10 Walk-Out Kitchens That Get the Indoor-Outdoor Connection Right
Opening the kitchen to the yard can enhance your lifestyle no matter where you live
With wall-size glass doors that let in tons of natural light and open up to an inviting outdoor living space, it’s no wonder that walk-out kitchens are trending in 2019. Blurring the line between outdoors and in, these kitchens are ideal for entertaining and smart for keeping an eye on adventuring kids. If you have a walk-out kitchen or are thinking of boosting the indoor-outdoor flow of your space, take a look at these 10 inspired examples and tell us whether you could see any of them working well in your home.
Boston Counters
2. Kitchen Bar
A fun way to open up the kitchen to the outside is by incorporating a pass-through window: While the cook is dishing up snacks or drinks, the guests can sit at the bar outdoors and chat. This kitchen takes the idea a step further with the addition of a folding glass door beside the pass-through window. The setup creates a continuous opening to the deck and brings a flood of natural light into the kitchen.
Great Home Project: Pass-Through Kitchen Window
2. Kitchen Bar
A fun way to open up the kitchen to the outside is by incorporating a pass-through window: While the cook is dishing up snacks or drinks, the guests can sit at the bar outdoors and chat. This kitchen takes the idea a step further with the addition of a folding glass door beside the pass-through window. The setup creates a continuous opening to the deck and brings a flood of natural light into the kitchen.
Great Home Project: Pass-Through Kitchen Window
What about bugs? If flies and mosquitoes are a nuisance where you live, it’s possible (and well worth it) to have retractable screens installed along with your sliding or folding door system. Then you can enjoy the fresh air without worry of a winged invasion.
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3. Family Pad
This Australian home from Excelsior Master Builder is designed with family life in mind. Folding glass doors lead from the kitchen to a deck where children can play.
Tip: Don’t forget to account for the amount of space your folding doors will take up on your deck or patio when the doors are fully opened. The bigger the opening, the more space the doors will take up.
This Australian home from Excelsior Master Builder is designed with family life in mind. Folding glass doors lead from the kitchen to a deck where children can play.
Tip: Don’t forget to account for the amount of space your folding doors will take up on your deck or patio when the doors are fully opened. The bigger the opening, the more space the doors will take up.
Seen from the outside, the kitchen leads to a creative stepped deck design, transforming a narrow side yard into an inviting place to play and hang out.
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Shop for outdoor lounge furniture on Houzz
4. Smooth Transition
Repeating the same materials indoors and out creates an integrated look that draws guests outside. In this Denver area home, an abundance of natural wood marries the Japanese-influenced midcentury interior with a comfy outdoor dining and lounging zone.
Repeating the same materials indoors and out creates an integrated look that draws guests outside. In this Denver area home, an abundance of natural wood marries the Japanese-influenced midcentury interior with a comfy outdoor dining and lounging zone.
Incorporating a covered patio means that imperfect weather won’t stop you from enjoying the outdoor portion of your space. And if you screen in the patio, you can essentially create an indoor-outdoor kitchen without the bother of bugs. Just be aware that by covering the area outside the kitchen, you’ll also be cutting down on the amount of natural light that is able to reach the cooking zone.
5. Corner Pocket
With an open corner on one side of the kitchen and glass doors on the other end, Glynn Designbuild created an open, breezy kitchen that flows from one outdoor space into another. The pocket glass walls allow the doors to disappear into the wall pocket for an unobstructed view and a seamless opening.
With an open corner on one side of the kitchen and glass doors on the other end, Glynn Designbuild created an open, breezy kitchen that flows from one outdoor space into another. The pocket glass walls allow the doors to disappear into the wall pocket for an unobstructed view and a seamless opening.
6. French Doors
In a compact city home like this one from SF Design Build, creating a connection to the outdoors can be as simple as installing a set of beautiful French doors leading to a petite deck. The doors bring welcome natural light into the narrow kitchen even when closed, and they provide a tempting invitation to step outside and enjoy the backyard.
