Happy are the memories of childhood cookouts. Remember, remember ... those hot dogs half-cooked over two-foot flames; the collapsing, overloaded paper plate; the lukewarm lemonade; the charred marshmallow s’more … 

Goodbye to all that!  It’s 2024, and over the years we’ve learned a great deal more about cooking and dining outdoors in style and comfort. 

Credit the summer kitchen, a detached structure devised in the 18th century to keep all that kitchen heat out of the main house. The advent of indoor plumbing and gas/electric cookers doomed the freestanding cookhouse, but postwar prosperity and design brought us home for the indoor-outdoor lifestyle, along with the truly modern patio kitchen. 

Today’s summer kitchen is fully integrated with its patio or pool terrace dining space. Stainless steel appliances and fixtures, gas-fired grills and smokers let the pitmaster keep cool (or, at least, cooler) just steps from the table and the life of the party.  

Let the marshmallows be lightly toasted! We just can’t quit those s’mores. 

1. Gulf Shore Beachfront Estate in Naples, Florida 

A private lane and gated entry introduce this Stofft Cooney Architects–designed beachfront villa with 100 feet of frontage and sunset views of the Gulf of Mexico. 

The open-plan main living space flows to the dining space and the eat-in kitchen, with its oversized island, exotic stone countertops, walk-in pantry, and bar.  

Corner-edge sliders open to the expansive seafront living terraces and the 48-foot pool’s patio deck. The loggia is fitted with a full outdoor kitchen and dining space, an elevated spa, and separate seating around the built-in gas fire pit.  

There are five big bedrooms, five full baths, and a powder room. Two suites have terrace access on the main level. The owner’s suite has a private Gulf-front terrace on the top level. 

An elevator serves all floors, and the home has a backup generator, Savant Smart Home System, Lutron lighting system, electric blinds and storm screens. There is a sports court, and gated beach access.  

Downtown Naples and the chic boutiques and eateries of Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South are moments away. 

2. Palm Beach Residence in New South Wales, Australia 

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This modernist beach house is in the prized coastal community of Palm Beach—made famous as “Summer Bay” in the long-running Australian television series Home and Away. 

Architecture firm Michael Robilliard and Associates’ original 2012 design underwent a remodel in 2022 under the guidance of Housed Architects’ Nanna Lesiuk. 

The industrial concrete slab and brick construction is softened by copper accents and expansive panes of glass. Rustic timber beams and a cool paint scheme impart a coastal aesthetic.  

Retractable glass walls create an effortless indoor-outdoor flow—and sight lines across the tropical gardens, surrounding bushland, the beach, and the wild Pacific surf.  

The open-plan living and dining space has a gas fireplace and sliding glass doors out to a secluded barbecue terrace under a retractable roof. Adjoining is an open-air terrace with sea and sunset vistas. Merging with the space is a deluxe kitchen with a gun-metal and white color scheme and appliances by Miele and Sub-Zero. Above is a top-floor primary suite framed in glass.  

Further appointments include a family room, a gym, wet bar, study, a double garage with internal access, and professionally landscaped gardens. 

Related: Discover Homes with Wine Cellars 

3. Lalique Pointe Estate at Crystal Harbour, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands 

This cool, white Caribbean villa is in the gated Crystal Harbour resort, minutes from the white sands of Grand Cayman’s famous Seven Mile Beach.  

The property extends to more than half an acre with 8,088 interior square feet, elegantly appointed across three levels. 

The main house has a stunning kitchen and family room, a private office, four en suite bedrooms, and a double garage with four EV-charging stations.    

The one-bedroom, one-bath guest cottage has its own office and a custom-designed “man cave” with a bar and full bath. 

The outdoor spaces have been designed for the resort lifestyle, from the tropical gardens to the waterfront terrace with its pool and spa and outdoor kitchen. There’s also a play zone with a trampoline and life-size chess board. To cap it all, the private beach comes with a sunset view and a fire pit for s’mores under the stars. 

4. Buitenpad 1 in Heerewaarden, Gelderland, Netherlands 

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An idyllic demesne, this elegant country house was built in 2003 on a magnificent riverine locale on the banks of the Maas in the Dutch province of Gelderland.  

There are 5,425 square feet of elegant interior space, including a full basement and dormered attic space, five big bedrooms and three full bathrooms. 

Outside, there is a complete outdoor kitchen serving the fully equipped pool house with a full bathroom, Jacuzzi, sauna, and heated swimming pool. A path, sheltered by trees, leads through flower gardens to a private jetty on the River Maas. 

The charming village of Heerewaarden is about six miles east of Zaltbommel, where the rivers Maas and Waal meet, and an excellent location for bon vivants and water sports enthusiasts. The A2 and A15 motorways put Utrecht, Den Bosch, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen within easy reach. 

Need some more s’mores? Summer kitchens start here.