This Southern Highlands project (89141, off Southern Highlands Parkway near St. Rose) is one we love showing off — not just because of how it finished, but because we photographed it from the steel studs up. If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually inside a custom outdoor kitchen, this is the post.

Starting With Steel

Every Sun West island starts as a steel-stud frame, squared and anchored before a single tile goes on. Steel doesn’t warp, burn, or feed termites — in the Mojave heat, it’s the only framing we trust for a structure holding hundreds of pounds of counter and appliances. Here’s this kitchen’s skeleton, including the media wall going up:

Then the surfaces: cement board, scratch coat, and an Omega AkroFlex stucco finish on the media wall — the same system used on the house itself, so the wall reads as original architecture rather than an afterthought.

The Finished Kitchen

  • Quartzite countertop — natural stone with marble looks and granite toughness
  • Porcelain tile finish on the island body
  • TV media wall with flush-mount TV — recessed into the wall for protection from weather and a clean, built-in look. It doubles as a privacy wall for the patio, and yes: game day happens out here now.
  • Big Green Egg smoker, set into its own quartzite-framed nook
  • Lion Premium 32″ grill, Lion fridge, and Lion door/drawer combo

The Big Green Egg nook is our favorite detail on this build. Kamado smokers usually end up on a cart beside the island; framing it into the structure keeps it at working height, protected, and honestly — it looks like furniture. If you’re into smoking, our guide to smoking meats covers what an Egg can do.

What a Build Like This Costs

An outdoor kitchen with a media wall at this level runs $15,000–$22,000 depending on equipment and finishes. The media wall is a bigger cost factor than most people expect — it’s a framed, stuccoed structure in its own right — but it’s also the feature owners tell us they use most. Full pricing breakdown in our Las Vegas cost guide.

We accept all major credit cards, and 100% financing is available — see financing options.

Building in Southern Highlands

Southern Highlands is one of the southwest valley’s premier master-planned communities, and its design standards are among the more detailed we work with — we prepare complete design drawings for your HOA submittal, start to finish. This build is one of many we’ve completed across the Las Vegas area; browse our custom outdoor kitchens to see the range.

Want the Full Tour of Your Own?

Since 1998, Sun West has completed over 1,000 outdoor living projects across Southern Nevada — every one framed in steel, finished for the desert, and designed around how you actually cook. Get your free quote or call (702) 201-7724.