If you are considering the Spanish style for an outdoor kitchen, you likely adore color, love intricate patterns, and are in the mood of jazzing up your backyard. One of the good things about living in a world where you can find anything is that outdoor kitchens can be customized entirely to one’s own needs.
The Mediterranean outdoor kitchen style is already luring and attractive. After all, this is an outdoor structure. And so, the aura of the Mediterranean fits right in. Of course, not all Mediterranean architectural styles are the same. They differ among countries – often, among regions within a country too.
Overall, Spanish architecture involves impressive patterns, perplexed motifs, and lots of colors. Not as much color as the Portuguese architecture style with its vibrant yellows, oranges, and blues but still enough color to make your backyard breath-taking.
A few words about the Spanish style to inspire your outdoor kitchen design
What most likely triggered your interest in Spanish-style backyard kitchens is the intricate details and designs of such magnificent architecture. What makes this architectural style interesting is that it goes back to the period when Spain was not yet independent. And when it was divided between Christians and Muslims. Year after year, the Spanish architecture was getting influenced by the Romans, the Celts, the Visigoths, and anyone who passed by, conquered, or somehow left their mark on the region. It was also influenced by various cultures, Renaissance, Baroque – nearly all periods, but the Colonial style prevailed for centuries. The modern era opened new horizons, especially with the curves and perfect imperfections of Gaudi, while contemporary masters are Calatrava, Moneo, and Bofill.
How to integrate Spanish architecture into your backyard kitchen
Since the Spanish style incorporates curves, intricate designs, geometrics, and color, you should start with that. Islamic architecture is seen in many old buildings with arabesque patterns, stucco, and intricate tile designs. Older Spanish buildings have arches and many decorative motifs – one thing that makes the patterns interesting, colorful, and unique.
If you are building an outdoor kitchen with a roof or want to create a space with a roof, you can use the idea of arches or make them pointed arches to give a more Gothic look. A Spanish-style alcove may also have a wall covered with tiles in an intricate motif. If this is your outdoor kitchen sink area, you can use intricate tiles for the backsplash.
If you want to add one more layer of spice to your backyard kitchen or outdoor bar decoration, use red clay and colorful tiles, and a combination of colors. That’s the secret of making the backyard colorful. The Spanish style is not afraid to mix and blend colors you will never think of mixing, like orange and purple, red and fuchsia, green and blue. In some designs, there’s also a blend of different tile patterns.
One more thing you can do is combine materials. Stucco and wood and stainless steel, for example. Stucco, concrete, tiles – that’s another example. Don’t be afraid to let things protrude or let things hang. Don’t forget that Spanish architecture has multiple faces since many missions and cultures passed through the country. Use wood, and protruding wooden beams, if the outdoor kitchen has a roof. Install carved doors for the kitchen cabinets. Use colorful tiles for the countertop and the backsplash. Paint the cabinetry or walls intense colors – or even match different hues – preferably vivid colors. Get knobs and pulls for the drawers and cabinets made of wrought iron.
Since this is your outside kitchen, make resistance your first priority. This means that you should primarily choose the best material possible – ask your outdoor kitchen contractor, for your location. After all, you can introduce the Spanish style just by getting a colorful tile backsplash or counter. Combine a few different colors too. That’s the point anyhow – to make the backyard Spanish-like colorful. Right?
