weekend diy - grill station

I mentioned last Friday that my dad installed a paver patio in our backyard while he was visiting a couple weeks ago. (Check out the three different design plans I came up with for our new patio here.) I'll be sharing a quick step by step look at the paver installation process next week, but today I want to show you this super simple diy grill station that anyone could knock out in less than an hour! I love me some easy, instant gratification diy projects!

I love the look of a built-in grill. However, the price tag for a project like that......not so friendly. I dream of one day having a great outdoor kitchen, but for now this simple "built-in" look is getting the job done.

The main reason I wanted to do this project is because I feel like most grills come with side shelves that are just too small to hold all of your grilling essentials, so we would end up making multiple trips back to the kitchen to drop off plates and things. I really wanted to have a bit more counter space to work with when we're grilling.

I started by removing the side shelves of our grill. Then since I didn't want to spend a fortune on this project, I decided to use cinder blocks for the base which are strong and durable yet super inexpensive at $1.49 a piece. Then I topped them with these 16 x 24 inch patio stones ($6.98) from Lowe's that coordinate perfectly with the color of the pavers we used for the patio. So now I have a sum total of 48 x 72 inches of outdoor counter space all for less than $60 and one hour of work!

Cinder blocks are 8 x 8 x 16 which make them the perfect choice to work with these 16 x 24 inch patio stones. Each column has 8 cinder blocks stacked making the total height of this counter top including the almost 2 inch stone top about 34 inches high.

Once I had the cinder blocks stacked I chose to paint them in a light sand/cream color outdoor paint. I did just two light coats so that the texture would still show through just a bit.

It can be a little difficult to find cinder blocks that are smooth on all sides. The few that did have a rough side I faced towards the back so you'll never see them. All in all I'm pretty happy with the way this simple project turned out, and it is really nice to have some decent counter space to work with out here.

The patio stones I used for the counter top aren't completely smooth and flat, but they are flat enough to set down a drink or platter.

You could easily use this same concept to create an outdoor buffet table/ console table.

The weather right now is just so perfect for working outdoors. Are you doing any exterior home projects right now?

Can't wait to show you more of our new patio space! Have a great weekend friends!