As the temperature rises, there’s nothing better than eating alfresco. Luxury outdoor kitchens are the dream, racing up the interiors wish list to replace the humble BBQ and ice bucket with a permanent outside area for cooking, eating and entertaining. Don’t despair if you don’t have the space or set-up for this extra outdoor room. Roundhouse Kitchens will show you how to create a seamless flow between a bespoke kitchen design and the great outdoors for a similar mood. Whether you live in a period property or new build and whether you have a sprawling lawn, a paved courtyard or city balcony, there are plenty of design solutions to bring your home and garden together. So, give a warm welcome to the indoor/outdoor fusion kitchen where sliding glass doors, natural materials and good lighting effortlessly extend the inside to out. Packed with inspiration, these bespoke kitchens embrace the idea of biophilic design, connecting your home to the natural landscape. Time to get outside…

Install a wall of sliding glass

Bring the outside in with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. If your luxury designer kitchen is at the back of the house, try replacing smaller windows with vast sliding glass panels that can fully retract and flow into the garden. This design trick is spot on for smaller patio spaces that can be absorbed into the main kitchen footprint. It’s also great for combined kitchen dining room ideas. For an uninterrupted silhouette, use bifold doors that completely disappear when open and hardwearing floors such as porcelain or stone that run from inside to out. Pick a soft, easy-on-the-eye palette that won’t compete with nature. Place a bespoke kitchen island with bar stools near the sliding doors and feel like you’re outdoors, even if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Go big on greenery

Plants, foliage and greenery are one of the simplest ways to harness the indoor/outdoor approach in an upmarket kitchen design. Here, the mix of pale timber, stone floors, charcoal fronts and metal kitchen island are a naturally good choice for an indoor jungle. Mix up hanging plants, mini trees in pots and big leafy species at all levels, from floor to ceiling. This is an effortless way to bring your bespoke kitchen closer to nature if you live in a high-level apartment. Equally, a profusion of indoor plants will harmoniously connect with an outdoor space in a luxury kitchen design that leads straight on to the garden.

Max out a skylight

If your luxury contemporary kitchen is in the centre of your home, creating an indoor/outdoor ambience might pose more of a challenge. Expert designers from Roundhouse can think outside the box – and this means looking up as well as out. By installing a generous strip of glass panels overhead, this super slim galley kitchen is flooded with light from above. The clever design feature offers a fresh perspective on a luxurious kitchen design and brings the modern kitchen island to life, with an unbroken view to the sky and trees outside. Bliss.

Set up a seat near the window

Apartments and city dwellers with no green space can still embrace the benefits of nature and biophilic design. Arrange your luxury kitchen island and wall cabinets around the largest window so you can take in the fresh air and not feel hemmed in. This marble top kitchen island with seating is perfectly placed next to the pretty French windows and balcony for gorgeous views over the neighbourhood. It’s sure to become the best seat in the house. If you don’t have a balcony, consider a large picture window and stick to a palette of off-white, linen and buttermilk for an easy-breezy décor.

Let there be light

Natural light is uplifting and joyful, especially as bespoke kitchens become the most well-used, well-loved area of the home. In a luxury big kitchen design consider adding two walls of glazing to maximise light input. Make up for lost perimeter storage and preparation space with a large modern kitchen island kitted out with generous cupboards, durable stone tops and a sink. Don’t forget kitchen mood lighting to enhance the scheme when night falls.

What is biophilic design?

Biophilic design is a concept that connects buildings and interiors more closely to nature. It is an approach that is said to be beneficial in many ways, supporting cognitive function, physical health and psychological wellbeing. Natural lighting and ventilation, skylights, living walls and water features, such as fountains or ponds, are all examples of biophilic design you can introduce in your own home.

Our expert kitchen designers can help you make the best choices for your Roundhouse bespoke kitchen, furniture or wardrobes. Visit any of our seven Roundhouse showrooms; Wigmore St, Clapham, Fulham, Richmond, Cambridge, Guildford & Cheltenham and get planning!