An outdoor kitchen isn’t just a luxury – it’s a way to get more from your garden, your home, and how you spend time with family and friends. When it’s designed well, it becomes a space you’ll use as often as your indoor kitchen – whether that’s for weekday dinners or weekend gatherings.
For listed homes, especially those in the Cotswolds, the key is in the design. These homes come with character, history and charm – but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits that come with contemporary outdoor kitchen design. At Gardens by Keltie & Clark, we help homeowners create bespoke outdoor spaces that are beautiful, practical, and carefully tailored to both their home and lifestyle.
Adding an outdoor kitchen is one of the most rewarding ways to bring your garden to life. It’s not just about cooking outside – it’s about extending your living space into the garden in a way that feels easy, comfortable and natural.
But to work properly, it needs more than just a grill and a worktop. It needs to suit the way you live. That means planning for how you like to cook and entertain, thinking about shade and shelter, lighting, flow – and how the kitchen will sit in the overall garden design.
When the setting is a listed home, there are other challenges to take into account. The kitchen needs to feel right and fit naturally into the environment. That’s where a bespoke approach makes all the difference.
Listed properties come with certain responsibilities. There are rules around what can be changed, and the work needs to respect the building’s original features. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add something new – it just means it has to be designed thoughtfully.
That starts with the materials. At Gardens by Keltie & Clark, we use high-quality natural materials that sit comfortably alongside historic stonework and traditional garden structures. Every detail – from the shape of the kitchen units to the finish of the worktops – is chosen to feel in keeping with the home.
It is also important to understand when outdoor kitchen planning permission is needed. We design our outdoor spaces so that they appease planning guidelines and meet conservation requirements. It’s all part of making the process smooth and stress-free for you.
A great example of this approach is our contemporary outdoor kitchen design for a Grade II listed Regency home in Cheltenham. The garden was once just a flat lawn with little structure or purpose. We redesigned it to feel like a true extension of the house, with formal lines, low maintenance planting, and a dedicated outdoor kitchen and dining area.
The outdoor cooking area features a braai wood-fire oven with generous counter space for preparing and serving food. It’s a space that feels elegant but is built for real use – whether that’s a quiet evening for two or a larger gathering.
We created a dining area under one of the original copper beech trees to provide dappled shade and privacy, and softened the layout with curved beds and planting. Statuesque bronze planters from Torc Pots are deliberately placed to reflect the Regency feel, and we made sure every material we used felt right for the setting. The result is a garden that now feels modern and welcoming – somewhere to spend real time, not just glance at from the window.
No two homes are the same – and no two clients are either. That’s why we start by listening: how do you want to use your garden? What kind of cooking do you enjoy? Are you imagining long summer lunches or cosy evenings by the fire?
From there, we shape the space around you.
That might mean integrating a pizza oven, a traditional grill, or a built-in fridge. It might mean adding a pergola for shelter, or carefully placed lighting so the space works into the evening.
Luxury outdoor kitchen design is about more than looks – it’s about designing a space that works for you, every time you step outside.
A well-designed outdoor kitchen can change the way you use your garden – and in a listed home, it can add real value when done properly. It brings modern living into a traditional setting in a way that feels natural and balanced. For some more inspiration taked a look at our blog on Outdoor Kitchen Design Trends for 2025.
At Gardens by Keltie & Clark, we bring together design, craftsmanship and a deep respect for heritage to create outdoor spaces that feel effortless to use and timeless in style. If you’re considering an outdoor kitchen for your listed home, we’d love to help you bring that vision to life.
Get in touch with us at Gardens by Keltie & Clark to start your design journey.
