Outdoor kitchen design
Outdoor kitchen design on a photo of your own backyard
Outdoor kitchens are planned around things a catalog cannot show: your patio, the fence line, the view from the back door. Upload a photo of your outdoor kitchen, grill station or outdoor bar, tell the AI what should change, and it redraws your own backyard with it.
Outdoor photos work through the Refine tool: you describe the change in plain words and can sketch on the photo to show where it goes. A point-and-click outdoor material menu, like the kitchen and bath menus, is still being built.
Free account · 3 free designs a month · no credit card
A Refine instruction
“Replace the tiled counters with a matte charcoal slab, keep the grill where it is, and add a bar overhang on the patio side.”
How it works
How outdoor design works today
- 01
Photograph the grill area or outdoor kitchen
Shoot from where you would normally stand, in even daylight. The photo needs to show a cooking or bar area: the studio accepts outdoor kitchens, BBQ setups and patios with built-in grills, not an empty lawn or patio.
- 02
Describe it, and sketch if it helps
In the Refine tab, write what should change in up to 500 characters. Use "Draw on image" to circle the area or sketch where an island or bar should go.
- 03
Adjust one thing at a time
Each refinement builds on the last result. Change the counters first, then the cabinet fronts, then lighting, so you can see what each instruction did.
What you can try
Countertops worth describing for outdoors
Outdoor counters face sun, rain and temperature swings, so the material matters more than it does indoors. These surfaces from the indoor menu are ones their makers position for outdoor use. On an outdoor photo, name them in your Refine instruction.
Ultracompact and porcelain
Every countertopDekton is a sintered ultracompact surface that its maker markets for outdoor kitchens because it resists UV and heat. Porcelain slabs are also color-stable in sunlight.
Dekton Taga
Beige with natural stone veining
Dekton Trance
Gray with subtle veining
Dekton Trilium
Dark with industrial metal texture
Dekton Soke
Gray industrial concrete texture
Sirius Black Porcelain
Solid matte black texture
Tuscan Terracotta Porcelain
Warm earth texture
Product and brand names belong to their owners and are used only to describe the materials the studio can render. DIYKBdesign is not affiliated with or endorsed by these brands.
Writing an instruction the AI can follow
Short, concrete instructions work best. Say what to change, what to change it to, and where. Name materials and colors rather than moods, and leave out anything you want kept.
- "Replace the tile countertop with a dark grey matte stone slab, keep the grill."
- "Change the stucco island to stacked stone veneer and add a bar overhang on the patio side."
- "Add warm string lights over the seating area and two black wall lanterns by the door."
- "Extend the counter into an L along the fence where I drew the line, with a built-in grill."
Why quartz usually stays indoors
Most quartz makers advise against outdoor installations because sustained sunlight can discolor the resin that binds the stone, and many exclude outdoor use from their warranties. That is why the surfaces shown above are ultracompact and porcelain. Granite is another long-standing outdoor choice you can describe in your instruction.
Whatever you choose, check the manufacturer's outdoor guidance and warranty with your fabricator before you order.
Plan the layout before the finishes
An outdoor kitchen works when it is arranged around how you cook and gather: counter space on both sides of the grill, a prep area near any sink, seating that faces the cook without sitting in the smoke. Gas, water and power lines are far cheaper to run before the patio is finished, so settle the layout early. Use designs to agree on the look, then take the plan to a contractor who can check clearances and local code.
Community
Outdoor kitchens from the community
See outdoor spaces other homeowners have redesigned on their own photos, and use them as a starting point for your own instruction.
Questions
Outdoor kitchen design questions
- Is there an outdoor material menu?
- Not yet. The point-and-click menu covers kitchens and bathrooms today, and an outdoor menu for outdoor kitchens, landscaping and fireplaces is in development. Outdoor photos are designed by describing changes in the Refine tab.
- Can it add an outdoor kitchen to an empty patio?
- Not from an empty patio photo: outdoor uploads need to show a grill, outdoor kitchen or outdoor bar. If you have a freestanding grill, start from that photo and describe the built-in kitchen you want. Large additions are less predictable than restyling, so expect to refine a couple of times.
- What countertop is best for an outdoor kitchen?
- Look for materials made for UV and weather exposure, such as ultracompact surfaces like Dekton, porcelain slabs or granite. Most quartz is not recommended outdoors. Confirm outdoor suitability and warranty with the manufacturer.
- Can I draw on the photo to show what I want?
- Yes. "Draw on image" lets you mark areas and sketch shapes. The AI reads the marks as instructions and is told to leave them out of the finished image.
- Does an outdoor design cost the same as a kitchen design?
- Yes. Each refinement uses one design from your allowance at standard quality. A free account includes 3 free designs a month.
- Will it keep my house, fence and trees?
- Refinements are told to keep the layout and change only what you ask for, so the house, fence and planting should stay. If something you wanted kept changes, say so explicitly in the next instruction.
See it on your own photo
Create a free account with Google or email and you get 3 free designs every month. The result is an AI preview to plan with, not a construction drawing: confirm colors with real samples before you buy.