How to Build a Grilling Station

Come summer, Tony DiGangi of Wellesley, Mass., can invariably be found out on the deck, barbecuing steak and burgers for a crowd. "We entertain a lot, and our grill is the social hub," he says. So when This Old House asked readers to design their own Home Center Project, Tony let his inner grill master do the thinking. He came up with a great idea for a place to store his cooking tools and set his platters of food—a cart assembled from wood planters and metal-wrapped plywood—and won the right to build his creation with TOH general contractor Tom Silva. With a few tweaks—hooks, hinges, and wheels—Tom turned Tony's idea into barbecue brilliance. The pair built the handsome deck accessory for about $150, so now DiGangi can set aside the cooking clutter and put the emphasis back on the steaks. "I'm always trying to get the grill marks just right," he confesses.