Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek Unveil Party-Ready Backyard Makeover

Former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and his longtime partner, Camille Kostek, are making some major updates to their longtime New England home—including a dramatic transformation of their picturesque backyard that has turned the space into the perfect spot for hosting friends and family.

The couple, who have been dating since 2013, when he was playing for the New England Patriots and she was working as a cheerleader for the team, have revealed a glimpse inside the idyllic custom Massachusetts mansion they share and the upgrades they’ve made in recent months.

While Gronkowski, 37, who is known to his fans as Gronk, and former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl Kostek, 34, have kept the interior of their private abode under wraps, they were more than happy to showcase the changes they’ve made to the exterior—namely the installation of an outdoor entertaining area and kitchen when they plan to host their loved ones.

“We just redid the interior of our house, and I felt like the backyard was the next project. This is the beginning of the transformation of our backyard, and now I’m more excited to host,” Kostek said in a statement shared with Realtor.com®.

The former NFL cheerleader noted that they’d been relying on a makeshift set-up for hosting outside in the past—admitting that she couldn’t be happier to have eliminated the DIY hosting station they’d had to use before their backyard makeover.

“We had a lot of ice coolers outside and a standing grill, but we never had a place for everything,” she added.

That lack of dedicated space became particularly apparent when the couple welcomed Gronkowski’s large extended family to their home.

“Rob has about nine nieces and nephews, and when they all come over in the summer, now we have a s’mores station instead of setting everything up on chairs and on the ground,” she explained.

Meanwhile Gronkowski admitted that, while he couldn’t wait to get a better system in place for outdoor entertaining, he wanted something that wasn’t going to take days on end to put together—explaining that he and Kostek ultimately decided to team up with outdoor kitchen company RTA Outdoor Living in order to ensure a seamless set up of their new hosting station.

“I’m that guy when it becomes difficult, I’m like, ‘All right, I’m good with this, I want something that’s easy to set up and easy to build, and that’s literally what RTA Outdoor Living is,” he said.

“It was super easy overall. They came here and literally built this outdoor kitchen in just a few hours. Now it’s ready to go, and we’re just super excited.”

Ease of installation wasn’t Gronkowski’s only concern. Given the couple’s location in New England, he also wanted something capable of standing up to the region’s ever-changing weather.

“Being up here in New England, you’ve got all types of weather. You’ve got snow, rain and sleet. It can withstand it all,” he explained.

“It’s very sturdy, very durable, and you don’t have to worry about replacing products every single year.”

Kostek was much more excited about the opportunity to visualize what the space was going to look like before it was installed, explaining that she took great joy in playing around with the 3D renderings of the space.

“I’m such a visual person, and I loved that I could see what it looked like before it was set up. I’m not someone who loves surprises, so it was really awesome to see it in 3D,” she shared.

The new kitchen was designed specifically around the way the pair entertain family and friends.

At the center of the revamped space are two 12-foot islands, which separate the cooking area from the spaces used for serving and gathering.

The setup also includes a dedicated pizza oven station, built-in refrigeration, storage, an ice chest and integrated trash—a significant upgrade from the collection of coolers, a standing grill and temporary surfaces they previously relied on while entertaining outdoors.

Kostek revealed that the kitchen’s location near their bonfire area should make those gatherings much easier, especially when Gronkowski’s nieces and nephews visit during the warmer months.

“I also love that it’s right off where our bonfire is,” she said.

The model and dancer also used the project as an opportunity to carry elements of the couple’s newly renovated interiors into the backyard, creating a more cohesive transition between the two spaces.

Kostek selected a white plank-style finish for the kitchen, pairing it with Thunder White granite and stainless steel.

While the kitchen has already dramatically changed how the couple can use their backyard, Kostek made clear that the project is just the starting point for what they have planned outside.

“This is the beginning of the transformation of our backyard,” she said.

And with a pizza oven, refrigeration, dedicated gathering areas and even a spot for serving s’mores now at their disposal, the couple have plenty of reasons to put their revamped entertaining space to use.

The home that underwent that transformation is a custom-built Foxboro mansion, which Gronkowski is reported to have paid around $1 million for.

The impressive property sits at the end of a leafy cul-de-sac, bordered by large hedges that give it plenty of privacy.

Because the dwelling was custom built, there were no listing images shared before the NFL star purchased the home, but records show that it spans close to 4,500 square feet, features five bedrooms and three bathrooms, and has a glittering swimming pool and spa in the backyard.

Gronkowski then increased his footprint in Foxboro when he snapped up the adjacent dwelling: a three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home that offers close to 3,300 square feet of living space and helped to turn the NFL star’s mansion into a real-life compound.

Aerial images show that the retired athlete has connected the two dwellings by merging their driveways, while also adding a path that leads from the pool area of his main residence to his second abode.

In total, the two properties span just under two acres of land.

Records show that Gronkowski still owns this property, which he purchased via an LLC, and it’s understood that he lives there for at least part of the year with Kostek.

Unlike many NFL up-and-comers, Gronkowski did not immediately begin splashing his cash on lavish purchases like houses or sports cars, instead carefully conserving his earnings, while living as “low level” a life as he could.

While he did buy a car, he opted for a used model that was around 2 years old at the time, and rather than buying a home, he chose to move into a rental with a roommate.

“I was able to purchase my first car, which was a 2008 Escalade, and then to be able to pay rent once I got to New England. And then from there on out, I really didn’t need any other money,” Gronkowski revealed.

“I just lived off my marketing dollars. I was living a low-level life. I had a condo with a roommate that was on the team as well. We’re paying $1,500 a month in rent while in the NFL.”

The retired athlete explained that he was aware from the earliest days of his career that his time in the NFL might be limited, noting that he wanted to ensure the $4.4 million he earned during his first four years with the Patriots would set him up for life.

“I was very frugal and that’s how I got away with it,” he said. “Not having any lavish purchases, the first couple years in the league and just banking away what I was making because I truly understood that the NFL stands for ‘not for long.'”

The star athlete also explained how he ate and drank for free, adding, “I was getting free meals at the facility. I just kind of needed gas money. You go out, the drinks are free or you pay for one, you get 10 free when you’re on the Patriots up in the Boston area.”

These days, while he may still eat and drink for free, Gronkowski, who is originally from Amherst, NY, has allowed himself to loosen up a little bit as far as his spending is concerned, amassing a very impressive portfolio of properties that reaches from Miami to Massachusetts to New York City.