A Dream Outdoor Kitchen for Whitney Bond
San Diego food blogger and recipe developer, Whitney Bond, always knew that an outdoor kitchen would be a part of her new backyard. She and her husband bought their home in 2017 and completely renovated it over the last few years. “It was a 1970’s gem,” says Whitney. “There was a lot of brown and shag carpet. The outside definitely needed some love.” After completing the interior, installing a brand-new kitchen, and remodeling all the bathrooms, it was time to start on the exterior. “The last pièce de résistance was the backyard,” explains Whitney. “We have a beautiful view of San Diego in Mission Bay, so we really wanted to highlight that with a beautiful backyard to match the view.”
Whitney Bond has been sharing her recipes with the world since 2011. Since then, she’s developed and shared over 1,100 original recipes on her blog, published a cookbook, and has appeared on news stations across the country. “Obviously as a food blogger, I love to cook,” Whitney remarks. “Being in San Diego, with beautiful weather year-round, being able to cook outside is something we wanted to be able to enjoy 365 days a year,” says Whitney.
When Whitney began designing her outdoor kitchen, she knew she wanted a kitchen with plenty of room to prep food, cook, and entertain her friends. She wanted plenty of countertop space to hold crock pots full of dips, and a margarita machine to make margaritas. “A big grill to feed all of my friends and family was something that was super important, and really the design started coming together when I started working with PIRCH,” explains Whitney.
Having a beautiful outdoor kitchen that could help facilitate content creation for her social media channels was also very important to Whitney. “I wanted something that I could film video in for my blog, and a beautiful space that matched the inside kitchen that I had already designed,” states Whitney. “I wanted the outdoor kitchen to also have that same feel of lightness and beauty that could really shine through in videos, on my blog, and on my social accounts.”
THE PIRCH PROCESS
When Whitney began the process, she didn’t know much about building an outdoor kitchen. She needed some guidance on how to incorporate appliances, and how to build a kitchen that would be as beautiful as her indoor kitchen. She had specific features and must-haves in mind, but she needed some help creating a kitchen that was as beautiful as it was functional.
“When I started designing the outdoor kitchen on my own, I knew that I was going to need some help,” Whitney comments. “So, I visited the PIRCH showroom in the UTC mall several times over the last few years, drooling over the beautiful appliances. I immediately knew I wanted to work with PIRCH when I saw that they had the outdoor kitchen products that I wanted.”
When visiting the PIRCH San Diego showroom, Whitney was introduced to a wide selection of world-class brands and products, which opened up a number of possibilities for making this outdoor kitchen her own. “There are so many other brands that I became familiar with because of PIRCH, like Cosentino and Urban Bonfire,” says Whitney. “These are brands I would have never known about if it wasn’t for PIRCH.”
Whitney’s Sales Consultant, Erika Hosking was very helpful in guiding her through the design process, as well as the product selection process. “Erika Hosking, my Sales Consultant at PIRCH was so helpful in building out my dream kitchen,” says Whitney. “Everything from taking the measurements that I had at home and figuring out how to maximize the space that we had available, to providing me with all the product details for DCS, Urban Bonfire and Cosentino.”
Not only did Erika help introduce her to top-tier options for brands and products, but she also suggested several new, innovative ideas that Whitney didn’t consider before. “Erika was really helpful in showing me all the different ways that I could do things, like add an island,” commented Whitney. “I didn’t even think about putting an island in an outdoor kitchen, but I have a huge island in my indoor kitchen, so why wouldn’t I want one outside?!”
“I selected DCS appliances for my outdoor kitchen because they had such an array of products available for outdoor, from the grills to the side burner with griddle, to the kegerator, and the refrigerator,” says Whitney. “I love that they have a cohesive line of products available, and they’re beautiful. The functionality is wonderful.”
When it came to appliances, Whitney selected the DCS grill, the side burner and griddle combo, the refrigerator and the kegerator. “What I like most about my DCS appliances is that they’re both beautiful and functional,” exclaims Whitney. “I love that I can come out and grab a cold beer from the kegerator, then head over to the grill to grill a delicious steak, meanwhile I can make some mashed potatoes on the side burner. It really is an all-in-one kitchen.”
