Grill work // Upscale outdoor kitchens add value, living space to home

Diane White McNaughton, for At Home The Patriot-News

Russ and Christy DiGilio live in the upscale West Shore community of Pinehurst, but their sun-soaked backyard oasis makes it feel more like a five-star resort on Paradise Island.

Their glistening pool, manicured lawn, stone walkways, and sleek outdoor kitchen allow their five children and many summer-loving soulmates to dine in style. There's no need to shell out airfare to the Caribbean or even venture into the air-conditioned darkness of their own home.

In this Hampden Twp. location and at their former home in the nearby community of Kingswood, the DiGilio's added the latest design trend to their home -- an outdoor kitchen. It allows them to eat and entertain in the comfort and convenience of their backyard.

Their newest outdoor kitchen includes a stainless steel grill with rotisserie, a refrigerator, a bar with rich slate countertops, four chairs, a circular fire pit and outdoor lighting. Their outdoor kitchen in Kingswood also had a sink.

Both outdoor areas have seen a lot of use. In Kingswood, the DeGilios hosted a memorable birthday party for more than 50 guests for Russ's big 5-0. In their Pinehurst home, having 20 friends over at a time is common, Christy said. With three children still living at home (ages 9, 11, and 17), a 22-year-old in college and a 25-year-old planning to be married soon, they often have a back yard brimming with friends -- and food.

"My husband is Italian, so we are accustomed to big family dinners," Christy said. They frequently host happy hours on Friday evenings. While the adults sip cocktails at the bar, the kids splash away in the pool. "It brings everyone together, whether you are 2 years old or 75 years old like my parents," Christy said. "Everyone is together having fun."

It's no wonder outdoor kitchens have emerged as one of the hottest design trends in the past 10 years. "It's a booming business," said David Lepro, owner of Landscapes II in Mechanicsburg. Recent trade shows he has visited devoted half of their displays to the creation of "outdoor rooms" such as the DeGilios' own. He helped design theirs.

Other midstate landscapers, kitchen installers and remodelers at places such as Hemlock Landscaping, Killian Fireplace and Clearview Remodeling said they have not yet installed full outdoor kitchens, but they have received inquiries.

Americans' love affair with the backyard grill is nothing new. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, about eight in 10 households own a barbecue grill and nearly all have used one in the last year.

The trend toward outdoor kitchen spaces began in the urban West and migrated east. Here, as more workers seek to escape their climate-controlled offices and barbecue grills become more elaborate -- and, dare we say, elegant, outdoor kitchen spaces promise to grow in appeal.

Today's open-air Emerils are going beyond the lowly circular grill and splinter-inflicting wooden picnic tables of yore, to cook amidst sleek, high-performance grills, full-size refrigerators, freezers with icemakers, well-stocked wet bars, sparkling double sinks, weather-tight cabinetry, trendy pizza ovens, glossy granite countertops and coordinating patio furniture.

Backyard chefs rejoice! The domain of the alpha male has never been so chic. All you need is space, creativity and money. An outdoor kitchen can start at about $15,000 and reach as much as $30,000 with high-end appliances, according to Lepro. A man-sized grill with all the bells and whistles can cost $1,300 at Home Depot. Outdoor chefs say these are worth every hot cent.

One of the outdoor kitchens that attracted admirers at the most recent Pennsylvania Home Builders Show was a 5-foot-long island topped with a shiny sand- and ebony-colored granite countertop. The exhibit was sponsored by Lesher, Inc. of Middletown, in conjunction with the Deimler and Sons Construction booth.

"Outdoor kitchens are a natural extension of what we do," Mary Jane Herr, project manager with Lesher's, said. "These days, people are putting money into their home instead of taking grandiose vacations."

For outdoor kitchen and patio flooring, she suggested pavers, which are weighty bricks that can be dry set instead of mortared in. Containing millions of microscopic capillaries, they can drain off rain, withstand the weight and heat of a grill, and hold up against the cruel ravages of weather.

For countertop surfaces, Herr recommended granite, slate or soapstone, which has a more rugged appearance than the high-gloss granites. She advised against black stones, which, while gorgeous, can become painfully hot after gleaming in the sun.

The cost of countertop surfaces depends on availability and where the stone is quarried. Stones can begin at $70 a square foot, installed. Lesher's Swatara Creek Road showroom in Middletown is stocked with natural stones from as from away as Brazil, Italy, India and Saudi Arabia, and as near as Gettysburg.

But before you select granites and grills, outdoor kitchen cravers must first pick a location for it.

These areas are best situated close enough to your kitchen to save you steps but far enough away so the grill's smoke doesn't blow into your house or blacken your roof. A deck location must be able to withstand the heat and the weight of an entire kitchen. Some decks may need additional support. The frame should also not be flammable. Cinder block and steel are solid choices.

Equipment choices are also key. The number one consideration is durability. Weatherproof materials such as teak, stainless steel, slate, stone and stucco are best, according to the website www.outdoor-kitchens.org.

"Tile is hard to do in this climate," said Lepro, who prefers stainless steel and granite in his creations. "The items used must be rust-proof and rot-proof."

If you have outdoor pipes, these must be drained for winter weather. "It takes extra care and planning to provide for winterization," Lepro said.

Islands are the backbone of the kitchen, decorators say. They can be a straight rectangular block, U-shaped or L-shaped. The bigger the island, the more room cooks have for preparing, storing, cooking and eating entrees, such as ranchero-grilled salmon steaks or zesty kabobs.

Once you have the island in place, the accessories and aesthetics can flow from there. Because, after all, outdoor kitchens are about good food, great aesthetics and a really high ceiling.

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