When you've got a great backyard, you want to do something with it -- and when it comes to stuff you can do with a backyard, outdoor kitchens rank pretty high on the 'cool' scale. Offering something for everyone, the ability to grill, cook, and entertain entirely outside - with no awkward shuffling in and out through the back door to get ingredients or socialize - is rapidly becoming the sign of a great party. Here are 5 amazing ideas -- think of them as jumping-off points -- to help you design a great outdoor kitchen Nature Imagine a nature-themed outdoor kitchen with fine stone countertops, wooden cabinets, and leafy decor. Complemented nicely by a fire pit and adding a colorful ambiance to any grilling experience, a nature themed outdoor kitchen can be built to blend in with the backyard or with the house itself, either way creating an entertaining space that looks like an entirely natural extension of the area around it. Old School If you'd like to have a retro, turn-of-the-last-century feel to your outdoor kitchen, look to build the framework out of red bricks. Top that with some wrought iron implements and slate countertops, and the look will be perfect. The slate may be a little more costly, but the brick will be cheap enough to make up for it. Both are very durable for an outdoor environment and pretty easy to get your hands on Modern Even an outdoor kitchen can easily be given a modern feel by combining shining stainless steel fixtures with a polished concrete countertop. Combine that with some up-to-date appliances in glass-fronted cupboards, and you're well on your way to a modernist kitchen for the ages. The Mini-Kitch Maybe you don't have a half-acre sprawling backyard with a pool and a putting green. Maybe you're dealing with a relatively small space -- but that doesn't mean you can't have a decent outdoor kitchen. All you really need to make it happen is a sink and a bit of storage space. Everything else, even the grill, can be small and portable so you can store it in the garage when you're not using it. The forms and functions that today's outdoor kitchens can take are phenomenal -- check them out today!