10 Ways to Open a Kitchen to the Outdoors
In a compact city home like this one from SF Design Build, creating a connection to the outdoors can be as simple as installing a set of beautiful French doors leading to a petite deck. The doors bring welcome natural light into the narrow kitchen even when closed, and they provide a tempting invitation to step outside and enjoy the backyard.
10 Ways to Open a Kitchen to the Outdoors
7. Pool View
If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool in the backyard, why not make the most of it with an expansive glass wall? In this space from architectural firm Drawing Dept, the kitchen counter is positioned so that you can see the entire pool deck while chopping veggies or pouring icy drinks.
Tip: Live in a hot climate? If central air conditioning is a must all summer, a wide wall opening like this probably won’t make much sense. Instead, go for expansive windows and a glass door.
If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool in the backyard, why not make the most of it with an expansive glass wall? In this space from architectural firm Drawing Dept, the kitchen counter is positioned so that you can see the entire pool deck while chopping veggies or pouring icy drinks.
Tip: Live in a hot climate? If central air conditioning is a must all summer, a wide wall opening like this probably won’t make much sense. Instead, go for expansive windows and a glass door.
8. Urban Garden
If you think of sliding glass doors as being boring or dated, think again. In this San Francisco home designed by Alexander and Ivan Terry of Terry & Terry Architecture, a fixed glass transom above and panes that extend to the walls on each side of the sliding glass doors connect kitchen and garden in a big way. Concrete walls that extend indoors and out and the repeating use of wood further the connection.
If you think of sliding glass doors as being boring or dated, think again. In this San Francisco home designed by Alexander and Ivan Terry of Terry & Terry Architecture, a fixed glass transom above and panes that extend to the walls on each side of the sliding glass doors connect kitchen and garden in a big way. Concrete walls that extend indoors and out and the repeating use of wood further the connection.
9. Woodsy Walk-Out
With walk-out openings on two sides and windows all around, this Canadian summer cottage from Dewson Architects provides appealing water views and ample natural light filtered through the trees on all sides. A simple white-and-wood palette keeps the space feeling modern yet in tune with the wild surroundings.
12 Sunny White-and-Wood Walk-Out Kitchens to Inspire
With walk-out openings on two sides and windows all around, this Canadian summer cottage from Dewson Architects provides appealing water views and ample natural light filtered through the trees on all sides. A simple white-and-wood palette keeps the space feeling modern yet in tune with the wild surroundings.
12 Sunny White-and-Wood Walk-Out Kitchens to Inspire
Fiddlehead Design Group
10. Fireplace Focal Point
By aligning your kitchen walk-out with a special outdoor feature, you can double its impact. In this Wisconsin lake home, glass double doors lead straight to a screened porch with a stone fireplace, making it hard to resist wandering out to sit by the cozy fireside.
Share: Would you consider adding any of these features to your kitchen? Or does your kitchen have another creative add-on that boosts indoor-outdoor flow? Tell us in the Comments.
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10. Fireplace Focal Point
By aligning your kitchen walk-out with a special outdoor feature, you can double its impact. In this Wisconsin lake home, glass double doors lead straight to a screened porch with a stone fireplace, making it hard to resist wandering out to sit by the cozy fireside.
Share: Would you consider adding any of these features to your kitchen? Or does your kitchen have another creative add-on that boosts indoor-outdoor flow? Tell us in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Plan a Kitchen That Extends Outside
Get more indoor-outdoor kitchen ideas
Find a kitchen designer
Shop for kitchen and dining products
In this La Jolla, California, LEED Platinum home from Hill Construction, a folding door system opens up the kitchen, dining room and patio into one extended living space. Concrete flooring inside mirrors the large square poured-concrete pavers outdoors, while an outdoor seating area near the gas grill provides plenty of room to spread out and keep the cook company.
Tip: Take your local climate into account when deciding whether or how much to open your kitchen to the great outdoors. Those in a mild climate — like coastal Southern California — are likely to get a lot more use from a walk-out kitchen than, say, someone living in Minnesota. That’s not to say that Minnesotans can’t have an indoor-outdoor kitchen, but it would likely take on a different form than this one to make sense during the (many) cold months.