Belgard® Hardscapes Outdoor Kitchen of the Year Added New Dimension to Annual House Beautiful Showcase

As the doors close on the annual House Beautiful "Kitchen of the Year," displayed in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza this summer and showcased in the October issue of House Beautiful, participants attribute much of the success of this year's project to the first-ever outdoor components: an outdoor kitchen, dining, and living room provided by Belgard® Hardscapes.

"What sets the 2011 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year apart from previous years was our incredible outdoor space," said Kate Kelly Smith, Senior Vice President and Publisher, House Beautiful. "Working with Belgard, Tyler Florence and his designer Lori Yeomans took the idea of stylish outdoor living and entertaining to new heights. The stone kitchen with its wood burning oven and outdoor fireplace, set among nearly 2,000 sq. feet of patios and planters, were among the most talked about elements. This is the outdoor space people around the country dream of, and now they know how to achieve it with Belgard's wonderful selections."

Florence, a renowned chef, Food Network host, and best-selling author, brought his rustic Northern California style to the design of the 2011 Kitchen of the Year, with an emphasis on entertaining. "We wanted to create a kitchen space where you could interact and entertain at the same time," said Florence, regarding the addition of an outdoor kitchen. "If you invite people over for dinner, and they're outside enjoying the sunset and a glass of wine, but you're stuck in the kitchen, how much fun is that? Why not take the kitchen outside as well?"

The result was the addition of a fully functioning custom u-shaped outdoor kitchen complete with a Medium Rare charcoal grill, KitchenAid outdoor refrigerator and icemaker, Grotthouse butcher-block, and a Kohler sink-all centered around the focal point, a wood-burning Chicago Brick Oven, which was used for a number of events and cooking demonstrations. "The brick oven cooks at a very high temperature and is great for fish, pizza, anything. The smell is sensational, and the taste is sensational," says Florence.

The structure of the outdoor kitchen was created using the Belgard Elements line of modular outdoor kitchen and living room components. These modular components are built in a factory setting using Belgard Hardscapes pavers and wall products as the building materials and shipped on a pallet to be quickly installed onsite using a bobcat. "The brick oven can be delivered and setup on your property in less than two hours," said Lou Mangiaracina of Belgard. "It's a lot of fun, and it really draws people to your home and backyard."

Throughout the July 18-22 Kitchen of the Year showcase event, the outdoor kitchen was used for sampling and cooking demonstrations. After the event week ended, the Kitchen of the Year, located in the center of Rockefeller Plaza, became Bar 30 and continued serving snacks and cocktails to thousands of daily visitors through the end of September. For an exclusive behind the scenes look at the 2011 Kitchen of the Year, visit www.belgard.biz.

About Belgard Hardscapes
Since 1995, Oldcastle® has set the standard for innovative outdoor hardscapes with the Belgard® collection of paver and wall products. Offering a versatile range of styles - in antiqued, classic, and natural textures - premium Belgard products are found in America's finest homes and dream homes. When quality matters - Choose Belgard. 1-877-Belgard (235-4273). Belgard is a brand owned by Oldcastle Architectural, a U.S. subsidiary of CRH plc. Additional information and product offerings can be viewed online at www.belgard.biz.