Kitchen of the Year Opens Monday 7/18

Posted: July 14, 2011 | Author: Belgard Hardscapes | Filed under: Events, Outdoor Kitchens, Outdoor Living, Pavers | Tags: belgard, Belgard Elements Collection, Belgard Outdoor Living, Belgard pavers, brick oven, Chicago Brick Oven, Elements outdoor kitchens barbecue, landscape concrete pavers, outdoor kitchen, patio pavers, pizza oven | 1 Comment

View from W. 50th St. into the Kitchen of the Year set-up in Rockefeller Center

Belgard® is excited about their progress on the House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year, opening Monday, July 18th in NYC’s Rockefeller Plaza. The area went from a plain plaza to an indoor/outdoor chef-inspired entertaining space. Chef Tyler Florence has made the design in such a way that you can’t help but want to linger, smell the cooking and enjoy friends. They say the most popular place when entertaining is in the kitchen – and this set-up has both indoor and outdoor ones!

Belgard Elements

The outdoor space is designed around Belgard’s Bristol Elements Collection, including a U-shaped kitchen with a Chicago brick oven and a living area with a fireplace. To keep the design cohesive, the Bristol line’s coordinating kitchen pieces are used as design elements for the counters and cooking spaces. Medium Rare grills and accessories are integrated with this kitchen and come standard with the Elements line.

Outdoor living space

For the covered outdoor living room, the Element’s Bristol line outlines the living space using planters, columns and walls. In this space, seating will be abundant and the smells of Chef Florence’s cooking waft through the air. Visitors can relax and sip a glass of wine alfresco. Adding an outdoor space to your home is like adding on a new room.

Arrival of the pavers

The senses will have so much to take in, but not to be overlooked is the transformation of the grey road and sidewalk from drab to fab! The look now includes lively colors of the natural collection’s popular Mega Lafitt with its look of cut flagstone yet with the strength and long-term durability of a paver. Natural looking Mega-Arbel is used on the patio entrance and as accents, while Urbana pavers, also part of the natural collection, are used as trim throughout the project.

Below are some pictures of the building process. Using Belgard products makes installation a breeze! The Element’s items arrive in pre-made components, so they are set into place. All Belgard pavers are designed with the simplicity of installation in mind.

Come back next week to see photos of the final product! Click here for the schedule of events. Read previous posts.

Outdoor area being prepped

Starting the paver installation

Elements components

The U shaped kitchen keeps work and cooking areas within easy reach

Awaiting appliances

Appliances being installed

Brick Oven being "cured" = excess moisture removed

Come out & relax by the fire in the outdoor living space

Outdoor area before

Now a fabulous entertaining space

Belgard & Chicago Brick Oven

Posted: April 25, 2011 | Author: Belgard Hardscapes | Filed under: Outdoor Kitchens, Outdoor Living | Tags: Belgard Elements Collection, Belgard Outdoor Living, Chicago Brick Oven, Elements outdoor kitchens barbecue, outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, wood burning stove | Leave a comment

Brick Oven from the Harmony Collection

An April blog featured the Belgard Elements Collection of modular fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and multiple matching accessories. One of the most popular pieces within the collection is the Chicago Brick Oven. This unique focal point is a natural addition to any Belgard outdoor kitchen. Featured in the media across the country, and showcased on the Today show with Chef Mario Batali, the brick oven craze has only just begun.

Partnered with the Belgard Elements Collection, the wood-burning Chicago Brick Brick Oven comes ready to install. Or, create a custom look for your Brick Oven with Belgard walls. All ovens are built with a flue for ventilation, so placement should be considered. An Authorized Belgard Contractor can assist you through the entire process. Chicago Brick Oven president Bill Paschen says, “The ovens come in various sizes. If you entertain, consider the largest oven. You will not be displeased.”

Pizza

Onion Soup

Kabobs

Paschen adds, “When I searched for a brick oven for my home, 99% were made overseas, which added huge freight and duty costs. So, I created my own. We offer a variety of sizes, so if you entertain, consider the largest oven. You won’t be disappointed”

It is important to note that along with Belgard Elements, the Chicago Brick Oven is made in the USA.

Components

Components

The beauty of using Belgard’s Elements and the Chicago Brick Oven are that all items coordinate and the oven’s installation consists of only two modular pieces: the oven and the supporting wood box. Each item is delivered and placed on your pre-poured foundation. Once installed, build a few small fires to cure the oven, and you are ready to create mouth-watering masterpieces. The ovens can be enjoyed all year-long and, along with all the Elements components, are designed to be weather resistant.

