Dad’s Dream The Outdoor Kitchen

Nothing says Father’s Day dreaming like an outdoor cooker. And make that an all-weather unit for our climate. But where is it situated, and how much fun can you have in that surrounding home space?

I was approached by a local couple who live near town and have this strangely arranged home that you have to climb a long flight of stairs to enter. But when you get to the top, oh my god!

You look over the edge and 35 to 40 feet straight down there is a tumbling creek careening directly below and parallel to the home, twisting and cascading over rocky falls. An eager Blue Heron perched nearby to lunch away the afternoon. We actually had to raise our voices over the sound of the crashing water as we discussed the future build.

cedar’. So dense, it cannot float or even burn.

It is sustainably harvested, helped along by its rapid growth in the Brazilian climate, and these tiles can be made of small pieces -- making waste next to nothing. Thanks to Lars at Westwind Hardwoods for these.

When we needed a built-in barbeque for this new deck, Roger at South Island Fireplace helped us to create weatherproof cabinets clad in slate for the counters, sink area, and barbeque; and eventually for the open-pit gas firepit, as well, which DCD co-designed with South Island.

Where the heck did this stunning place come from? It was truly magical. I was inspired. What was missing was a proper overlook, and one sheltered from the elements in this dark cavernous gulch that was chock a block in giant Douglas-firs and Bigleaf Maples.

The entry had to change, as well. The stairwell needed to be designed into the inner part of the home and the client wanted to share this precipice with family and friends, so the upper deck needed to be generous, sheltered, and comfortable. Broad enough to cook, entertain, lounge under cover -- but not so foreboding that it would be too dark in an area of dappled light.

The design solution: we created a large, 750-square-foot timbered deck with a 400-square-foot timbered roof over it, for shelter. This still allowed an open area for those balmy evenings, to stargaze, and an outer deck adjacent to the long side, overlooking the rapids below. It also provided a covered, elegant threshold entry to the home’s lower level followed by discreet lighting and raised stone planters. The design delivered extra value by providing additional shelter for a large one-and-a-half-car garage below.

With the kitchen and master bedroom both adjacent to this upper terrace, we wanted the toys to cook with and the comfort of a pre-bed lounge area for late evenings.

And we wanted it friendly, to walk on and lounge on from bare feet to slippers.

The first thing you will notice when you visit this redesigned space are the 50 cm x 50 cm IPE deck tiles. IPE is a Brazilian hardwood they call the ‘new Next, a TV over the bar, a standup bar (upcycling a nice timber slab from my collection), and the furnishings to complete the lounge encircling the gas firepit.

Once you find your seat, with a libation of choice, you look up at the 28-foot clear-span timber trusses; you admire the uplighting we installed to minimize evening glare but maximize the visual effects of the massive vaulted roof above; you breathe, slowly, and savour the delicious taste of clean, Cowichan air. Now it’s all done but the crying, as they say.

What father could not resist this?

David Coulson is a local certified Built Green design builder. He has a staff of 25 that have built throughout the Island for over 20 years.