Architectural Designer Laurie Haefele Conjures Up Sleek Outdoor Spaces That Mesmerize

How does the queen of bespoke approach outdoor spaces? Haefele Design specializes in architectural hard surface design-- think kitchens, closets, bathrooms, offices or any room with cabinetry. In the outdoor arena, Haefele's bespoke magic produces sleek, sophisticated kitchens that are highly-functional and indestructible. Her go-to grill manufacturers are Calibur and Kalamazoo. Haefele states, “I love to work with Caliber because they allow me to customize. But for anyone who is a real cooking expert where bbq is their thing, Kalamazoo is the top of the line." 

Haefele knows what she wants for her clients and how to make it happen. Besides developing her own cabinet systems, she is customizing other manufacturer’s products to change the face of outdoor design. Here are a couple of recent projects from Haefele Design for inspiration. 

The Bachelor

This all black outdoor kitchen for a bachelor pad is the epitome of clean, sophisticated design. It begins with a black Rockwell by Caliber barbecue as a focal point, incorporating a lid with custom gloss black porcelain coating and a custom square black handle to match.

The sink is black stone to match the black granite waterfall countertop, topped off with a black MGS telescoping faucet. The space also features two refrigerators, ice maker and a dishwasher which are seamlessly incorporated into the design.

Cabinetry construction is Haefele’s own custom process incorporating the use of unconventional high gloss solid acrylic doors, solid plastic carcass boxes and special non-rusting hardware. This kitchen is completely indestructible to weather and rough use. 

At night, lights glow in the knee space as well as washing the textured, grey backdrop of a wall.

Beach Bespoke

Haefele’s design ingenuity delivered a big win for these Malibu beach clients who wanted to bbq overlooking the ocean but also use the space in other ways when not cooking. Her solution was to adapt the already highly customizable Rockwell by Calibur Social Grill to include a secondary alternating cover that would lay flat. 

The Rockwell by Calibur Social Grill is designed so that the lid rotates all the way around to disappear into the surface. When in this position, Haefele had Calibur add the custom cover that would drop down to create a flat surface space as seen below. She also upgraded to a 316 grade stainless steel so it will not rust near the ocean. Also included are two heat buffering storage compartments on each side of the grilling unit’s base.

On another balcony of this same home in Malibu, Haefele Design opted for a more traditional grilling environment with another Caliber grill.

Want more? Check out Laurie's Top 10 Tips for Designing Outdoor Spaces

Architectural Designer, Laurie Haefele of Haefele Design