Maintenance is simple: just brush out ash and crumbs when done. There are two doors, one for decoration to keep out the weather and one insulated to control the oven temperature, especially for baking. Preheating is also simple. Most recipes call for the oven temperature to be over 400 degrees, which takes about an hour to heat. Once it’s hot, you can use the oven for hours.

Wood
The type of wood used is extremely important, and the user guide will give directions. When buying, ask for wood that’s been aged for about two years, or that has less than 25% moisture content. Soft woods are easy to light, but they produce less heat than hardwoods. Trying different varieties of aromatic, flavored woods will give different foods unique flavors.

Not only does the oven give food an authentic taste, it provides an opportunity to create an culinary outdoor experience. Not only can you can bake a pizza in a minutes, but the ovens are just as well suited for cooking an entire meal. A few items finding their way into the oven are stuffed turkeys, calzones, vegetables, pasta dishes, stuffed peppers, kabobs, whole chickens in a salt crust, ribs, cedar plank cooked fish, paella, baked apples, dessert pizzas, and various breads such as flat bread, focaccia, cibatta, and pita. Bill Paschen recommends his favorite recipe of stuffed jalapeno peppers.

Fox TV Station Outdoor Kitchen in Atlanta

Recipes are as numerous as the chefs who use the Chicago Brick Oven from numerous Iron Chef contestants to TV chef and celebrities. World-renown Chef Mario Batali has his own line of wood-burning ovens which integrate with Belgard Elements.

Read latest blog on Belgard’s Elements.

Outdoor Kitchen & Brick Oven from the Nottingham Collection

Belgard Elements = Outdoor Enjoyment, Fast!

Posted: April 7, 2011 | Author: Belgard Hardscapes | Filed under: Outdoor Living | Tags: belgard, brick oven, fire pit, grills, outdoor kitchen, outdoor living | 3 Comments

Harmony Outdoor Living for Belgard Hardscapes

Outdoor Kitchen from the Nottingham Collection

Spring naturally brings people back outdoors, with friends and neighbors gathering in the backyard more frequently as the weather warms. Belgard offers you the opportunity to be the neighborhood house that’s always “prepared for company.” Adding outdoor living spaces, such as an outdoor kitchen, outdoor bar, water feature, or a fireplace creates a naturally appealing gathering place. Yet, to build these features from scratch can be laborious and time consuming.

Installation is Easy

With that consideration in mind, Belgard has partnered with Harmony Outdoor Living, Inc. to offer the Elements Collections. Each item is modular, uses Belgard products and arrives ready to be installed. Most installations are done in one day! With five collections, and multiple color options, there’s a style to coordinate with any architectural look.

The Bristol and Wexford Collections offer upscale options with extra details and generous sizing, and the upper end Nottingham and Euro Series each offer a distinguished look.

Euro Fireplace Series

“Whether it is the entry level Brighton collection or our top of the line series, all Elements are build to the same exacting standards and carry the Belgard lifetime warranty,” states Joe Raboine, President of Harmony Outdoor Living.

How do I decide

It’s a judgment call in most cases. “Considering the home’s architectural style is important, as is color. When in doubt, keep it neutral,” suggests Raboine.

Bristol Collection

Look at your area – measure and layout the available space on graph paper. Cut out pieces representing the features you are considering. Don’t forget to add furniture and leave ample space for walking. Rule of thumb is to leave four feet of space around all cooking features. At this stage, consider contacting a Belgard Authorized Contractor who can create a 3D scale model.

What do I need

Nottingham fire pit

The beauty of the Elements collection is they’re designed to coordinate with Belgard pavers. For a complete look, consider the backyard as a whole – this could be the right time to install pavers as well. At a minimum, it is recommended pouring at least a concrete base for all features, which allows for easier installation. The Elements Collections are designed to be buried four inches below the finished pavement. “This is specially important when installing the kitchen and bar units, which would be too high otherwise,” Raboine points out. Natural gas, propane and wood options are available. Most important, be sure to check your local building codes first.

Wexford Collection with Brick Oven

What are the options

The Elements Collection offers a wide range of options – from complete kitchen islands to simple grill combination to fire pits and fire tables. Plus, there are accents galore! Collections can be accentuated with wood boxes, a hearth, seating walls, planters, lighting pillars, a mailbox, water features, and the popular Chicago Brick Oven. “And don’t overlook lighting,” Raboine is quick to add. “If you skimp on lighting, you will be very disappointed and it’s difficult to retrofit after the fact.”

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More on Chicago Brick Ovens/Medium Rare Grills.