With the cooler weather comes more opportunities to entertain family and friends in your Arizona backyard living environment, and an outdoor kitchen is the perfect place to do it!

There are a lot of considerations that need to be made before you begin building your dream kitchen, however, starting with:

The Location

As neat as it may be to have your kitchen way out on the other side of the pool and away from the patio area, this likely isn’t the most reasonable space for it to be located.  Generally speaking, the closer to the house the better for a number of reasons:

• The closer the kitchen is to the home, the less far you’ll need to run the necessary electrical lines, water lines, and gas lines..
• The less distance you need to go to haul out the food you’ll be throwing on the grill, the better
• Your patio is likely already covered so your kitchen will be protected from the elements

The Amenities

There are a few essentials that every outdoor kitchen should have:

• A cooking area
• A prep area
• A dining area (you may already have this all laid out on your patio)
• A “lounge” area

If your budget allows, you can then start adding on other features, such as an outdoor sink, a beer tap, a bar, a fireplace or fire pit (this is ideal for colder climate areas) and a refrigerator.

The Lighting

Think about when you’ll mostly be entertaining in your backyard kitchen and the sort of ambiance that you’d like to have.  When in doubt, always select lighting that’s subtle – not bold and bright – and only light up areas as much as necessary to keep your guests and yourself safe.

• The grill area can be lit with basic task lighting
• Pathways can also be marked with lighting
• Soft lighting can be created by hanging downlights from walls, arbors, or even trees
• Use accent lighting to highlight unique landscape and water features

Shasta Pools is a Phoenix pool builder who provides a variety of services including swimming pool remodeling, commercial pool building, and pool service and repair. Since its establishment in 1967, Shasta has helped over 80,000 families realize their dream of pool ownership. By providing exceptional value, quality craftsmanship and superior customer service, the Shasta team continues to fulfill the corporate mission of astonishing and delighting their customers and exceeding expectations. You can learn more about Shasta Pools & Spas by visiting them online, or by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter.