When designing your outdoor kitchen the first thing that you need is to have a plan drawn up as to what you want it to look like along with where it is going to be located. If you are hiring someone to build this for you make sure that you are hiring one that has experience with this type of project. You should also know what your budget is. Custom make outdoor kitchens can range from something simple and functional to something extravagant. Depending on your design you will need to decide on the type of flooring, countertops, cabinets, grills, and appliances, which are the basics of this type of outdoor area that you want.
Flooring
Some may opt to have just a plain concrete slab that is painted in their favorite color but others want more. Some may want their flooring to be a dark flagstone, travertine, brick, etc. Whichever type you choose you need to make sure that it is protected against spills, nicks, and scratches. It will need to be finished and then sealed so it does not become slick when wet or stained if something is dropped on the floor. Around the dining and cooking areas you need to use a deep-penetrating, high-quality sealer.
Cabinets
Some of the simpler designs offer little to no cabinet space but if you want it to be an efficient area you need some cabinets to store cooking and eating utensils and basic cooking supplies. You want to make sure that the material can stand the elements and one such material is stainless steel. You can also choose wood that holds up in different weather conditions like cypress or teak.
Countertops
In any outdoor kitchen you need some type of counter tops to prepare your food, sit food on for cooking or eating, put beverages on, etc. It needs to be durable and able to withstand all kinds of weather. Some good material for countertops includes granite, ceramic tile, marble, concrete, stainless steel, and travertine.
Grills
Grills range from the basic ones with a place to grill your hamburgers to ones that are state-of-the-art with a stainless steel finish and offering a rotisserie and side burners. Most of these are new grills.
Appliances
Most outdoor kitchens will have at least a small refrigerator to store your meats, drinks, condiments and some other cold foods. In more elaborate ones you can add a range and oven, icemaker, warming drawers, and even a pizza oven that is wood burning.
As you can see, the sky is the limit when designing your own personal outdoor kitchen. If you have a tight budget start with the basics but make the area large enough that you can add extras later.