Your backyard, including your outdoor kitchen in Indianapolis, may become a no-man’s land when the heat of the summer hits. To ensure utmost usability of the space, these structures can be put in place to provide sun protection as well as to keep your outdoor gatherings private and free from nosy onlookers. These outdoor shade and privacy solutions are also ideal for creating an intimate outdoor entertainment space that is enjoyable no matter the weather. For help with their installation, contact a Unilock Authorized Contractor in your area.
Shade Sail
Besides adding shade, a shade sail gives an ordinary outdoor kitchen an interesting futuristic look. These sheets of heavy duty canvas are stretched tautly over the area and supported by steel structure or support poles. Angled correctly, shade sails can also provide privacy by blocking the line of sight from your neighbor’s home or boundary wall. Choose a sail color that matches your outdoor kitchen and hardscape. Lighter tones are ideal as they are less prone to fading and provide a gentle ambient light to the area as sunlight filters through the material. Invest in a sail with high UV protection, and make sure it’s large enough to provide you with sufficient shade for your outdoor kitchen.
Retractable Awnings
A retractable waterproof awning is more flexible and will serve you well during the summer months. A retractable awning creates a cool and inviting outdoor kitchen area during the day and can be retracted either manually or mechanically in the evenings to allow you to cook beneath the stars. A retractable awning can be fitted to your existing pergola or require an additional structure. This structure can be tied in with your hardscape by incorporating pillars built from Unilock wall units around the supporting pillars.
Related Read: Thinking beyond the Sink and Mini Fridge: Essentials for Your Outdoor Kitchen
Floating Screens
Whether thin bamboo panels that let dappled sunlight pass through into the outdoor kitchen area, or colored perspex that creates interesting lighting effects, floating screens can soften the light coming into your outdoor kitchen as well as add privacy to the space. These screens can be hung from the structure of your pergola or extended awning to create the illusion of them “floating” in place, hence their name. Furthermore, these screens are easily removed when not needed.
Privacy Walls and Hedges
For privacy, Unilock walls can create an ideal separation for the space and block your neighbor’s’ line of site. Alternatively, consider retaining wall plant beds filled with medium-sized evergreen shrubs to fulfill the same purpose. Unilock wallstone is ideal for creating raised plant beds that tie in with the rest of your hardscape design.
Retaining Walls
Another use for retaining walls in creating privacy is to have your outdoor kitchen built into a nook carved from a hillside. This sort of enclosure protects against the wind, encourages privacy and intimate gatherings. Being a heavy duty retaining wall, Pisa2 is ideal for holding back hillsides to accommodate your outdoor kitchen or create multiple levels to enhance privacy, visual interest and produce a creative layout.
The title image features a patio paved with Umbriano with Copthorne accents and Brussels Dimensional Stone verticals.
