Outdoor Kitchen World Design Center

I've written about "The Resort Effect" how the public wants to experience the vacation resort at home, so they build a kitchen outdoors with sofas and electronics. Essentially, they create a whole new room outside with all the amenities. I've also written about staycations where a family takes their vacation at home instead of going to that resort. That means you need to feel like you are on vacation with the proper outdoor amenities.

Now the Portland area has a new business that just caters to those people called the Outdoor Kitchen World Design Center. Their remodeled building is located 10800 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Road in Tualatin, Oregon 97062. They have been open since March.

I talked with Aaron and the Design Center is open to the public and the designer trade They plan on offering seminars and they have something called Outdoor IDEA System™ where you can literally create a life-size model of an outdoor kitchen and patio.

In an email newsletter I just received there's an interview with Lisa Metcalfe Murphy of Anon Interiors ( 503.709.107). Lisa has worked nine years with architects Barrentine, Bates and Lee. She answers a number of questions about outdoor kitchens.

There are good reasons to hire an expert if you are thinking of having more that a BBQ, but an outdoor kitchen:

A good outdoor kitchen designer will offer expertise on functional kitchen design, appliance selection, and suitable outdoor lighting and finish materials. They will listen to your needs and offer creative solutions resulting in an outdoor space that compliments your lifestyle. A designer will also offer invaluable knowledge regarding local code and safety requirements. For instance, an experienced designer will know to confirm that all fixtures meet UL safety standards, and that most outdoor outlet receptacles need to be specified as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) to protect against electric shock and fires.

The trend to outdoor kitchens is a big one and seems to have reached critical mass in the Portland area.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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