How to plan and build an outdoor kitchen

Design Your Project the Easy Way

Whether I’m designing a simple jig or an entire kitchen, I always lay my projects out in SketchUp first. This free 3D modeling program is easy to learn and an essential part of my tool kit.

• First, I transferred all my measurements into SketchUp. Next, I created the skeleton of the island. I modeled the steel studs and U-channels, then the frame.
• Next, I created a shell over the frame, representing the cement board, to determine the total square footage of the surface area for the board and tile.