Modern Kitchen Designs

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A concrete idea of style

"Here's an increasingly popular outside kitchen design idea: poured concrete surfaces for countertops, floors and tables," says Franks. "The look is contemporary and is easily paired with any type of outdoor furniture – from wicker to teak to iron."

The concrete countertops in this project are glossy and smooth like glass, thanks to special sealers and a topcoat of UV-resistant resin that prevents the countertop from yellowing.

Concrete is a particularly great choice for more modern outdoor kitchens, since it has a uniform, minimalist look. "The standard granite countertop of many Houston outdoor kitchens would not work for this modern design," notes Franks' senior designer, Lisha Maxey, "since granite typically has a lot of visual movement and can be too busy."

The Belgian Trestle table in this project – from Restoration Hardware – is also concrete (although its weathered finish contrasts nicely with the glass-smooth countertops).

Maxey sees the use of concrete as a growing outdoor design trend for outdoor kitchens: "It's easy to maintain and leans towards that clean-lined, modern look."

Heavy-metal roof

"Of all our outside kitchen design ideas in Houston, this one pulls off the industrial look the best - especially with its I-beam metal roof design," says Franks.

This 400-square-foot, triple-ribbed, trapezoidal metal roof − and its grey, galvanized steel I-beam − proved to be the perfect complement to an outdoor kitchen meant to match a prominent Houston homebuilder's ultra-modern home.

"I mean, what's more industrial than an I-beam?" asks Franks. "It also matched the metal roof on the existing house, and we always want to make our outdoor designs look like an original part of the home."

As you can see, metal is a pervasive material throughout the space – with stainless steel walls and appliances as well.

Mix it up

"Natural stone is the top building material for outdoor kitchens," says Franks. "And a mix of stone is definitely becoming more of a trend, with people wanting something more personalized and unique."

This outdoor kitchen design idea, for instance, features three different kinds of stone from three different quarries. Even the shapes are different, with a mix of ledgestone, flagstone and tasslestone.

Ledgestone is the grey stone in the image above. It's flatter and thinner. The tasslestone is the beige, more squarish stone. And the flagstone - more of a flat slab normally used as pavers - is the more brownish stone in the picture.

"People are moving away from the super flat lines and identical shapes of manmade, mass-produced materials," says Franks. "They're being increasingly drawn to the beautiful irregularities and color variations of nature."

Together, the different stones comprise a ready-made palette called "Iron Bridge."

"Outside kitchen design ideas are proliferating rapidly through image sharing sites like Houzz and Pinterest," concludes Franks. "I hope you can add these ideas to your list, for looks that are up-to-date, stylish and unique."

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Modern Kitchen Designs