You spent twenty minutes on the configurator. You picked a model, dropped in a grill, maybe tested where a sink might sit, and now you have a rendering that looks close to what is in your head. Then you are asked to schedule a design consultation before anything moves forward, and it is a fair question to ask why. What is left to talk about?
Why the online configurator is worth starting with
The configurator is not a placeholder step. It is a genuinely useful tool that lets you see a real layout, in real dimensions, before you ever talk to a person. You can compare the Morris 77 inch against the Wando 119 inch, test where a sink might sit and get a sense of scale against your own patio or pool deck.
For a lot of homeowners, that first pass is close. The configurator is built around the same engineered layouts Stono actually fabricates, so what you see is not a fantasy render disconnected from reality. It is grounded in real materials and real dimensions from the start.
What the configurator cannot do is stand in your backyard. It does not know that your gas line comes up four feet from where you placed the grill, or that the space you picked has four feet of usable depth instead of the six the tool assumed. It gives you a strong first draft. A design consultation is where that draft gets tested against the space it actually has to live in.
What a design consultation catches that a configurator cannot
Every engineered outdoor kitchen Stono builds, whether it is one of the named models or a custom-configured layout, goes through the same core process: proposal, then design consultation, then line drawings once the layout is locked. That sequence exists because a handful of details only surface once someone with real experience looks at your specific space.
A design consultation typically catches three categories of issues. First, fit: whether the footprint you chose in the configurator actually clears the walkway, the pool coping or the downspout you forgot was there. Second, function: whether the appliance layout you picked actually supports how you cook, serve and move around the space when you are hosting six people instead of two. Third, sequencing: what needs to happen on your end, gas line placement, electrical, a finished mounting surface, before your kitchen can arrive and connect.
Most homeowners refine at least one element of their original kitchen layout during a Stono design consultation, often improving appliance placement, storage, workflow or fit within the available space.
The configurator is not wrong here. It is doing its job: giving you a starting point that a design consultation refines.
Three configurator details homeowners almost always adjust
Across design consultations, a handful of adjustments come up again and again. None of these are dramatic redesigns. They are the kind of small corrections that separate a layout that looks right on screen from one that works every time you host.
Appliance spacing. Homeowners often place a side burner or a sink right next to the grill because that is how it looks cleanest in the configurator. In practice, most cooks want a few extra inches of counter space directly next to the grill for a cutting board or a tray. A design consultation is where that spacing gets adjusted before it is locked into a layout.
Backyard fit. The configurator assumes a clean, open footprint. Real backyards have pool equipment pads, HVAC units, downspouts and grade changes that are not visible in an online tool. A design consultation walks through your actual space, sometimes over video, and flags anything that would affect where the kitchen can go.
Traffic flow. People tend to design for the kitchen they picture themselves cooking in, not the one their guests will actually stand around. A design consultation asks the second question: where does everyone gather when you are hosting, and does the layout leave room for that.
Seating and overhang. The configurator shows a countertop, but it does not always make clear how much overhang you actually get for seating on the far side. Homeowners frequently ask for more overhang once they picture stools or chairs pulled up to the island, and that adjustment is easiest to make before line drawings are finalized, not after.
One homeowner initially configured an L-shaped kitchen because it seemed like the best way to maximize storage. During the design consultation, the team realized a straight layout would better fit the patio, improve traffic flow, reduce installation complexity and avoid several thousand dollars in unnecessary cabinetry. The finished kitchen delivered the same cooking functionality while creating a more open gathering space, reinforcing that the best layout isn't always the first one selected in the configurator.
What actually happens on a Stono design consultation call
A Stono design consultation is a video call with a member of the design team, and it usually runs less time than people expect. You walk through your configurator selections together, and your consultant asks about how you actually plan to use the space: how often you host, whether you grill more than you smoke or sear and what your must-have appliances are versus the ones you added because they looked good.
Your consultant will also ask about your backyard directly: dimensions, any slope, where your gas and electrical lines currently run and what the mounting surface will be. This is also where material questions get answered in detail, including why Stono builds every kitchen from marine-grade 3003 aluminum with architectural-grade powder coating rather than raw or painted aluminum, and how the 316 stainless steel hardware and 304 stainless steel drawer slides and hinges hold up in coastal air over time.
