts on the floor and see how you like the way they look and feel. Think about things like the entry way to the kitchen, if there is one. An entry way is formed when part of the kitchen comes close to the home, a screened area, or even itself if the design is a wrap around layout. It might make sense to bring in an outdoor kitchen contractor at this point, even if you feel like you are a long way from a final plan. The contractor can help you understand the mechanics of why some layouts might not work and others will, or they may have enough experience to give you suggestions on designs that you have not thought of yet. This kind of assistance is normally free of charge, mostly because the goal of the contractor is to get your business. This does not mean you should abuse the contractor with repeated visits. Schedule a consultation and get their advice, then call them back when you are ready for them to develop a proposal for your outdoor kitchen.
Once you have the general layout firmed up, you can move onto the function of the outdoor kitchen. In this case that means you need to decide what outdoor kitchen appliances. Built in grills are included in most outdoor kitchens. Grills come on many sizes with many different options and accessories. In most cases, people use quality stainless steel appliances in their outdoor kitchen, and the price range of a stainless steel bbq can be anywhere from $1000 to $5000 or more. Other things to consider are the addition of a sink, wine cooler, ice maker, or any number of things. When considering all designs, keep in kind that some companies that make grills also make entire islands that serve as outdoor kitchens. Fire Magic grills is one of the companies that does this, and this is a way to kee overall cost down on your project.
Once you have developed your “wish list” for this project, and you know they can fit into both your outdoor kitchen design and your budget, you can move onto the last phase, or the style phase. This is when you decide on granite vs tile, and things like paint color, any grout colors you might need, and other finishing touches. These things impact your budget too, but these are mostly style choices and preferences.
Approach this project in an organized manner, and while it may frustrate you at times, you will come out the other side a very happy home owner.