Florida Outdoor Living Zone by Creative Outdoor Kitchens | Outdoor Kitchen Gallery

Tarpon Springs, Florida

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• After a summer or two with their neglected outer space, Mark and Matilda Simpson were more than eager to breathe new life into their entertainment game. "The interior of the house was really heavy on earthy tones and a few stone accent walls, so they were already bringing that outside," recalls design team supervisor Erin Hopson. "They were thinking full-on renovation — which got us excited about the new hosting opportunities!" Thanks to Erin and her team, the Simpsons upgraded their space into a perfect outdoor kitchen for Sunday brunches, late-night entertaining, and hosting the extended family.

  "We all agreed on leaving plenty of room for the whole family, so we didn't want to load the space full of appliances," Erin adds. Between the clients, their contractors, and her team, everyone was happy with a Blaze gas grill and side burner, paired with an outdoor refrigerator, storage compartments, trash bin, double-basin sink, and seven bar-height chairs. That gave the hosts plenty of fuel for reunions, while keeping down the opportunity for clutter.

Overall, the outdoor kitchen renovation was a simple overhaul that seriously upped the Simpsons' hosting game. Judging from the handful of pictures they sent in a few months later, having this wide open kitchen space conveniently out back became a hit with feeding and entertaining the friends and family. Thanks to the summer season, Mark and Matilda were seeing more of the grandkids than ever before — and who can put a price on that? (We may have asked them to save us a few margaritas the next time we're in Tarpon Springs.)

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  Outdoor TVs Bring the Game Outside

  The Simpsons envisioned a large, clean counter wrapping around their kitchen to host company. We saw an opportunity to outfit the area with a large, weatherproofed outdoor TV. This gave the guests something to draw their attention while the entertainers were at work — and gave the hosts a personal diversion when needed. Plus, who doesn’t like keeping an eye on the score while doing small, quick tasks around the kitchen?

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  Kegerators: Beers for Later

  Once the gas grill was picked out, we got hard to work helping them find the pieces they needed for a stellar hosting space. The outdoor storage components and a discreet trash bin were easy add-ons. But then we suggested an outdoor sink and a kegerator — especially once they let it slip that they were a stone's toss away from a handful of great breweries! Now, great beer is on tap for all of those hot. sweaty summer nights.

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  Side Burners, Sauces, and You

  When it became clear the clients didn't intend to grill dozens of burgers every weekend, we turned other chances for a fitting quality-of-life upgrade. Although they wanted a smaller grill, we know it's much harder to expand once the counter's done. We recommended a matching Blaze side burner for heating sauces and sides, or even keeping the grill clean between quick dishes. They've told us they're getting great mileage out of it!