We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
For years, the ideal outdoor setup consisted of a patio, a grill, and maybe a cooler within arm’s reach. These days, homeowners are thinking bigger. According to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study, outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly permanent, designed with as much care as their indoor counterparts. Of the homeowners surveyed who were working on a project, 95 percent were building their outdoor kitchen from scratch and more than two-thirds were incorporating plumbing, electrical, or heating systems. In other words, they’re mean to be fully functioning extensions of the home.
A spot to cook burgers and hot dogs is just the beginning. The top upgrades respondents plan to include: beverage fridges (62 percent), sinks (59 percent), faucets (49 percent) and TVs (38 percent). The shift reflects the way people want to spend time outside today—both Houzz and outdoor design service Yardzen report that highly customized backyards are on the rise. So while there’s no single perfect outdoor kitchen setup, we gathered a bunch of ideas to get you started.
Designate Zones With Statement Surfaces
Tile does more than cover surfaces in Kate Balsis’s backyard, it defines the entire outdoor experience. Each zone has a distinct pattern, from the striped bar to the colorful prep area below the flip-out kitchen window.
Hide Function Behind Beautiful Materials
During the early days of the pandemic, Annie Ritz outfitted this outdoor kitchen with everything needed to spend hours alfresco, including refrigerated drawers, an ice maker, dedicated towel storage, and a separate drinks sink. Forest green tile and warm Douglas fir drawer fronts soften the surrounding concrete patio, proving highly functional and inviting aren’t mutually exclusive.
Let Landscaping Lead
Lush tropical greenery, planted both in the ground and a series of pots along an open shelf, delivers exactly what homeowner Jenn D’Cunha envisioned for her Los Angeles space, designed by Roberto Sosa: the feeling of cooking in a jungle-like retreat.
Anchor the Space With an Island
Guests tend to gather wherever the cooking happens, so the sprawling peninsula next to the professional-grade grill in Bobby Berk’s outdoor entertaining space is the natural centerpiece of the yard. Grab a cocktail, pull up a stool, and stay awhile.
Prioritize Easy Upkeep
Low-maintenance was the goal for chef Nasim Alikhani’s NoHo outdoor area. A single durable material—ipe hardwood—makes up the deck, seating area, and kitchen prep zone.
Pair It With a Garden
For chef Sara Kramer, the outdoor kitchen was the heart of a larger vision for her Echo Park backyard. Working with landscape design studio Terremoto, she transformed the overgrown lot into a productive garden—fennel and apricots are plentiful—and open-air cooking hub, complete with a fire brick grill and custom oven.
Treat the Area Like One Big Room
A fully outfitted outdoor kitchen takes dining into consideration, too. At designer Sibella Court’s Sydney apartment, a slatted pergola and a hand-painted mural inspired by Milan’s 10 Corso Como set the tone for the patio, including its outdoor kitchen, being its own unique destination.
Open Up the View
A giant sliding glass window at Rachel “Rocky” Barnes and Matthew Cooper’s L.A. home not only improves the sightline to the pool but creates a seamless connection between the indoor kitchen and outdoor bar when lunch or dinner rolls around.