While there’s no shortage of outdoor kitchen styles, finding yours may not be an easy feat. Why? Because you may love more than just one style. And sometimes, the location leads the way. Say you like a traditional, classic style but this is a coastal home, where an airy outdoor kitchen design would make a better choice. Won’t you be torn and confused? The good news? You can mix & match styles to create your own, borrowing the best elements of each architectural genre to make your outdoor kitchen unique. But let us focus on the three basic categories of outdoor kitchen styles, classic, contemporary, and rustic.

Rustic outdoor kitchens

By definition, rustic outdoor kitchen designs have a traditional character, a casual appearance. While rustic is a broad term, it mainly embraces natural elements – like wood, accent features, an earthy feeling. There’s a focus on natural materials. Thus, an outdoor kitchen can be made of natural stone and consist of wooden elements too – like protruding beams on the ceiling over the countertop. The furniture may be handmade, the doors of the outdoor kitchen cabinets may be made of wood, the colors are neutral. Whether you opt for a cottage or Tuscan look, rustic is for you. It’s inviting, friendly, cozy and has no modern elements.

Classic outdoor kitchens

Classic outdoor kitchen styles are distinguished for their traditionalism, the intricate designs, balance, harmony, ornaments. They may involve elements of rustic and thus, welcome natural features, like wood. Though the focus is on the details that will bring the expected symmetry. The patterns are similar since there’s a countertop with cabinets in several shapes but not anything extravagant. This is the old school style which may have granite outdoor kitchen countertops, absolute symmetry, and decorative elements.

Contemporary outdoor kitchens

Contemporary outdoor kitchens are modern. Emphasis is given to the airy look, the clean lines, the simplicity of the style. There’s nothing intricate and ornamental here. And while wood can be incorporated in small doses, it is usually combined with more modern materials – like concrete, glass, marble, stainless steel. Even if this is not a minimalistic outdoor kitchen area, there’s no clutter. There’s no clutter in the surroundings either. Not too many stools, types of seats, small and big tables – the whole backyard space is neat.

Mix & match outdoor kitchen styles

Over the years the walls between architectural styles were tumbled down and the elements that made a genre distinguishable became part of other genres as well. The features of all styles leaked, floated, traveled to meet new needs, expectations, and tastes. When people started praising imperfection, the wabi-sabi style was born. When the traditional and the modern met, transitional became a style. You get the picture.

And so, you can take elements from different styles to build your own one-and-only custom outdoor kitchen.

Say you like rustic but modern too. You can bring elements of both worlds. How? By using wood but also focusing on straight lines. Add some brick and metal, and you will have a touch of industrial too.

To avoid exaggerations and making the outdoor kitchen busy, don’t overmix. The best way to proceed? Study the features of the most popular styles and see which elements agree with your taste. Don’t forget to consider your overall home style and its location. Is this an urban or cottage home? With small splashes of character, you give personality to your outdoor kitchen – who knows, a new style too?