{"id":771241,"date":"2026-05-03T22:04:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/771241\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T22:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T22:04:20","slug":"outdoor-kitchens-are-a-growing-addition-in-chicago-backyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/771241\/","title":{"rendered":"Outdoor kitchens are a growing addition in Chicago backyards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Longtime Park Ridge residents Susan and Jerry Miceli have lived in their midcentury house for more than 40 years. That longevity may offer insight into the couple\u2019s willingness to adapt and invest in their outdoor space rather than find a new home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love to be outside,\u201d Susan Miceli said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a pergola, and we\u2019re out there in all different weather conditions. We put in a couple of heaters. \u2026 We\u2019ve been out there in 45-degree weather.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their latest backyard project is a built-in pizza oven inspired by a recent trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, where the Micelis took a pizza-making class in Sorrento.<\/p>\n

As a result, the couple, who have four grandchildren, have turned their backyard from an outdoor social environment into a relaxing, \u201cfamily-centric\u201d place, Jerry Miceli said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandchildren help make pizzas,\u201d Susan Miceli said. \u201cIt\u2019s really kind of a nice family affair that we have when they come over.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve even used the outdoor space during winter, cooking pizzas when it snows.<\/p>\n

The Micelis\u2019 backyard project reflects a home amenity that has gained momentum.<\/p>\n

According to the AIA Home Design Trends Survey<\/a>, a national survey based on 2025 data, about one-third of respondents listed outdoor kitchens as a popular added feature for homes.<\/p>\n

In the 2023 \u201cRemodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features,\u201d<\/a> from the National Association of Realtors Research Group, 34% of landscaping professionals noted increased demands for outdoor kitchens.<\/p>\n

This trend hasn\u2019t skipped the Chicago area.<\/p>\n

Himsben Design Studio, a landscape design-and-build firm in Edgewater, created the Micelis\u2019 outdoor pizza oven. \u201cThe main focus of our work is residential design-build work,\u201d said Ben Himschoot, founder and owner.<\/p>\n

The firm is no stranger to outdoor kitchens, having designed at least 60 and built more than 20 over the past decade. Because of the cost associated with these projects, not every outdoor kitchen that is designed is actually built. \u201cSometimes people don\u2019t realize how much they cost until we\u2019ve designed them,\u201d Himschoot said. \u201cThose get sometimes sidelined or simplified down to just a grill cart and a side table.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Gault, a broker with Baird and Warner Real Estate Services, focuses on residential real estate, with as much as 25% of his business located in the Chicago suburbs. Gault says outdoor kitchens started to catch on, particularly during the early days of the pandemic, \u201cwhen people started to reinvest in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the growth, Gault hasn\u2019t seen many outdoor kitchens in homes listed below the $700,000 to $800,000 price range.<\/p>\n

Although homebuyers don\u2019t necessarily seek out houses with an outdoor kitchen, the real estate broker said it quickly becomes a selling point. \u201cOnce they see it,\u201d Gault said, \u201cthey appreciate it more \u2026 and then they tend to gravitate more toward properties like that overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scope of outdoor kitchens<\/p>\n

There are no consistent components to an outdoor kitchen except that they include something used for cooking and are built permanently into the landscape.<\/p>\n

For Himschoot, it\u2019s any cooking structure \u201cbeyond a grill on a cart\u201d built into the environment, and can include much more elaborate setups. Gault considers it \u201canything from a counter with a mini fridge\u201d to ovens, sinks and more.<\/p>\n

The \u201cRemodeling Impact Report,\u201d for purposes of its survey on home remodeling projects, defined an outdoor kitchen as having one inset grill, stainless steel drawers, an ice chest, a sink and 60 square feet of concrete countertop made from veneered masonry stone.<\/p>\n

