Scott Cohen, president of the Green Scene (greenscenelandscape.com), an outdoor design and construction firm in Canoga Park, Calif., says decorative items are only part of the equation when he creates a backyard retreat. Mr. Cohen’s firm installs swimming pools, full landscaping and outdoor kitchens.

“This is not your dad on a Weber,” said Mr. Cohen, who has incorporated into his designs a swim-up outdoor kitchen for those who enjoy lunching in the water. It sits adjacent to a swimming pool or spa and has a bar.

He said he preferred cast concrete or cast glass countertops to granite in his kitchen designs, especially in climates that have the biggest temperature swings. “We had some problems with granite in freezing temperatures,” he said.