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Sinks, counters, cooktops, even wok burners and freezers are just as at home outdoors as their indoor counterparts.
By Bill Hensley, Technology Designer Magazine
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN MICHAEL KITCHENS
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE KITCHEN THAT HAS A MAGNETISM BEYOND OTHER ROOMS IN THE HOUSE? Whether it’s a cook’s kitchen or a kitchen that rarely goes beyond reheat, that magnetism is there nonetheless. Food is the ultimate sharing experience. It’s no wonder that at most parties the guests sooner or later end up in the kitchen – even the not-so-great kitchens.
Because more than any room, the kitchen is that welcoming hearth that surrounds us with positive emotions. At a party, that inviting warmth mixes with a feeling of being backstage at an exclusive show and it’s easy to be part of the crew – “Open these bottles, please. Can you get the salad out of the ‘fridge?” It’s not just the food but the sharing of food that creates this emotional pull. That’s why when we think about the best meal we ever enjoyed, it is who we enjoyed that meal with that comes to mind first.
Designers have known this kitchen magnetism for years. Modern, open designs are placing the kitchen front and center. It goes beyond social time; more than ever the kitchen is the hub for the family, so opening the kitchen up to the “family” space makes perfect sense. In a retrofit, walls might come down between the kitchen and family room to create something much larger than its parts — more social, more inviting, more engaging, but sometimes more challenging. That range hood that pulled plenty of air in the enclosed kitchen might be underpowered for a larger space with competing airflow and ventilation. But in a new home, the architect and kitchen designer can start from a clean slate addressing all considerations as they plan.
As the warm summer months remind us, the best parties might not just end up in the kitchen, but in the outdoor kitchen. This is where social food prep can really shine. Because when the weather is great, the parties and social time move outdoors. And the family hub can move outdoors as well. Breakfast may still be indoors as the family gets ready to head off to school or work – even if that work is in the COVID-inspired work-from-home office – but in the warm evening the outdoors calls us to dinner.
Today, that outdoor kitchen is more than just the enviable bar-b-que or pizza oven. Sinks, counters, cooktops, even wok burners and freezers are just as at home outdoors as their indoor counterparts. What separates them are the types of materials, particularly those materials that withstand the elements. While you might be prepping, grilling, frying, serving, entertaining and cleaning up – well, maybe not cleaning up – in good weather, the appliances and cabinets must endure the harsher weather conditions that send you back indoors. What unites the outdoor kitchen with the indoor “primary” kitchen is the need for good design.
To learn more, I spoke with Amanda Lardie and Kaylee Neal, Senior Kitchen Designers at John Michael Kitchens. Based in South Carolina with showrooms in Charlotte, North Carolina and San Francisco, California, John Michael Kitchens is a design, manufacturing and retail company dedicated to providing a customer-focused kitchen design-build experience. Founded by John Craig and Michael Sloan, the company got its start designing kitchens for outdoor spaces, and success has led them to design and build for indoor spaces as well.
Along the way, they have built a reputation for quality, design and dependability. Their outdoor kitchen collection makes use of marine-grade 316 stainless steel exteriors. As the name indicates, marine-grade 316 is the preferred steel for use in marine environments due to its greater resistance to pitting corrosion than other grades of steel without molybdenum. Moly-what? Good question. Molybdenum. (If we want to take a metallurgic sidetrack, Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42.) John Michael Kitchens couples the 316 stainless exteriors with high-quality 304 stainless steel interiors. The outdoor cabinets are fitted with a rubberized gasket to keep elements outside and make use of soft-close door hinges and drawer slides for dependable long-lasting use.
BILL: What are the biggest trends in outdoor kitchen design in 2021?
AMANDA: The biggest trend that we have been seeing in outdoor kitchens is a preference for a more ultra-modern look over traditional style. Clients are seeking clean, simple lines with sleek hardware and incorporating color. One advantage of the modern design is very practical: modern style cabinets are easier to clean, saving time with lower maintenance. You’re not having to deal with little crevices and small spaces to clean. People want to enjoy their outdoor spaces and not spend all their time cleaning.
BILL: Since the beginning of the COVID lockdowns, homeowners have had a chance to — or have been forced to —rethink how they use space at home. The inside challenges have been well-documented, from fighting for limited Wi-Fi bandwidth to turning the dining table into the office desk. And we’re rethinking outdoor spaces as well. How have homeowner goals in outdoor kitchens changed in the last year?
KAYLEE: Most definitely we see people wanting to spend more time at home so outdoor kitchens are getting larger, with more appliances. And people are venturing out into different appliances more than ever before. We’ve seen a large interest in Evo Flattop Grills and have been incorporating them into many kitchens. Since people haven’t been able to get out, for a variety of reasons, they’re investing those resources they would have spent out into bringing their ‘entertainment’ into the home.
