The Alfresco Kitchen Has Finally Come Into Its Own This Season

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Sign Up for Domino's Newsletter

By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to ourTerms of Useand acknowledge the data practices in ourPrivacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

For the longest time, a respectable outdoor cooking setup meant a grill, a patio, and maybe a cooler within arm's length. Today's homeowners are thinking on a far grander scale. According to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study, outdoor kitchens are evolving into permanent installations, planned with the same rigor as their interior counterparts. Among surveyed homeowners undertaking a project, 95 percent were constructing their outdoor kitchen from the ground up, and more than two-thirds integrated plumbing, electrical, or heating systems. The message is clear: these are fully realized extensions of the home, not seasonal afterthoughts.

A place to char burgers is merely the baseline. The most sought-after upgrades include beverage refrigerators (62 percent), prep sinks (59 percent), dedicated faucets (49 percent), and even outdoor televisions (38 percent). The shift mirrors a broader appetite for time spent outdoors—both Houzz and landscape design platform Yardzen report that highly personalized backyard environments are surging in demand. So while no single formula defines the ideal outdoor kitchen, we've assembled a spectrum of ideas to spark your vision.

In Kate Balsis's backyard, tile does far more than clad surfaces—it establishes the entire spatial narrative. Each functional zone carries its own distinctive pattern, from the striped bar elevation to the vibrant tile backsplash beneath the pass-through kitchen window.

During the early pandemic months, Annie Ritz equipped this outdoor kitchen with every amenity needed for extended alfresco living: refrigerated drawers, an ice maker, dedicated towel storage, and a separate beverage sink. Forest green ceramic tile and warm Douglas fir drawer fronts soften the surrounding concrete terrace, proving that high function and warmth need not be at odds.

Lush tropical foliage—planted both in-ground and in a row of containers along an open shelf—delivers exactly what homeowner Jenn D'Cunha envisioned for her Los Angeles outdoor space, designed by Roberto Sosa: the sensation of cooking inside a verdant jungle retreat.

Guests naturally gravitate toward wherever the cooking unfolds, so the generous peninsula beside the professional-grade grill in Bobby Berk's outdoor entertaining area serves as the yard's unmistakable focal point. Mix a drink, settle onto a stool, and linger.

Effortless maintenance drove the design of chef Nasim Alikhani's NoHo outdoor space. A single resilient material—ipe hardwood—unifies the deck, lounge seating, and kitchen prep zone into one cohesive surface.

For chef Sara Kramer, the outdoor kitchen anchored a larger vision for her Echo Park backyard. Collaborating with landscape studio Terremoto, she converted an overgrown lot into a thriving kitchen garden—fennel and apricots flourish—and an open-air cooking center, complete with a fire brick grill and custom-built oven.

A fully equipped outdoor kitchen considers dining as part of the equation. At designer Sibella Court's Sydney apartment, a slatted timber pergola and a hand-painted mural drawing inspiration from Milan's 10 Corso Como establish the patio—including its outdoor kitchen—as a destination with its own distinct identity.

An expansive sliding glass window at Rachel "Rocky" Barnes and Matthew Cooper's L.A. residence does more than frame the pool—it creates a fluid threshold between the indoor kitchen and outdoor bar, making mealtime transitions effortless.

Learn more about Domino.comEditorial Standards