Stylish Outdoor Kitchen – Glen Ellyn, IL

The Setup

Outdoor kitchens have emerged as a captivating and practical addition to residential spaces, redefining the way we approach cooking, dining, and entertaining. To give you an idea of the possibilities involved, we created this outdoor kitchen in our showroom.

 The objectives were simple:

• Show how outdoor spaces – even small ones – can be transformed into stylish, functional kitchens that are fully capable of withstanding the elements.
• Showcase a grill and cabinetry from our outdoor kitchen partners, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet and Urban Bonfire. 
• Simulate the outdoors at night 

Drury Design owner and creative director Gladys Schanstra was the lead designer on the project.

“Creating an outdoor nighttime feel meant tricking the eye a bit,” said Gladys. “Wooden slats in a tight pergola-like arrangement suggest the outdoors. It’s dark above it, suggesting night. That was important because we want you get a feel for the three general types of lighting in the design: decorative (or accent) lighting, ambient (or general) lighting and task lighting.”

The Urban Bonfire cabinets are powder-coated marine-grade aluminum with stainless steel hardware. They offer six standard colors but can match any color. Urban Bonfire’s marine grade aluminum is twice as thick as most stainless steel cabinetry on the market. Their powder-coated textured finishes add depth to the color while resisting fingerprints. 

“Covid taught us that our homes are just waiting to be upgraded to improve our lives and that includes outdoor spaces,” Gladys said. “You can visit with friends and family, you can socialize, you can relax by yourself if you want to. And you can connect with nature. That’s why we added plants to our outdoor kitchen.”

“Plants play a big role in this kind of mindful outdoor living design,” said Senior Designer Diana Burton, who also worked on the project. “The Urban Bonfire plant boxes and our bespoke plant boxes made from the counter top bring nature into the design. They break up the expanse of solid textured tile. Also, the handcrafted accent tiles are very special. We chose organic shapes – leaves and flowers – to enhance the organic feel of the space.”

The accent tiles are nestled within lighted niches, which add to the high-contrast motif. Along with the light and dark cabinetry, the tiles have a variety of looks depending on the time and light of the day and night. The photo at the very top was combined with a rendering of a neighborhood night scene so that you can get a feel for how such a space looks when lit up in the evening.