Alfresco living

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Positioned beside the pool terrace, this kitchen-family room opens right up to the outdoors for easy entertaining

View of a traditional-styled kitchen which features a cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, kitchen, room, brown, orange — View of a traditional-styled kitchen which features a wooden island with a butcher's block countertop, chandelier, tiled floors, granite perimeter cabinetry, white painted perimeter cabinetry, appliances.

View of a traditional-styled kitchen which features a cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, flooring, interior design, kitchen, room, brown, orange

View of kitchen and family living area with countertop, estate, floor, flooring, home, interior design, kitchen, property, real estate, table, window, brown, orange

View of living area which features tiled floors, estate, home, interior design, living room, real estate, room, brown, orange

View of living area which features tiled floors, estate, furniture, home, interior design, living room, real estate, room, table, window, window treatment, brown, orange

Lounging by the pool takes on a whole new meaning when you have everything you need right at hand be it a cold drink, hot coffee or snack.

This second kitchen, in a waterfront holiday home home in Florida, is aptly called the outdoor kitchen by the owners. The kitchen is part of a family living and dining area that opens to the pool terrace its glass sliding doors are hidden in cavities when open.

Kitchen designer Heather Hungeling of Clive Christian says the kitchen was designed in order to cater to informal entertaining around the pool.

"It's a very casual space with a barbecue grill and a high-powered wok burner rather than an oven," she says. "It's a place to prepare hamburgers and hotdogs or to grab a soda."

The kitchen features Clive Christian Edwardian cabinetry in Contemporary White with flat, recessed door panels, and Verde Laguna granite benchtops. These match the surfaces in the more formal main kitchen.

The perimeter cabinets are paired with a furniture-style walnut island that is topped with a large butcher's block in iroko teak.

"The legs on the island stop it looking too heavy, so the space is light and airy," says the designer.

For visual consistency, the kitchen features stonework that is similar to the detailing in other rooms. A limestone hearth-style cooking centre with a decorative tile splashback also complements the Mediterranean architecture of the house.

Rather than having a large refrigerator, the designer chose refrigerator drawers, which are integrated into the cabinets. A bank of overhead cabinets with internal power outlets accommodates benchtop appliances, including a coffee maker.

There is open shelving for glassware beside these cabinets, and a small sink in the benchtop, which serves as an informal butler's pantry.