For Summer: Homes With Spectacular Outdoor Kitchens

Every survey and trend forecaster tells us that Americans want to get outside. We want homes with outdoor activity, playing, living, relaxing and cooking spaces, and we want those area to be easily accessible and easy to use. It stands to reason that, of the homes for sale right now, the most desirable ones have generous outdoor spaces where we can work and live. Here are a few with outdoor kitchens and bar-be-que areas that go far beyond a picnic table and a grill.

Consider this home, for sale for $15,088,000 on two gated acres in Alpine, New Jersey with seven bedrooms, eight full baths and two powder rooms. Its outdoor amenities include a pool, cabana, sports court, bocce court and outdoor living areas with an oversized BBQ. Beside the outdoor kitchen is a comfortable and well-appointed seating area focused around a large fireplace with a TV screen above it.

A grand stone house overlooking the Tennessee River located in Chattanooga, Tennessee is for sale for $9,000,000. The builders made the most of its location by situating the house for optimum views of the river and surrounding mountains; to make the property even more appealing, there are approximately 676 feet of river frontage. The sellers have made new upgrades and improvements, including a brand new boat dock with a boat and jet ski included in the purchase price. The perfect place to start and end the day is in the covered cooking porch/outdoor kitchen. Along with the magnificent views, it includes a martini bar with blender sink and cooler drawer, multiple grills, stock pot deep fryer, fireplace, outdoor television and surround sound for every comfort. 

The house itself has seven bedrooms, eight full baths and two powder rooms in a traditional, French Chateau-styled structure overlooking formal gardens. Located on over 26 acres, it offers tranquility and privacy while just minutes from the center of this flourishing, innovative southern city.

The premier East Coast place to be outdoors is, of course, in the Hamptons. In Bridgehampton, this estate is for sale for $28,500,000. With 12,000 square feet of living space spread over three floors, it represents an expansion and complete rebuild of the 1902 ‘Cottage’ for which Quimby Lane was named. 

Its entertaining pavilion, located next to the tennis courts, has a fully-equipped kitchen, dining room, fireplace and seating area, all under a roof that’s got built-in lighting.

For $8,500,000 you can purchase this four-bedroom, 5,900 square foot house on 15.89 acres in Glen Allen, in California’s wine country. From its hilltop Sonoma Valley location, the contemporary house looks down onto the swimming pool, lounging area, firepit and outdoor kitchen. 

The main residence of approximately five thousand square feet includes three en-suite bedrooms and two half baths. An elegant second home has a private deck, 200-year-old Italian terra cotta tiled flooring, a bedroom and full bath with a Kallista freestanding soaking tub and hand shower, a kitchen with custom knotty alder cabinetry, a five-burner gas range, a laundry area and a two-car garage.

The Valley of the Moon vistas are from one of two view patios; the pool they overlook is saltwater. The outdoor kitchen has a grill, sink, refrigerator and hot and cold water. French hammered limestone pavers adorn the pool surround and upper deck. Smart home features include WIFI enabled exterior light switches.

If you yearn for the desert Southwest, consider this home for sale in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Offered for $3,800,000, the 4,380 square foot house has five bedrooms, five full baths and one powder room. On a .75 acre walled lot, the main house and guesthouse honor Santa Fe’s architecture with their exteriors, but dazzle with modern interiors.

Adjacent to the indoor kitchen, the outdoor cooking area includes a gas grill with a high-BTU burner and a gas pizza oven. The rear portal has a bar and fireplace. Outside the primary bedroom is a flagstone courtyard, outdoor shower, and hot tub, because there are many ways to enjoy life outdoors.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.