The pizza oven<\/p>\n

Himschoot loves residential projects like the one for the Micelis: \u201cIt\u2019s a really personal, intimate relationship that you build with your clients, trying to understand them, understand how they use their space, their everyday dynamic, or how they want to be using this outdoor space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s decision to build the pizza oven was a natural expansion of how they already used their yard. \u201cWe really didn\u2019t even think about it,\u201d Jerry Miceli said. \u201cWe just kind of did it, and that\u2019s what it evolved into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RicardoRicardo Martinez places a brick on top of mortar on the surround of an outdoor pizza oven on March 25, 2026, in Park Ridge. (Stacey Wescott\/Chicago Tribune)
\n\"TopTop to bottom: Ricardo Martinez, Ben Himschoot and Genevevo Gardu\u00f1o work on an outdoor pizza oven on March 25, 2026, in Park Ridge. (Stacey Wescott\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Given the space limitations of many Chicago backyards, a majority of Himsben Design Studio\u2019s projects reflect homeowners\u2019 desires to create privacy and personal entertainment areas. The driving factor, Himschoot said, is \u201chow much that person values the outdoor space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan and Jerry Miceli emphasized their commitment to being outdoors, and using the oven in particular. \u201cWe made up our mind that this is something we wanted, and we knew we would get use out of,\u201d Susan Miceli said.<\/p>\n

Cost and other challenges<\/p>\n

The cost can be a serious commitment. According to the \u201cRemodeling Impact Report,\u201d the average cost of an outdoor kitchen nationally is $15,000.<\/p>\n

According to Himschoot, a built-in grill with a prep station in Chicago might start at $7,500, while a kitchen with an oven, sink, refrigeration and more might run six figures. Appliances can also drastically impact the budget, with some high-end outdoor ovens running as much as $25,000.<\/p>\n

Given the potential expense, Himschoot asks clients whether they consider the house their forever home, \u201cbecause that can help drive how much folks are willing to value and invest in those spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Chicago area, \u201cMost of the clients we work with invest somewhere usually between about 5% to 10% of their home\u2019s current market value in their exterior spaces,\u201d Himschoot said.<\/p>\n

Building codes also pose challenges that can impact sinks and setbacks for fire safety for ovens. Gas and electric work requires a licensed electrician and the proper permits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a fair amount that goes into it, but not too dissimilar from an interior kitchen,\u201d Himschoot said.<\/p>\n

Gault said his clients are less inclined to add an outdoor kitchen when looking for a home, and prefer buying a property that already has one. \u201cPeople these days want move-in ready. They want everything finished,\u201d he said. \u201cSo having an outdoor space like that already installed is a huge benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quality of life<\/p>\n

The Micelis of Park Ridge are less worried about the return on their investment. Instead, they enjoy the quality of life it brings. \u201cWe\u2019re outside every day it\u2019s not pouring rain,\u201d Susan Miceli said.<\/p>\n

The \u201cRemodeling Impact Report\u201d backs that sentiment with a majority of respondents saying a top reason for building an outdoor kitchen is to increase livability.<\/p>\n

Although expense is a factor, Himschoot said his Chicago-area clients \u201cvalue outdoor spaces that much more because it\u2019s fleeting the number of months of the year they can enjoy them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerry Miceli agrees about the limited outdoor season: \u201cWe\u2019ll enjoy it as long as it lasts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

John W. Bateman is a freelance writer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Longtime Park Ridge residents Susan and Jerry Miceli have lived in their midcentury house for more than 40…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":771242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[316257,316256,316251,316260,960,7123,316259,316255,316254,5386,1818,316258,316252,224058,316253,4329,69058,27752],"class_list":{"0":"post-771241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-remodeling-impact-report","9":"tag-aia-home-design-trends-survey","10":"tag-backyard-kitchens","11":"tag-baird-and-warner-real-estate-services","12":"tag-chicago","13":"tag-chicago-weather","14":"tag-himsben-design-studio","15":"tag-homeowner-investments","16":"tag-housing-trends","17":"tag-il","18":"tag-illinois","19":"tag-national-association-of-realtors-research-group","20":"tag-outdoor-home-amenities","21":"tag-outdoor-kitchens","22":"tag-outdoor-pizza-oven","23":"tag-real-estate","24":"tag-real-estate-agents","25":"tag-realtors"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116512913662027190","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}