Out of the kitchen…. and onto the lanai

COURTESY PHOTOS Naples Custom Cabinets and Millwork completed this custom design of an outdoor kitchen at a Quail Creek Country Club home. The unit is made of a plastic that is impervious to the weather. Since outdoor living continues to gain ground, it's no surprise homeowners are bringing the inside outside.

Homeowners are having kitchens and wet bars installed on lanais, and quite frequently during the past four years, area business owners say.

"People are looking to spend more time outdoors and entertaining there," says Matthew Chadwick, owner of Chadwick Outdoors Kitchens in Naples. "They want to utilize the space that they have, especially when you live here in Florida."

Michael Herron, general manager at Naples Custom Cabinets and Millwork, says the typical outdoor kitchen is straight and averages 12 feet to 16 feet. The unit often is placed on the lanai near the indoor kitchen, he says, so that "you can actually pass something through."

Other units are L- or U-shaped, he says, with the more elaborate designs present at the highestend residences. A simple layout costs $2,500 to 3,000, though he says the average unit ranges from $3,000 to $15,000. "The main focus obviously is the grill," Mr. Herron says. "That's where you start designing."

The U-shaped design is popular for outdoor kitchens. Grills of 36 inches to 48 inches are the norm, he says, along with a sink and a refrigerator under the counter. Customers prefer light colors for the counter and cabinets, he says, adding, "The lighter colors actually handle the dirt more than the dark."

Naples Custom Cabinets and Millwork offers an outdoor kitchen made of a "plastic material that is infinitely superior to any other outdoor product on the market today," company owner Steve Weichelt says in an e-mail.

He started using the waterproof plastic about four years ago and has used it in the outdoor kitchens for residences in the luxury communities of Port Royal and Bay Colony. "Once it's finished and sealed, it's virtually indestructible," he says. "You can build a boat out of it."

Mr. Weichelt calls the plastic "much, much better than Starboard," another material some companies use for outdoor kitchens but one that he says can warp and has limited surface and color options.

COURTESY PHOTO One of the most common units that Chadwick Outdoor Kitchens in Naples installs is the stainless steel L shape, which has the grill to the short side. The plastic unit does not require maintenance. "We use stainless steel hardware, including under mount drawer glides," he says, "so all the homeowner has to do, if they want to clean it, is to just hose it down."

Naples residents Bob and Diane Dirks have a wet bar built of the plastic material. Naples Custom Cabinets and Millwork, which previously had done kitchen and bath renovations in their Naples home, completed the project.

"We had a bar there before which was not particularly nice," says Mr. Dirks, 73. "We replaced it with something more appropriate. It was more to please my aesthetic needs around the pool."

Mr. Dirks designed the layout, which he calls a J shape, and their interior designer selected the color and style of the unit and the awning above it. The back part of the unit is about 9 feet long, the bar with a brass railing on it about 5 feet, he says. The unit has a sink and a refrigerator under the counter. Chocolate cabinets match the wicker furniture on the lanai.

COURTESY PHOTO Stainless steel units are built to last. Chadwick Outdoors Kitchens' main product is commercial-grade stainless steel with a lifetime warranty, Mr. Chadwick says. With a backing of brick, stone or stucco, the stainless steel unit can "resist the effects of weather, rot and insects," according to the company online site.

A variety of finishes is available. For example, a powder coating creates a finish that won't fade, and a wood grain coating resembles wood. The product comes in a number of textures as well.

"The beauty and the look of the stainless steel is just unthinkable," says Mr. Chadwick, who also owns a residential design firm. "They're made to last."

With a degree in architecture, he does the design and permit drawings for his outdoor living projects. His most requested designs are the straight and L-shaped ones of about 10 feet. The highest-end product, the stainless steel costs $900 per linear foot, he says, while galvanized steel is $600 to $700 per linear foot.

Outdoor kitchens

>>Keep the kitchen enough distance from the pool to avoid splashes of chlorine or salt water.

>>Keep the unit close to the interior kitchen to make it easier to carry food and kitchenware back and forth.

>>Keep the unit away from areas of high traffic.

>>Be selective about the unit's makeup, notably the material, finish, color and texture.

>>Consider light, natural colors for cabinet drawers and doors and countertops.

Sources: Matthew Chadwick, owner of Chadwick Outdoor Kitchens, and Michael Herron, general manager, Naples Custom Cabinets and Millwork