Rustic Outdoor Kitchen: The Houle Family's Orange Stucco Oven
An orange stucco barrel oven with plank wood doors and a painted chef, beside a pergola-covered grill station on a wood deck in Texas. Here is the whole build, from the first block to the finished kitchen.
- Built By
- The Houle Family
- Location
- Texas
- Oven Style
- Fire Brick Barrel
- Photos & Videos
- 16 Photos
- Homeowner Review
- ★★★★★
Build Time-Lapse
Watch This Rustic Outdoor Kitchen Get Built
From a stack of block on a paver pad to a finished orange oven under a pergola, in about 32 seconds. Press play, or grab the slider and scrub through the build yourself.
The Houle family built this rustic outdoor kitchen in their Texas backyard around a Mattone Barile. The fire brick barrel oven sits on a block stand, finished in bright orange stucco with plank wood doors on the oven and the base, next to a pergola-covered grill station on a wood deck. Here is how it came together, photo by photo.
Step 1 of 7
Laying Out the Block Stand
The build started on a red paver pad in a fenced Texas backyard, between the raised garden beds. Concrete block went down course by course to make the oven stand, with an open bay in the middle.
Step 2 of 7
Casting & Setting the Hearth Slab
The hearth slab was cast in wood forms right on the patio, then set on top of the block stand. Its top has a recessed center, so insulation can sit under the firebrick cooking surface. A small crew turned out to help along the way.
Step 3 of 7
Raising the Firebrick Barrel
Next came the fire brick barrel, laid course by course with the buff brick arch at the front and the chimney on top.
Step 4 of 7
Riding Out an Ice Storm, Then the First Fire
Then Texas weather showed up. A tarp went over the oven while ice bent the trees over the yard. Once the storm passed, the first fire went in, with the gray scratch coat on and the trees still coated in ice.
Step 5 of 7
Pergola, Wood Deck & Grill Station
This is where the rustic outdoor kitchen took shape. A wood deck went in beside the oven, with a pergola over it, a gas grill and plank wood cabinets with Z-brace doors. The oven got a matching plank wood door.
Step 6 of 7
Orange Stucco & a Painted Chef
The whole oven and base went bright orange. On the side of the base, a chef emblem was stenciled in white, then painted in, holding a pizza peel inside a circle.
Step 7 of 7
The Finished Rustic Outdoor Kitchen
Plank doors on the oven and base, plank cabinets, a wood deck and a pergola strung with lights. Orange stucco, raw wood and a grill station, all in one corner of the yard.
Hover over the dots (or tap them on your phone) to see what makes this rustic outdoor kitchen one of a kind.
- Chimney CapA stainless cap tops the orange stucco chimney.
- Buff Brick ArchFire brick frames the oven opening.
- Plank Wood Oven DoorA plank door with wood cleats closes the oven.
- Orange Stucco BarrelBright orange stucco over the fire brick barrel.
- Hearth LedgeThe stucco hearth ledge steps out past the base.
- Plank Door BelowA Z-brace plank door closes the bay under the oven.
- Painted ChefA chef with a pizza peel, painted on the side of the base.
- Wood DeckThe deck ties the oven to the grill station.
BeforeFinished
Drag across the photo (or just move your mouse) to go from the first course of block to the finished kitchen.
Plan Yours
Rustic Outdoor Kitchen Ideas From This Build
Repeat one wood detail everywhere. The same plank-and-Z-brace doors show up on the oven, the base and the cabinets, so the whole kitchen reads as one piece.
Pick an earthy, bold color. Bright orange stucco looks right at home next to raw wood and red pavers.
Put a pergola over the cook space. A timber pergola with string lights covers the grill and deck and frames the oven without boxing it in.
Sign it. A painted chef on the side of the base makes the oven unmistakably theirs. Want to compare sizes first? See all of our pizza oven kits.
Good Questions
Rustic Outdoor Kitchen FAQ
What makes an outdoor kitchen rustic?
Natural, hand-built materials. In the Houle family's rustic outdoor kitchen that means plank wood doors with Z-braces on the oven, the base and the cabinets, a wood deck, a timber pergola and an earthy orange stucco finish on the oven.
Which oven kit did the Houle family use?
Mattone Barile · Package 3. It is a fire brick barrel oven with a 17-inch interior ceiling.
Does the oven sit on the deck?
No. The oven sits on its own concrete block stand on a paver pad. The wood deck, pergola and grill station were built beside it.
How was the oven protected from the weather during the build?
With a tarp. A Texas ice storm hit partway through the build, so the family covered the oven until it passed, then lit the first fire with ice still on the trees.
How is this oven insulated?
Underneath, the hearth slab has a recessed center for insulation below the firebrick cooking surface. Over the top, our plans call for a ceramic fiber blanket on the fire brick barrel before the stucco shell goes on.
Do I need masonry experience to build one?
No. This is a textbook build: the family followed our FREE plans step by step, from the block stand and hearth slab to the fire brick barrel and stucco finish.
Your Turn
Build Your Own Rustic Outdoor Kitchen
The Houle family turned a paver pad in their Texas backyard into a rustic outdoor kitchen with an orange stucco oven at its heart. Every one starts with the same kit and plans. Start with our free plans and materials list, then finish it your way. Ready to start? See the Mattone Barile, or compare all of our pizza oven kits.
