The Outdoor Kitchen Bar Trend For Next Year That Looks And Feels Good

Outdoor kitchens are a trend in and of themselves — once you start looking at the possibilities of taking your cooking routine to the great outdoors, you'll immediately find some outdoor kitchen designs that you'll want in your own backyard. And, while many of these setups are costly, you can even find easy DIY outdoor kitchen hacks that accomplish the look without requiring thousands of dollars upfront. With this new backyard patio phenomenon taking over, designers are predicting a few new trends for 2025 when it comes to outdoor kitchens, namely a rise in eco-friendly, sustainable materials for the building of a backyard kitchen bar. 

Erika Dale, an interior designer and the founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, spoke exclusively with House Digest about her own predictions for the upcoming year. "2025 will bring a more widespread interest in using sustainable, eco-friendly materials in general, including for outdoor kitchen bars," she said. "Every year, as the state of our environment and planet gets more dire, more people take initiative to make sure that sustainability and environmentally-friendly material resources are a priority in their home projects." So, outdoor kitchens aren't the only thing getting more sustainable: eco-friendly and biophilic design will be skyrocketing in popularity over the coming years, as consumers begin to question their own shopping and decor patterns and how their choices impact the world at large. Anyone eager to make small steps to protect the environment is sure to jump on greener home decor. 

The trend of designing sustainable outdoor kitchens has many benefits to the world as a whole; by decreasing waste and pollution, homeowners can rest assured that it will help their carbon footprint greatly, Dale said. "Using eco-friendly materials not only look beautiful but they make you feel good too, knowing you have taken steps to do your part toward a more sustainable future." Plus, because these materials are most often naturally sourced, you'll be designing a kitchen with lower amounts of toxins and plastics, and one that lasts through weather phenomenons that might otherwise jeopardize outdoor design elements. 

If going green in your outdoor kitchen has so many positive aspects, why isn't everyone doing it? Erika Dale told House Digest exclusively that the cost factor can create a hurdle for some homeowners. "The only con is that even though many of these materials last much longer than their unsustainable counterparts in the long run, the upfront cost can be higher," she said. So, you'll have to factor the longevity point into your budget estimations and accept a higher bill at the beginning in exchange for a long-lasting, beautiful outdoor kitchen. Plus, building an on-trend outdoor bar means increased value for your home, and it seems these days that being eco-friendly will never really go out of style.

Once you've committed to going the green route, you can design your home with sustainable materials by looking out for some designer-approved keywords. "Recycled composite decking, bamboo, recycled steel or aluminum, recycled glass (such as in countertops or backsplashes), reclaimed wood, clay bricks, and ashcrete are all eco-friendly materials suitable for utilizing in incredible ways in an outdoor kitchen bar," Dale told House Digest. The word "recycled" is obviously a major player here, and pairing it with long-lasting materials makes for the perfect outdoor setup. 

Bamboo is a particularly common material for outdoor goods, and you can easily find furniture that will match any bamboo cabinetry you craft for your outdoor kitchen. The Fregramei bamboo patio dining table and VINGLI bamboo folding chairs are great places to start when it comes to outdoor dining options. You can also easily find recycled glass tile from local and online retailers that you can install into your outdoor kitchen backsplash to give the old glass a new life.