Backyard transformations with gourmet outdoor kitchens are growing exponentially in popularity. NKBA’s March webinars are all about planning the ideal outdoor entertaining space. By Dianne M. Pogoda
By now, people in most regions of the country have started to crave the warmer weather, with thoughts turning to backyard parties — and great places to host them.
NKBA’s free Webinar series in March will focus on creating these spaces, which increasingly include more elaborate kitchen set-ups and often, plumbing.
The sessions offer attending certified participants 0.1 CEU per event — it’s an easy way to collect the CEUs needed to maintain NKBA certification. Participants must engage in 80 percent of the sessions to receive CEU credit; registration closes two hours prior to start times. All times listed are Eastern.
First up, on March 5 at noon, Steve Hoffacker, CAPS, CEAC, SHSS and principal of his namesake firm, will present “Visitability Extends to Outdoor Spaces.” It’s nothing new that backyards are considered an extension of the living area, but the concept is gaining in popularity and garnering more attention from homeowners and designers alike. In some cases, the backyard can double a home’s entertaining space. But owing to the sometimes large and diverse area of the backyard, designers must consider all those who use the space, whether adults or children, as well as the many purposes it serves, from eating, cooking, entertaining, dining and relaxing to games, backyard sports, gardening and more.
This seminar will explore taking a universal design approach to designing the outdoor space so anyone, regardless of age or physical challenges, can enjoy it and visit. Attendees will learn how to assess a backyard’s potential, how to employ concepts of universal design for the outdoors and determine the versatility of an outdoor space.
To register for “Visitability Extends to Outdoor Spaces,” click here.
On March 12 at noon, Amy Gaeta, trade representative for The Fretz Corp.,continues the discussion with “Luxury Outdoor Kitchens: Design, Specify, Install and Use.” This session is designed to educate architects, designers, contractors and installers about options in luxury outdoor kitchen design and layout. This webinar will help building professionals create upscale outdoor spaces that greatly enhance a home’s functionality, enjoyment and value, describe design considerations and ideas for outdoor kitchen layout, discuss the myriad luxury products available in the category, installation requirements and explain the differences between indoor and outdoor products.
To register for “Luxury Outdoor Kitchens: Design, Specify, Install and Use,” click here.
Next, Mitch Slater, president of Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens, will present “Elevate Your Business with Outdoor Kitchen & Entertainment Solutions” on March 19 at noon. Slater cites 2016-2017 Zillow statistics that note homes listing outdoor kitchens sold for 25 percent more than expected. In fact, consumers are increasingly considering their outdoor spaces to be just as important as their indoor spaces – opting to invest more in amenities that let them “bring the indoors outside.”
As the popularity of these spaces has grown, design-build pros can capitalize on the trend by adding outdoor amenities and solutions to offer clients beautiful, high-performance spaces — and boost profits at the same time.
This session will provide strategies for promoting and specifying outdoor amenities and easy-to-implement ways to differentiate — and grow —businesses; discuss the latest trends and best practices in outdoor amenity design and develop configurations for simple outdoor entertaining areas.
To register for “Elevate Your Business with Outdoor Kitchen & Entertainment Solutions,” click here.
Finally, on March 28 at 3 p.m., Russ Faulk, chief designer and head of product for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, will host “Winning Outdoor Kitchen Design.” In this webinar, Falk will cover the design potential for fully functional outdoor kitchens, the specifics on how to create kitchens that homeowners will enjoy, potentially year-round, with ease and safety. The session will offer pointers for evaluating a client’s outdoor cooking and entertaining needs, assessing the proposed site for a complete outdoor kitchen set-up and applying proven indoor kitchen design principles to the specific needs of the outdoors.
To register for “Winning Outdoor Kitchen Design,” click here.
All recordings will be posted to the new webinars page on nkba.org found by clicking here. Note that NKBA does not offer the CEU for viewing recorded webinars.