By the end of the call, you and your consultant will have either confirmed your configurator layout as-is or agreed on specific changes. From there, Stono prepares line drawings that reflect the final, confirmed layout before your kitchen goes into production.
Why the consultation matters as much for durability as for layout
Most homeowners researching outdoor kitchens have already run into the same worry: will this actually hold up outside, year after year, without rusting or warping? That question does not go away just because you found a layout you like in the configurator, and it is one of the most common threads in real Stono design consultations.
A design consultation is where that concern gets a direct answer instead of a marketing claim. Your consultant will walk through why Stono builds every kitchen, across all of its engineered models, from marine-grade 3003 aluminum with an architectural-grade powder coating backed by a 7-year warranty, rather than the raw or lightly coated aluminum used in some lower-tier kits. They will also cover why the hardware matters as much as the frame: 316 stainless steel door pulls and handles resist pitting near salt air, and 304 stainless steel drawer slides and hinges keep moving parts working smoothly long after installation.
This conversation matters more for homeowners near the coast, where humidity and salt exposure accelerate wear on anything built from the wrong materials. If your backyard sits within a few miles of open water, your consultant will factor that into the recommendation, and it is one more reason the configurator alone cannot close the loop. A rendering cannot tell you how a material performs in your climate. A conversation with someone who has fielded that exact question hundreds of times can.
How a confirmed layout becomes a finished engineered outdoor kitchen
Once your design consultation is complete and your line drawings are approved, your kitchen enters fabrication built to that exact layout, not pulled together from generic parts after the fact. Every section, whether it is the compact Morris 77 inch or the full Cooper 140 inch, is fabricated as a complete unit and ships ready to connect on site, with countertops already placed on their sections so there is no separate countertop step once the kitchen arrives.
This is the part of the process the configurator was never meant to handle, and it is also the part that benefits most from a real conversation. A layout that looks correct on a screen still has to survive shipping, a real mounting surface, and years of coastal weather. That is what the design consultation exists to protect.
So is a design consultation worth it after using the configurator
Only you can decide how much value a second set of eyes adds to your project, but the pattern is consistent: homeowners who go through both steps end up with a layout that fits their backyard and how they actually cook, not just how the configurator rendered it. The configurator gets you most of the way there. The design consultation is what makes sure the rest of the way is right.
If your configurator layout already feels close, a design consultation is not a step backward. It is the point where an engineered outdoor kitchen stops being a rendering and starts being a plan built for your exact space.
If you are in the planning phase for an outdoor kitchen, we will walk through your specific space, appliance list and layout goals in a video consultation before you commit to anything.
Schedule a design consultation at stonooutdoor.com. Our team will walk through your space, your vision and your budget on a video call.
Ready to turn your configurator layout into a confirmed design?
Schedule a Design ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use the online configurator before scheduling a design consultation?
No. The configurator is a helpful starting point, but you can schedule a Stono design consultation with nothing more than a rough idea of your space and budget. Your consultant will help build the layout with you on the call.
What does a Stono design consultation cover that the configurator does not?
A design consultation checks your configurator layout against your actual backyard, including dimensions, grade, existing gas and electrical lines and your specific appliance and hosting needs, none of which the configurator has visibility into on its own.
Can I request changes after the design consultation is complete?
Yes. Line drawings are prepared after the design consultation confirms your layout, and you review those before your kitchen enters fabrication, giving you a final checkpoint before production begins.
How does Stono handle backyards with irregular shapes or slopes?
Your design consultant will ask about your yard's dimensions and grade directly and will flag anything that affects placement, since Stono's engineered models and custom-configured layouts all need to be positioned on a finished, load-bearing surface.
Will my configurator selections carry over into my final line drawings?
In most cases yes. Your configurator selections form the starting layout for the design consultation, and whatever is confirmed or adjusted during that call is what appears in your final line drawings.
What materials does every Stono engineered outdoor kitchen use?
Every Stono outdoor kitchen is fabricated from marine-grade 3003 aluminum with architectural-grade powder coating, backed by a 7-year warranty, with 316 stainless steel door pulls and handles and 304 stainless steel drawer slides and hinges.