If you have a massive backyard behind your house then you almost owe it to yourself to create something special with it. Where one person might see a grassy lot, another person could see a true relaxation oasis. For one Southern inspired homeowner their yard was destined to become an entertaining hotspot. Let’s see how one man used his own DIY skills to turn his yard into an outdoor movie theater with a fully functioning kitchen!
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40. Outdoor Relaxation Done Right
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It was March of 2014 when a man and his wife looked out at their backyard and decided that it needed to be spruced up. They didn’t want a pool or a new deck — nothing cheesy or cliché. Instead they decided to use their own DIY skills to create an outdoor entertainment area.
39. Fully Functioning Kitchen
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Believe it or not outdoor kitchens are a huge draw for homeowners in certain parts of the country. They can be wildly expensive to install, however, so being able to do it yourself can be a lifesaver.
38. View from the Back
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Here’s a view from the back of the entertainment area. You can see the gas line, the grill, the suspended theater and even a park bench to eat at.
37. View from the Front
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And here is a wide view of the entertainment area. Doesn’t this look like a professional and relaxing place to spend some time? We know it does. So, let’s show you how this handy couple created it all from scratch!
36. It Began with a Home
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This DIY couple purchased their home in 2003 and they noticed right away that their yard was huge . Immediately their minds began racing for ideas as to how to fill it up. The husband wanted something more than just a deck or a nice grill.
35. Construction Begins
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As you could see in our very first images they decided to create an outdoor entertainment area. This means that they were going to have to pipe power out to the area. This involved digging a deep trench.
34. Through the Clay
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In order to get through the hard clay they had to utilize a soaker hose to make it workable. They would hose a section, dig into it, and repeat until the path was made.

33. Let There be Light
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Running electrical systems by yourself can be a challenge. Fortunately this system was easy to install for the husband. He ran conduit down tot he base and followed suit with the appropriate wires.
32. Light Posts
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The couple had to drive over 140 miles in total to get four of these matching steel lamps. They could have gotten lazy and gone with something cheaper or less intricate but that’s not the DIY style.
31. Area is Framed
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Here we have the rough outline of the entertainment area. We can see our light posts, a small fire pit, and the outline of a fence that will be installed at a later point.
30. Lovely View
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With the power running and the posts erected the entertainment area is already coming along nicely.
29. Fencing Begins
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28. Movie Screen Rafters
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One of their goals early on had been to build a frame to suspend a projector for outdoor movies. Here we see the rafters for said frame coming to fruition. Remember: all of this was done by hand, without any help.
27. Frame and Roof
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This is the structure that will eventually house their movie screen. Notice the cement circles in the ground — creating a strong support system is integral in the DIY building world.
26. Cement Bases
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In order to get these perfect cement bases they actually would use a bucket filled with cement. This may cost more in materials but the outcome is perfect.
25. Angled Supports
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You typically are going to have a hard time finding angled support bases. Once again the DIY spirit reigns supreme.
24. Support in Action
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Here we can see that the DIY angled supports function perfectly. They are affixed to the cement base and construction can continue away from the beams.
23. Perfect Roof
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With a couple of ladders and a lot of elbow grease the roof is put in place. The roof has been flashed, trimmed down, and papered with tar. It’s all looking good.
22. View from Below
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With a few more bracing elements installed the entire structure is solid as a rock. This thing isn’t going anywhere.
21. Let there be Sound
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With power already installed it is a breeze to implement some nice, high quality speakers. We can also see that the project screen has been installed.
20. The First Movie
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The kids enjoy watching the film “Frozen” on their new outdoor movie screen. This probably wasn’t the husband’s first choice.
19. Time for the Kitchen
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With the movie theater out of the way it is time to focus back onto the kitchen. Here we see the frame of the kitchen coming together. Our DIY leader ran conduit and water piping straight to the new construction.
18. Cement is Poured
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A little bit of cement goes a long way in this slowly evolving kitchen.
17. Crafting the Frame
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Finally a nice and sunny day! The frame is coming together smoothly thanks to plenty of pre-planning and sketching.
16. Here’s the Bar
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You can’t have a kitchen without a bar, right? This bar will soon house plenty of neat features.
15. Utilities
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There is a lot going on in this picture. We’ve got power, water, and WiFi all running from this spot. Can you say, ‘Outdoor Netflix’?
14. Wide View of the Bar
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Here’s your final look inside of the bar before it starts getting filled in.
13. BBQ at the Ready
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Any outdoor kitchen worth its weight in food is going to have a nice grill.

12. Front Door
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What could be behind this door? We’ll give you a hint: you had better be thirsty.
11. Igloo Refrigerator
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It’s hard to find an affordable mini fridge that is actually worth the money. Scrounging around on Craigslist or in a junk yard can lead you to a deal like this.
10. Protective Roof
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You don’t want to be out cooking in the rain or sun. Our builder opts to go with a slanted roof that matches the style and tone of the movie theater.
9. More Light
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Lights are installed in strategic spots for the kitchen. During the hotter months he might also want to consider throwing up some anti mosquito tiki torches.
8. Running the Gas
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Working with gas and electricity can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Here he installed a splitter so that he could run metal gas piping down to the entertainment area.
7. Trenching
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If there’s one thing you should take away from this project it is this: there will be plenty of digging, no matter what you end up building.
6. Underground Line
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This is the underground portion of the gas line. This will be filled in and properly marked for safety.
5. Recycled Siding
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In order to get cheap siding for the kitchen he opted to take fence boards and cut them in half. Later on the bottom section was trimmed until even.
4. Kitchen Tile
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They decided to pick up some sturdy outdoor tiling for longevity’s sake. It’s better to spend extra money now than pay for it later.
3. Sleek and Stylish
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With the tile installed and the area cleaned up this is starting to look like a quality kitchen. They even have a sink!
2. Almost Done
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To the right of the refrigerator they decided to create a panel in order to easily access the utilities. Don’t skimp out on this step!
1. Glorious
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Custom cabinets finish off the kitchen and the whole place is ready to rock and roll. We personally can’t imagine a better place to take in some ribs and watch the football game. Or Frozen , depending on the crowd.[/size]