DIY Outdoor Kitchen – Before & After

Welcome to Summer Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop. It’s so exciting to be sharing our Outdoor Kitchen with you today. This was the first DIY project here at the ponds. The tour includes how a dilapidated cabin was transformed into a great alfresco entertaining area for friends and family.

Thank you for stopping by today’s tour of our DIY Outdoor Kitchen – Before & After which includes an outdoor entertaining area. I’m thrilled to be joining the Summer Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop hosted by AnnMarie & Anne from Simply2Moms! If you’re visiting from Wendy at The Curated Farmhouse or if you just happened to stop by, I’m so glad you’re here. Have you been on a Blog Hop before? It’s so easy and you will gain so much inspiration from so many different decor styles. Just stay to the end and you’ll see the links for all the other blogs. If you’re new to my blog, you’ll see that I love simple outdoor entertaining and you can learn more about my simple country life here.

Welcome to the Tour

So, let’s get this tour started! In order for you to truly appreciate what this area was like before, I felt some before photo’s would help. This property, known as The Ponds, has a long history and my husband and I have been working to restore it to it’s former glory for over 12 years. Therefore, the very first DIY project was transforming this dilapidated cabin into an outdoor entertaining area.

The cabin was originally a cinder block structure that my dad built in the mid 1950’s. You can easily see why it was thought to be beyond repair. You can see the condition of the cabin from 12 years ago, in the above photo. Just ignore that photographer in the mirror! LOL

Fortunately, the idea for an outdoor kitchen took form before the structure was torn down.

DIY Outdoor Kitchen – Before & After

Demolishing the front of the building was the first order of business. Next, the treated 6×6 posts were added to support the pergola style roof. At this point, the Ponds property was just being used as a weekend getaway. However, that didn’t stop us from entertaining in this rustic setting.

Unfortunately, the pergola style roof provided no shelter. So a metal roof was added to the existing rafters, a few years later. As a result, the DIY Outdoor Kitchen can now be used without worry of inclement weather. In addition, a couple sets of string lights were added to create subdued lighting for evening entertaining.

The interior view – DIY Outdoor Kitchen

As we continued to re-purposed the old cabin as an outdoor kitchen, a search began for a vintage refrigerator. As luck would have it, a 70 year old Hot Point Refrigerator was gifted to us and believe it or not, it still runs perfectly.

Also, in keeping with the vintage theme, a cast iron sink was rescued from a antique shops back yard and refurbished to add to the outdoor kitchen.

The Patio Outdoor Entertaining Area

Because we love to entertain, a concrete pad was added to expand the seating area and include a fire pit. Therefore, more tables and chairs were added which are all interchangeable. This allows the seating arrangement to be adjusted according to the number in attendance.

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Since the expansion, the casual entertaining area has been used to host an engagement party, a wedding, birthday celebrations, and much more.

Today’s theme is a refreshing summer time afternoon. Watermelon served on terra cotta saucers with sparkling water served in fun Bee Glasses.

The Refreshment Bar – Before & After

Also, adjacent to the patio area is a refreshment bar that was built using rock gathered from the property and cedar posts that were pulled from the pond. Because the posts were perfectly preserved, they were add to the front of the bar.

The refreshment bar was originally a small boat dock that was no longer in use so therefore, stone was laid for a foundation. Next an awning and fun string lights were added to update the original structure cover. Also, the bar area allows for more seating when entertaining alfresco style.

Can you locate the refreshment bar in the above photo? As you can tell, this area was completely overgrown before the outdoor kitchen and entertainment area was completed.

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The Tablescape

Today’s tablescape is a fun mix and consists of a jute table runner, bamboo plates and terra cotta saucers and napkins and the sparkling water served from fun Bee Glasses .

In addition, the interior tables and chairs are nestled together and styled with a macrama tablerunner and fresh herbs today.

My aunt’s original vintage Victor Junior Wood Cook Stove is a great serving area and is also great for storage. You may also notice the boiling pot, which gets a work out annually at our Low Country Boil Party! Check out this chippy addition to the outdoor kitchen from a recent thrifting trip.

My husband loves to cook for our guests. As a result, he has a multitude of cooking tools in the homemade outdoor kitchen, which include the boiling pot, a diy wood fired smoker (he built from an old grill), an electric smoker, a grill and a pizza oven.

We recently added string lights to this area and the tutorial can be found here.

Evening View

Once the sun starts to sink behind the mountain, the patio entertaining area becomes even more enjoyable!

As you can imagine, the fire pit becomes a favorite spot once a fire is started and marshmallows and roasting sticks magically appear. Many fun gatherings have ended, sitting around the fire, eating sticky sweets and laughing with friends.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed the DIY Outdoor Kitchen Entertaining Area – Before & After, as much as I enjoyed putting it together. It is hard to believe how much has changed here at The Ponds over the past 12 years. It was fun to reminisce and see the old photo’s again. We are constantly in project mode and recently added a greenhouse you can see here.

Please feel free to leave your comments and questions below.

The Summer Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop continues with Lana from Lana Stenner. You can find links to all the inspiring outdoor spaces below!