Sometimes creating a completely different backyard doesn’t mean starting over.

For this outdoor living project in Owasso, Oklahoma, our homeowners already had a pool and covered patio they enjoyed. The goal was to rethink how the space functioned — creating dedicated areas for cooking, entertaining and relaxing while making the new construction feel like it belonged with the existing home.

To make that happen, we removed the existing outdoor kitchen, relocated the cooking area, constructed a new custom outdoor kitchen and covered pergola, and transformed the former kitchen location into a stone fireplace and outdoor living area.

The result is a backyard with several distinct spaces that all work together — and a lot more reasons to stay outside.

Rethinking the Existing Backyard

This project wasn’t about simply adding another feature to the patio. It was about reconsidering how the homeowners could use the space they already had.

We began by completely removing the existing outdoor kitchen, including its countertops, cabinetry and stone veneer. Several of the homeowners’ existing items were preserved to be incorporated back into the finished project.

That opened up the original kitchen location for an entirely new purpose while allowing us to create a larger, dedicated cooking and entertaining area elsewhere on the patio.

A New Covered Outdoor Kitchen & Bar

The relocated outdoor kitchen was built in an approximately 10′ x 8′ L-shaped configuration, giving the homeowners significantly more room for cooking, serving and gathering.

The structure was finished in tongue-and-groove cedar with a Leatherwood stain and designed with an extended countertop on the seating side. The kitchen incorporates the grill, outdoor-rated refrigerator, trash system and storage, with the layout planned around the homeowners’ appliances and how they wanted to use the space.

And one of our favorite choices on the entire project?

Black Leathered Granite

The black leathered granite gives the kitchen a completely different feel than a traditional polished countertop.

Its darker, textured finish creates a great contrast against the warm stained wood and complements the stainless-steel appliances and black accents used throughout the project.

The generous countertop also creates plenty of prep and serving space, while the extended side provides bar seating facing out toward the pool.

Bringing the Outdoor Kitchen Under Cover

Over the new kitchen, we constructed an approximately 10′ x 12′ two-tier wood pergola, structurally connected to the existing roof and supported at the patio with a 6×6 post.

Black structural bracketry and corbels provide both support and architectural detail, while the Leatherwood stain carries the warm wood tones from the kitchen up through the structure.

The pergola was finished with a Cover Your Pergola Hercules roofing system, allowing the area below to function as a truly usable covered outdoor space rather than simply a decorative pergola.

Integrated low-voltage lighting, bar downlights and a ceiling fan make the space functional well beyond the middle of the day.

Turning the Former Kitchen Into an Outdoor Fireplace

Once the old outdoor kitchen was removed, its former location became the focal point of the seating area.

We constructed a new fireplace structure finished in stone selected to complement the home’s existing patio finishes, along with a coordinating stone hearth and wood mantle.

The fireplace itself is electric, giving the homeowners the ambiance of a fireplace without requiring a traditional wood- or gas-burning firebox.

Because the electric fireplace was intended primarily for ambiance rather than serving as the area’s heat source, an outdoor heater was later added through a change order, helping make the covered seating area more comfortable when Oklahoma temperatures start to drop.

The Details That Make an Outdoor Space Work

Some of the most important parts of an outdoor renovation aren’t necessarily the things you notice first in the finished pictures.

This project also required new electrical service for the outdoor kitchen appliances and fireplace, low-voltage pergola lighting, bar downlights, a TV outlet, dedicated power for the ceiling fan and installation of the fireplace sconces.

A new gas line was also routed to serve the relocated BBQ grill, including a new shutoff and required testing.

And after removing the previous kitchen, approximately 275 square feet of the affected pool-deck area was retextured and topcoated to help the old and new areas come back together.

Those aren’t necessarily the details that stop you while scrolling through finished photos — but they’re a big part of turning an idea into a finished space that actually works.

One Backyard, More Ways to Use It

What we like most about this project is that the homeowners didn’t need an entirely new backyard.

Instead, we changed how the existing backyard worked.

The former outdoor kitchen became a comfortable fireplace and TV area. The new covered kitchen provides a dedicated space for cooking and entertaining. Bar seating connects directly to the pool area, while the existing covered patio continues to provide another place to gather.

Cooking. Entertaining. Watching the game. Sitting by the fire. Hanging out by the pool.

It all happens within the same backyard, but each part of the space now has a purpose.

Thinking About Your Own Outdoor Living Project?

A great outdoor project doesn’t necessarily start with “What can we add?”

Sometimes the better question is “How could we use this space differently?”

Whether that means relocating an existing outdoor kitchen, adding a covered cooking area, creating a fireplace and TV space, building a pergola or pavilion, or completely rethinking how your patio functions, Gorilla Brothers Renovations can help work through the possibilities.

We provide outdoor living and remodeling services throughout Owasso, Tulsa and surrounding Northeast Oklahoma communities.

Have an idea for your backyard? Let’s talk about what it could become.