thriLL
of the GriLL
Gourmet kitchen designers think outside the firebox
By Jennifer McFee – Photos courtesy of Barkman
>> outdoor kitchens are cooking up quite a stir this
season.
Not only is it the hub of the home, the kitchen is now
an appetizing option for outdoor living.
Wayne Patram, product
development manager for
Barkman, says more build-
ers are offering customized
outdoor-kitchen units to
enhance the value of their
homes.
"We're finding that the lines
are blurring between out-
door and indoor. What was once called your back-
yard is now called your outdoor living space. There's a
kind of shift. People are spending more time outside,"
Patram says.
"In our homes, everything focuses around the
kitchen. All the social gatherings centre around
food and hanging out. That translates equally
into the outdoors."
To keep pace with this trend, Barkman is offering
a new outdoor line for the first time this year.
"This program features a barbecue grill, a side
burner and a prep station, which is basically a
cutting board with a trash chute," Patram says.
"We also have a bar fridge, as well as extended
countertop space. We have end units and cor-
ner units. Our pizza oven, which we've had for
a number of years now, is also being drawn into
this program."
The new products follow the same recipe as
Barkman's other do-it-yourself landscaping kits,
which are available at local garden centres.
'All the social gatherings
centre around food and
hanging out. That translates
equally into the outdoors'
100 Parade of Homes Spring 2014
