Wake Forest Outdoor Kitchen
Location: Wake Forest, NC | Year Completed: 2025
This Wake Forest outdoor kitchen is one of our most striking projects to date — a seamless marriage of rustic character and modern outdoor cooking performance. The homeowner had already worked with a contractor to build the stunning covered structure, and brought in Distinctive Outdoor Kitchens to design and install the kitchen itself. The result showcases what’s possible when thoughtful custom outdoor kitchen design meets premium appliances and a client who knows exactly how they want to entertain. Situated in Wake Forest, NC — just north of Raleigh — the space takes full advantage of its elevated setting, with sweeping views of the surrounding hills serving as a natural backdrop for every cookout, dinner party, or casual evening outside.
The Design — Rustic Structure, Modern Kitchen
The homeowner’s contractor built a beautiful covered outdoor structure as the backdrop for this project — a gabled roof with a natural wood-planked ceiling that brings warmth and texture to the space. Stout support posts with stacked stone bases anchor the structure, echoing the stone retaining wall that borders the poolside area and tying everything visually into the broader landscape.
Light-colored tile flooring keeps the space feeling bright and open even on overcast days, while a ceiling fan ensures comfort when the North Carolina summer heat peaks. The result is a covered outdoor kitchen that functions as a true year-round outdoor room, not just a fair-weather grilling station.
The kitchen run is anchored by sleek, dark green cabinetry — a bold design choice that holds its own against the natural greens of the landscape while giving the space a distinctly modern edge. A large stainless-steel grill takes center stage beneath a custom hood vent, flanked by ample prep counter space on either side. The countertop-height dining extension — a custom-designed table base built from aluminum components — flows naturally off the main run, creating a casual bar-style seating area that keeps guests close to the action without crowding the cook.
Whether you’re grilling for two or hosting a full poolside gathering, this layout was engineered to handle both with ease.
Appliances — Built for Serious Outdoor Cooking
Every appliance in this Wake Forest outdoor kitchen was sourced through Distinctive Kitchen & Appliance World, our trusted appliance partner, ensuring that every piece was spec’d to perform in an outdoor environment and integrate perfectly with the custom cabinetry.
This appliance lineup reflects the kind of intentional, cook-first thinking that separates a custom outdoor kitchen from an off-the-shelf grill station. If you’re curious how appliance selection factors into overall project cost, our outdoor kitchen pricing guide breaks it down in detail.
Grill
Blaze Grills 34″ Gas Grill
The centerpiece of the kitchen. Blaze’s 34” gas grill delivers restaurant-grade heat output and durability in a sleek stainless package. Whether you’re searing steaks or slow-cooking ribs, this grill handles it all.
Hood
Ventahood / Z-Line
A properly vented outdoor kitchen hood is non-negotiable under a covered structure, and this Ventahood/Z-Line unit does the job in style — a visual focal point above the grill that adds drama to the kitchen’s profile.
Outdoor Refrigerator
Zephyr 24″
Keeps drinks cold and ingredients accessible right at the point of use — no more trips back inside mid-cook.
Beverage Center
Blaze Grills
Dedicated beverage storage means your outdoor kitchen can serve as a full bar during entertaining, independent of the main fridge.
Side Burner
Blaze Grills
For sauces, sides, and anything that shouldn’t compete for grill grate space. A practical workhorse that serious outdoor cooks won’t do without.
Warming Drawer
Coyote
Keeps finished dishes at serving temperature while the rest of the meal catches up. An often-overlooked appliance that makes a huge difference when you’re cooking for a group.
Ice Machine
U-Line
Full-size ice production built into the outdoor kitchen itself — a luxury upgrade that eliminates the portable cooler entirely and keeps the space looking clean.
Custom Cabinetry & the
Countertop Dining Area
One of the defining features of this project is the custom countertop-height dining extension — a built-in table that was engineered specifically at the client’s request. Rather than placing a separate freestanding table nearby, we designed a continuous countertop run that transitions from prep and cooking space into a bar-height dining surface, supported by a custom aluminum table base.
This kind of integrated design solution is what drives our custom outdoor kitchen process: we don’t start with a catalog and work backward. We start with how you want to use the space, then engineer the cabinetry and layout to match.
The dark green cabinet fronts are finished for outdoor durability and were engineered to provide a seamless fit around each appliance cutout — no awkward gaps, no improvised filler panels. The result is a kitchen that looks as intentional from three feet away as it does in the photos.
Our Design Process
This project followed the same structured approach we bring to every custom outdoor kitchen in the Raleigh, NC area:
1. Outdoor Kitchen Survey — We start by learning how you cook, how you entertain, and what your space can accommodate. For this client, that conversation revealed a need for a full appliance suite, integrated dining, and a design that complemented an existing poolside aesthetic.
2. Appliance Selection — Working with our partners at Distinctive Kitchen & Appliance World, we identified the exact appliances that matched the client’s cooking style and space requirements before a single cabinet dimension was drawn.
3. Custom Cabinetry Engineering — Once the appliances were confirmed, we engineered the cabinetry around them — including the custom aluminum table base for the dining extension — to ensure a seamless, precise fit.
4. Installation — Our team handled the full kitchen installation within the existing structure, delivering a finished kitchen that matched the design renderings exactly.
Want to see how this process works from start to finish?
More Projects Like This One
If this Wake Forest outdoor kitchen caught your eye, you might also want to explore some of our other recent work in the Raleigh–Durham area:
Ready to Design Your Outdoor Kitchen in Wake Forest or the Greater Raleigh Area?
Whether you’re envisioning a poolside cooking hub, a covered entertaining space, or a full custom kitchen built around your appliance wish list,
Distinctive Outdoor Kitchens has the experience to make it happen. We’ve been designing and building custom outdoor kitchens
throughout the Raleigh, NC area — including Wake Forest, Durham, Cary, and beyond.
Visit our showroom at 5910-127 Duraleigh Road, Raleigh, NC 27612 or contact us today to start your project.
Not sure what to budget? Explore our outdoor kitchen pricing guide or browse our portfolio to see the range of what’s possible.