BILL: And “the home” meaning indoors and out.
AMANDA: We’ve also had some homeowners who have been quite concerned about germs, the 316L stainless steel we use to build our cabinets has excellent antibacterial qualities. We’ve had quite a few homeowners show an interest in our cabinets – even for our indoor kitchens – for that reason alone – they fight germs!
BILL: Indeed, according to the World Health Organization, silver has been known to have antibacterial properties since Roman times. Let’s shift our focus to design. What are the essential components of a successful outdoor kitchen design?
AMANDA: First and foremost, the space needs to be functional; you must have a good balance of counterspace/workspace and appliance placement. You want your storage placement to make sense with your appliances as well. For example, you will want the utensils you need for the grill to be close by, or you’ll want your trash can conveniently located in the prep area. It’s just thinking about those little details that make all the difference in how much you’ll enjoy your kitchen and how much time you will be spending in the space.
KAYLEE: Aesthetics are important as well. This is an extension of the home. The homeowner wants the investment that they are making into the outdoor living space to bring value to the home. The outdoor kitchen needs to look like it belongs there. And who doesn’t want to spend more time in a ‘pretty place’?
BILL: Making the outdoor kitchen ‘fit’ with the home’s style seems easier in new construction when everything is planned together. But with the right team, a retrofit or remodel can have just as much success. Who are the experts an architect should rely on in outdoor kitchen design?
KAYLEE: Typically, an architect will work with the contractor on the job. The architect should heavily rely on the contractor for the correct measurements. The architect will usually send us drawings of how they would like the cabinets for the outdoor kitchen to lay out. This gives us a great visualization of the space and how it will eventually look.
AMANDA: Architects would also work with engineers. Your engineer kind of marries the architect’s vision and the contractor’s measurements so that the physical product works structurally and within the desired space.
BILL: We talked about the trend to use our outdoor spaces more. In what ways are outdoor kitchens becoming more “everyday” and less “special occasion”?
KAYLEE: I think it’s the appliances that are on the market. There is so much available as well as great specialty appliances like our Fuel pizza oven – but you can cook anything in the pizza oven. It can easily become your go-to oven. Other options include outdoor flat top griddles, ranges with burners — I mean you can really do anything in an outdoor kitchen that you can indoors.
AMANDA: And you get a better view!
BILL: And fresher air, too. Following from the previous “everyday” and “special occasion” topic, how does the outdoor kitchen integrate with its indoor counterpart?
AMANDA: We often see the indoor kitchen as a larg¬er version of the outdoor kitchen with full size appliances. We’ve also seen the outdoor kitchen be an extension of the indoor, with counter space right outside the kitchen door so it flows into the outdoor living area.
“The biggest trend that we have been seeing in outdoor kitchens is a preference for a more ultra-modern look over traditional style.”
Amanda Lardie
BILL: So this gets back to knowing what the homeowner wants, and how the indoor space integrates with the outdoor areas.
KAYLEE: Yes, and sometimes the homeowners do not want them integrated at all. The outdoor kitchen will be a completely independent space that allows them to do everything they could indoors – so you may find the outdoor kitchen poolside or on a rooftop terrace.
BILL: That sounds inviting but pools and rooftops are usually sunny locations. What is the role of shade in a successful outdoor kitchen and how important is it for the appliances to be in a covered area?
KAYLEE: Our cabinets and the appliances we sell are climate resistant – so shade or no shade, they will withstand any climate. Of course, shade can be important for the comfort of the user!
AMANDA: And everything will be slightly cooler to the touch in the shade. But our cabinets are extremely durable and function very well in any environment. Many of our kitchens are installed in outdoor environments that are not shaded at all.
Bringing the smart home outside…
After all, this is Technology Designer Magazine, so let’s talk about smart home tech as it relates to the outdoor kitchen area. If the homeowner has a control system, they will likely want to extend home control into all frequently used spaces, and outdoor spaces continue to be among the hottest sectors in home design and technology. If there are entertainment elements—say a SunBrite or Samsung outdoor TV, or an extension of the whole home audio system — then a remote or smartphone integration is vital. If the space is covered, a wall-mount touchpanel might be an option. Kaylee mentioned the popularity of outdoor kitchens being placed poolside or on a rooftop terrace. This can be more challenging for control; other than the U3 water-resistant remote from RTI, there aren’t many options other than being extra careful when placed in or adjacent to a wet or harsh environment.
