Outdoor Kitchen DIY project

I know summer is winding down a bit (at least on Instagram), but we still have outdoor projects that we will be enjoying for at least two more months here in Michigan. The first one that I’m so excited to share with you is our outdoor kitchen DIY.

The “why” behind building an Outdoor Kitchen DIY

Our outdoor kitchen DIY started because we have a massive patio after renovating the barn and I really wanted a place to prep and serve food outside. Because we’ve built the garden and shedrow barn and are currently remodeling the basement, we’ve clearly prioritized other projects over creating an outdoor kitchen space.

However, it seemed like such a pity to me to have such a big space outside with new patio sets to entertain friends and family and not have a kitchen space. Especially since we are entertaining outside more now due to Covid.

We were also given a smoker grill {HERE} earlier this summer as part of a patio makeover and still use our Webber too. We kind of needed a space to put food and drinks.

Creating an Outdoor Kitchen DIY

So, instead of having a landscaping company come in, we decided to do-it-ourselves and keep it simple.

Last summer, we used a workbench kit from Mendard’s to help create my potting bench out in the garden. And I thought we could use that same kit to create an outdoor kitchen DIY. In fact, we bought the kit again last summer and put it together. It’s been sitting in the barn for almost a year now. You may have even seen it in some of our YouTube videos because Kevin has been using it as his workbench space.

This summer, I finally got around to making the bench work for us! And unlike the potting bench and the farm stand (Oh yeah! We used this bench for the farm stand too.), where we modified the tables to be what we wanted them to be, we didn’t really have to modify the workbench structure to make it work for the outdoor kitchen DIY.

Here’s how we made the outdoor kitchen DIY…

Supplies:

• 1 workbench kit from Mendard’s {HERE}

• Varathane premium stain in Early American {HERE}
• Varathane polyurethane in a clean, semi-gloss {HERE}
• 2 heavy duty rod iron gate pull {HERE}
• 2 packages of matte black wall hooks {HERE}

To actually make the outdoor kitchen DIY, we simply built the kit bench, stained and polyurethaned it. Then we added the two heavy duty gate pulls to the front and added 5 of the wall hooks to each side of the bench.

We left off two pieces from the front of the bench that served as “support pieces” but were really just there for looks. I felt like it gave the bench a more classic look to have cleaner lines in the front.

Other elements in the outdoor kitchen DIY

We positioned the bench between the two grills. We had the perfect place for this on the edge of the patio and it works well as a spot for food prep. I added a few things to it to make it work for us.

First, we hung all the grill tools on the hooks. Having these hooks on the outdoor kitchen DIY ensures that the grill tools stay in one spot and don’t end up lost or in the kitchen (which drives me crazy for some reason).

Then, I used a large galvanized bucket I had for a drink space. You can find a similar one {HERE}. Full disclosure though, I will probably replace this with a cooler. I’m considering this YETI {HERE} or an Rtic cooler {HERE} or this Stainless Steel Igloo Cooler {HERE}. See why I haven’t bought one yet?

Finally, I also added the following:

• Hand towels {HERE}
• An ash bucket for cleaning out the grills or wood pellet ash from the smoker {HERE}
• A spice rack for easy seasoning and an ice bucket {HERE}
• A caddy for spoons, knives, forks and condiments {HERE}
• An ice bucket for some patio drinks {HERE}
• The galvanized tub for drinks {HERE}
• A drawer space so we could store tin foil, drip pans and more. {HERE}.

Cost vs. Use

I think this space will be something we can use happily for years. It’s really been perfect for not only grilling but for prepping any meal we have outside. Even if we are just having drinks, it works for us.

As for cost, the bench itself, the hooks and towel handles and stain cost less than $200. A lot of the other things, I already had. I did notice that Menard’s seems to have raised the price of the bench. Last summer it was $60 and now it is $140. 🙁 Quite a jump.

That said, most of your supplies should still bring you in just below $200. And, it beats paying a landscaper to build one – at least for now. 🙂

What do you think of the outdoor kitchen DIY, friends? Do you think it will work for us? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope to see you back here again at the farmhouse.