Long time lurker here and because I'm not the best of cooks (nor do I really like to cook all that much) I rarely post. But wanted to make another suggestion for your lovely pergola and am surprised no one has mentioned it already (that I've seen anyway). Have you considered curtains? That was my thought when you first posted. It looks like you would only need them on two sides. They can be opened and closed and really do give the space more of a 'room' feel, if that makes sense. We live just south of Sacramento and the back of our home faces West. The summer sun is brutal here (we're usually 5-7 degrees hotter than Sacramento) and even the awning over that part of the back patio, which leads into our family room, doesn't help at all. We have a really nice set of patio furniture (love seat, chairs, etc.) that we couldn't enjoy in the afternoons during the hot months, which is my favorite time of the year. I got this bright idea to hang curtains years ago and love it. I priced outdoor curtains and sail cloth and due to a very limited budget decided to just get some cheap curtains from WalMart that matched the main color of the seating cushions. The sun has faded them on one side but I don't care cuz I don't see it unless I'm out in one of the gardens. I don't think this would work for you due to the wide spaces but I actually have bathroom tension rods holding the curtains up. I spray painted them the color of the curtains and you can't see them. But I know that there's wire thingies and contraptions that can be used but I've only seen those in pictures. I'm sure others can give you suggestions for that. During the afternoon I close up the curtains and once the sun is off that area, which is usually early evening, I open them up again by tieing them to the posts. I have tons of potted plants throughout that area (ornamental bananas, elephant ears, cannas, spider plants, a couple small palms , and brugmansias, as well as a small water fountain. I took some cheap round plastic side tables and spray painted them red for drinks or whatevers. The coffee table out there rarely gets used for anything other than holding plants. I also have solar lights stuck in alot of the pots which provides alot of ambiance at night. Not bright enough to comfortably read by, but then I don't read at night out there. On the other hand, I have alot of them out there as well as in my garden (my husband says our back yard probably looks like a landing strip from the sky at night). I absolutely love that area. When it's really hot, like it's going to be in a couple days, I spray down the curtains and the rug (a cheapie $19 rug from WM) and it also helps to drop the temp in my little outside 'room'. I can't tell you how much time I spend out there, even during extreme heat. When the cold weather arrives I take the curtains down, dust off the rods and wash the curtains and put them away until the following Spring. Hope this had given you some other options to think about. I know you're going to love spending time out there. Jenna

Hi, Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions the Corian fabrication site is really great. We are definately going to give this a try. We had heart failure when we got the labor bill for fabricating the countertops $50 for every corner and some outrageous price per foot for the ogee edging.We were too naive. We are just going to cut rectangle door fronts from the remaining material and soften the edges. From the Corian site it looks like the subsurface may need to be cement board which is available but will really be heavy for a door. It doesn't get any better than living on St John. We have been in the house for a year the kitchen is very useable but needs lots of finishing. The backsplash the mantel the dumb waiter and some built ins are holding eveything up. Electricans are $100 plus per hour and we have lot's of electric to finish. Hopefully I can learn to post pictures by the time it is done I am technically challenged.

If you can commit to regular sealing (ask your contractor for the recommended interval) you'll be fine. If you don't seal, you're going to have a bad day. But the same can be said for a lot of the stone counters that people use for outdoor kitchens as well

An alternative to powder coating- or at least places that specialize in powder coating stuff like furniture. Check around the auto body places to see if they have a booth and are willing to shoot the chairs. They shoot things like engine blocks and use paint that can stand up to engine compartments and exterior weather conditions. Some of those shops are sometimes willing to paint other stuff like grills or cast iron furniture.