A Lowcountry Food Lover Builds the Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

One Sunday this past summer, the Charleston, South Carolina, real estate investor Terri Henning gathered families from the city’s food scene—James and Yoyo London, of Chubby Fish; Jesse Sandole and his fiancée, Dani Young, of 167 Raw—and a handful of other friends for an afternoon get-together. Crafting a memorable menu and guest list to entertain isn’t unusual for Henning, whose patronage of and rapport with chefs spans decades. Only this time the setting wasn’t her pied-à-terre atop the People’s Building downtown, but her new oasis of an outdoor kitchen on nearby James Island, a spot that seems to float over the surrounding marsh.

When planning her home’s structure with Steven Harris and Peter McInish, of Steven Harris Architects, and its landscape and interior design with David Kelly and Lucien Rees Roberts, of Rees Roberts and Partners, “I wanted one-story living, on the ground, facing water, glass across the back, modern decor, a swimming pool, and two dogs,” she says, partly to showcase the stunning view.

Photo: Blake Shorter

Henning relaxes with a glass of orange wine against a live oak.

Listening to the landscape extended to the alfresco entertaining directive; rather than follow the conventional formula of a connecting pergola plus grill and smoker, the screened outdoor kitchen lies beneath Henning’s living area, closer to the marsh “where shade would be possible,” she says, allowing easy access to the lawn, swimming pool, and bocce court. To stand up to the salt air, McInish specified a special grade of stainless steel (an alloy called 316) for the Lynx grill, as well as a tabby floor, hardworking soapstone, and a spirit of minimalism with “as little as possible to snag the eye.” Even the willowy Minka-Aire ceiling fans seem to recess from view, while delivering a heavenly breeze.

After an afternoon of swimming (dogs included), Henning convened her guests for cocktails in the kitchen. “It’s one of my favorite memories,” she recalls. “As the sun was setting, we sat down at the long table, ate delicious food, and laughed until our bellies hurt.”

• Sleek Sink

A pull-down Minta faucet by Grohe allows for easy food prep and cleanup and blends seamlessly with the rest of the space (starting at $615; grohe.us).

• Counter Culture

Inspired by Danish designer Jens Risom’s classic 1943 collection of chairs and tables for Knoll, these teak barstools, outfitted with Sunbrella webbing, will weather beautifully to silver over time ($1,852 each; knoll.com).

• Nice Ice

No need to haul down a cooler of cubes for shaking up cocktails—this fifteen-inch outdoor ice maker by SubZero, hidden here behind custom cabinetry, can churn out up to fifty pounds a day ($4,950; subzero-wolf.com).

• Hot Pick

McInish chose a built-in Alfresco Pizza Oven Plus as a workhorse for baking, searing, roasting, and firing quick pies—its gas-fired log preheats in fifteen minutes ($8,099; alfrescogrills.com).