Cary, NC · 2024
The Preston Kitchen
Luxury outdoor kitchen with pizza oven & premium finishes
The Story
The Preston homeowners are serious entertainers who wanted the ultimate outdoor kitchen — a wood-fired pizza oven, built-in smoker, professional-grade grill, and a full prep station with refrigeration. No expense spared, every detail custom.
The Challenge
A wood-fired pizza oven generates extreme heat — up to 900°F at the dome. Integrating it into a kitchen island with a granite countertop, refrigerator, and gas grill within inches required careful thermal management.
Our Solution
We built the pizza oven on its own insulated masonry base within the island, with calcium silicate board separating it from adjacent appliances. A dedicated stainless steel chimney vents above the pergola, and the countertop around the oven uses heat-resistant soapstone instead of granite.
10 weeks
Build Time
22×8 ft
Kitchen Size
Pizza Oven + Grill + Smoker
Features
680 sq ft
Total Area
Construction Timeline
From ground to glory.
Site Assessment
A spacious backyard patio area adjacent to the home's great room. The homeowners wanted to bring their love of cooking outdoors with professional-grade equipment.
Foundation & Utilities
Reinforced concrete pad poured for the heavy pizza oven. Gas, water, electrical, and chimney chase roughed in. The oven base alone weighs 1,200 lbs.
Pizza Oven & Island Framing
Wood-fired pizza oven assembled on its insulated base. Island walls built around it with calcium silicate thermal barriers separating the oven from adjacent bays.
Stone & Countertops
Stacked stone veneer applied to the island. Soapstone around the oven (heat-resistant) and leathered granite on the prep and grill sections.
Appliance Installation
Professional grill, built-in smoker, outdoor refrigerator, ice maker, and sink installed. The pizza oven chimney extended through the pergola with a spark arrestor.
Pergola & Finishing
Cedar pergola with stainless steel chimney pass-through. Pendant lights, ceiling fan, and the first firing of the pizza oven — curing the dome over three days.
Final Reveal
Pizza oven roaring, smoker going low and slow, grill searing steaks. The Preston Kitchen is the most capable outdoor kitchen we've ever built.
The Transformation
Before & After
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