Whitney also really appreciates the built-in lights and rotisserie function in her DCS grill. “It’s a beautiful product and I’m so excited to have DCS be part of my outdoor kitchen,” comments Whitney. “I would recommend DCS appliances to any of my friends and family looking to upgrade or add to their outdoor kitchen.”
For cabinetry, Whitney went with Urban Bonfire. “I chose Urban Bonfire for this project after learning about the brand through PIRCH. I love the beauty of the design and the fact that it really felt like an indoor kitchen outside,” comments Whitney.
Urban Bonfire cabinetry is made from marine-grade, powder-coated aluminum. Urban Bonfire’s marine grade aluminum is twice as thick as most stainless-steel cabinetry on the market, yet lighter in weight. Not only is Urban Bonfire cabinetry beautiful, but it’s also the ideal material for extreme climates and long-term quality. “It has the functionality to be able to withstand living by the beach in San Diego and being outside for years and years,” says Whitney. It also has the functionality of the built-in drawers and shelves, as well as pull-out trash and recycling, just like an indoor kitchen does.”
Whitney worked with the Urban Bonfire design team to build out the perfect configuration of cabinetry for her outdoor kitchen. “Working with the Urban Bonfire in-house design team was great,” Whitney remarks. “They were able to use the specs that I gave them and design a beautiful kitchen that was both functional and gorgeous,” explains Whitney.
For the kitchen surfaces, Whitney selected Dekton by Cosentino. Dekton’s ultra-compact surfaces offer a wide variety of durable surfaces for countertops, floors, and facades in both indoor and outdoor settings. “I selected Dekton by Cosentino countertops because I love how durable they are,” explains Whitney. “They can withstand being outside, as well as any kind of spills or scratches. They’re scratch resistant, stain resistant, and heat resistant. I love that for being outside and entertaining,” says Whitney.
Whitney also appreciates the fact that Dekton by Cosentino is a carbon neutral product. “I feel like sustainability is something we should all be considering when making purchase decisions these days,” Whitney remarks.\
Whitney selected the Dekton “Natura” finish, which replicates the quintessential style of marble with soft grey veining accentuating the classic white surface. “I selected the Dekton ‘Natura’ finish because I love that it had movement and color to it, but it also had a base of white which looks beautiful on camera and for displaying all of my delicious food and drinks,” explains Whitney.
Installation day is when everything finally comes together. “The PIRCH installation team was amazing,” comments Whitney. “George went above and beyond to make sure that everything was going to work.”
With any construction project, there is always a possibility of running into challenges. “PIRCH has been helpful and responsive with any issues that have come up along the way,” explains Whitney. “They’ve been able to help and fix things in a timely manner so that my kitchen is absolutely perfect, not only for entertaining, but also for all of my upcoming video shoots and photography for all of my social channels and my blog.”
Whitney could not have been happier that PIRCH helped turn her dream design into reality. “What I enjoyed most about working with PIRCH was their ability to take what I thought I wanted in an outdoor kitchen and make it even better,” says Whitney. “I didn’t even know some of these products were available. I would not have thought about doing a waterfall countertop on the island, which was a suggestion by Erika, and it’s gorgeous. I love the way it flows and goes right into our pool. It’s a waterfall countertop that goes right into the water, and it’s just absolutely beautiful!”
It’s safe to say that Whitney is happy with her new outdoor kitchen. “I think the thing I love most about my outdoor kitchen is just how gorgeous it is,” says Whitney. “Everyone comments that our outdoor kitchen is nicer than their indoor kitchen. It really is, it’s just beautiful!”
Now, with her brand-new outdoor kitchen, Whitney can fully take advantage of the beautiful San Diego climate all year round. “I love being out here,” says Whitney. “Every morning I walk out here, and I’m so in love with it. I love being able to cook all my meals outside. The first day that the grill was installed, I was out here grilling that night, and I think I’ve grilled a meal every day since!”