And integration is not just about the technology. When planning the outdoor kitchen, it’s a missed opportunity not to plan the kitchen garden. Think proximity and think seasons. Nothing beats fresh vegetables and fruits straight out of the garden for flavor, and of course there is that healing sensation that the garden knows how to deliver. Whether it’s the farm-to-table feel from a small planter box of leafy greens, or the “shinrinyoku” walk in the forest among a broad expanse of fruit trees and edibles, keeping the edible areas of the garden close to the outdoor kitchen elevates the outdoor experience.
The party is winding down…
And the closest friends are gathered around the table, talking about the great evening they just shared, perhaps with friends they were away from for too long during the first year of COVID. Leftovers are being divvied up to be sent home with the guests. The hosts smile and think “how is it that all our parties always end up in the kitchen?” Only this time it is not just the kitchen, but that wonderful extension of the home we know as the outdoor kitchen.
By Clare Trepasso
With home prices at a new record high and homes flying off the market in hours in some cases, it’s no wonder that Google searches for “when is the housing market going to crash” have spiked dramatically in recent weeks. After all, the mania seems reminiscent of the run-up to the housing bubble in the mid-2000s—and we’ve all been told that what goes up must eventually come down.
However, housing is likely to keep defying common sense. Experts say there’s no reason to prepare for a crash landing like we experienced in 2008 and 2009. This time around, the reason for the out-of-control prices is simply that there are many more buyers than there are properties for sale. Another simple rule: Prices rise when there is more demand than supply. Crazy, it seems, is the new normal.
We currently have two fabulous condominium listings. One is located in the heart of the Pearl in the Casey. The other is located in the Waterfront Pearl overlooking the river. Each unit has high-end finishes and a common ease of life. Click here for more information.
By Clare Trapasso | June 11, 2020
Anyone who's planning to buy a home, or thinking about refinancing the loan on their current abode, has probably been giving mortgage interest rates a lot of attention—and getting frustrated as they fluctuate up and down.
The average interest rate for the most common type of loan hit a new all-time low of 2.94% on Thursday, according to Mortgage News Daily. That's for a fixed-rate 30-year loan. While that's great news for borrowers, who can potentially save hundreds of dollars a month as a result, rates may not stay below 3% for long.
Mortgage rates have been all over the place, falling after the coronavirus pandemic threw the nation's economy into turmoil, then rising temporarily as lenders were deluged by a tsunami of refinance applications. Last week, they were on the upswing again, climbing to 3.24% on Friday, after May's unemployment report showed the economy was recovering.The most recent plunge comes thanks to the U.S. Federal Reserve making an announcement on Wednesday that drove investors back into mortgage bonds, which drove rates back down.
"Rates have changed rapidly over the past [few] days," says Matthew Graham, chief operating officer of Mortgage News Daily. "For the first time ever, the average best-case-scenario rate on a conventional, 30-year fixed-rate [loan] is under 3%. Most lenders are able to quote 2.875%."
But he cautions that these ultralow rates are reserved for borrowers with "flawless credit, more than 20% equity, and no other additional risk factors."
Folks don't quite need a finance degree to understand what's going on—but it sure wouldn't hurt.
Lenders typically don't like to hold on to the mortgages they make, as it ties up cash that could be used to make new loans. So they sell the loans, which are bundled into a collection of mortgage-backed securities (aka mortgage bonds), in the secondary mortgage market. These securities are similar to U.S. Treasury bonds—they're viewed as safer, yet less lucrative, investments than the stock market.
When the economy is strong, investors often prefer to sink their money into stocks, where they hope to get better returns, and when it's weaker, they'll often turn to bonds. When the unemployment numbers came out, investors were encouraged by the better-than-expected unemployment rate. Many moved money out of Treasury and mortgage bonds and into the stock market.
Since mortgage rates move in the opposite direction of bond prices, when bond prices fall, mortgage rates go up—and vice versa. That's what happened on Friday.
However, on Monday the National Bureau of Economic Research declared the U.S. had officially entered a recession in February. That spooked investors, who suddenly rediscovered the appeal of boring but stable bonds.
Then the Fed announced it would continue to purchase mortgage bonds in the secondary market. The move was designed to keep the market strong—and brought investors back to mortgage bonds. When demand rises, so do bond prices. Hence, mortgage rates fell.
Whether mortgage rates will stay below 3% is anyone's guess. It will likely depend on the strength of the economy, how quickly a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, and a whole host of still unknown factors.
“Mortgage rates move up and down all the time," says realtor.com Senior Economist George Ratiu. "I expect for the rest of the year that they’ll bounce around the 3% to 3.5% range.”
