With a little design help, you can turn it into an outdoor kitchen — and the center of all your outdoor entertaining. “I look at the outdoor kitchen as an extension of the great room,” said Allison Babcock, an interior designer in Sag Harbor, N.Y., who frequently designs outdoor kitchens. “It’s not just a barbecue space; it’s about moving a whole lifestyle outside.”Just as the indoor kitchen has expanded to become a hub for many homes, the outdoor kitchen is having its day in the sun thanks to improvements in materials and equipment, and aesthetic upgrades. “An outdoor kitchen can serve as a beautiful focal point,” said Marie Flanigan, an interior designer based in Houston, who includes an outdoor kitchen with nearly every home she designs. “Inside, people always gravitate toward the kitchen, and I think the outdoor kitchen can also become the heart of the outdoor space.”

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Persons: ”, Allison Babcock, It’s, Marie Flanigan Locations: Sag Harbor, N.Y, Houston