Outdoor Kitchen

For a very long time, we’ve felt the need for a large, spacious kitchen. With all the volunteers coming to help us, it was becoming impossible to continue cooking in the caravan’s kitchen. Additionally, we really needed our own space to retreat to, as the caravan’s awning had also become the shared gathering spot. This changed with the arrival of our beautiful outdoor kitchen. We’ve tried to create a lovely communal area where we can cook for large groups.

However, before we could get to this point, there were quite a few things to take care of. First, we needed a good location. We wanted the kitchen to be a bit out of sight and in a place where the risk of fire would be minimal. We quickly realized that this should be somewhere around the house. However, the house is still a ruin, and of course, it all had to be safe.

The house has an enormous courtyard, which used to be where the animals were kept. It was completely overgrown and basically inaccessible. We decided to start clearing it out and see what would emerge. Eventually, we decided that this would be the place to build.

The kitchen is nicely sheltered between the outer walls of the courtyard, and since the wall has some openings, we quickly discovered a natural air conditioning effect. Ideal for the hot summer months when the construction took place. We started with the frame, which required beams, and we decided to use logs from the forest.

Once the frame was fully erected, we put on a roof and ensured it was waterproof. This became the foundation of the outdoor kitchen. From there, we built the frame for the countertop, rebuilt an existing wall, made cabinets and drawers, leveled the floor, and even created a lounge bench.

There’s still a lot to do, but we’ve already started using the kitchen and are super happy with the result.