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.
“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.
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-
‘All the social gatherings centre around food and hanging out. That translates equally into the outdoors’
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.
100 Parade of Homes Spring 2014
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