Scullery kitchens have been around for hundreds of years, associated most closely with the Victorian era when daily chores such as cleaning and prepping were to be hidden from company. However, they have fallen out of popularity since the 1920’s. Modern home design has cast them aside, but they still have plenty to offer as a useful component to your house.
So what is a scullery, exactly? Sculleries are rooms separate from the main kitchen and cooking area that are used for cleaning and storage. They contain lots of shelves and cabinets to keep pots, silverware, dishes, linens, and any other various kitchen items that you don’t need on a daily basis like beverage dispensers or griddles. A deep sink is essential in a scullery, since this is the room where all dishes are cleaned. Some people keep a small fridge or freezer in the scullery to store bulk drinks and snacks.
A scullery provides an out-of-the-way spot for dirty dishes to be placed after cooking and eating is done. It keeps your kitchen cleaner and more sanitary, and prevents that ever-growing pile from taking away from the beauty of your kitchen. If you’re a fan of minimalistic-style kitchens or open-floor plans, a scullery will go a long way in maintaining this appearance.
If you love entertaining guests, a scullery will serve you well. Many people put beverage fridges and ice makers in their sculleries to store wine or other drinks so that they’re kept out of the way but are still easily accessible for your guests to grab. You can prepare, cook, and serve your meal in your main kitchen so that you maximize the time spent with your friends; once you’re done making the food though, you don’t need to feel self-conscious or obligated to waste time during the party elbows-deep in suds. Instead, move the dirty dishes and utensils into the scullery then get back out and enjoy! The dishes can wait guilt-free until tomorrow.
Though scullery kitchens fell out of style when open floor plans became popular, we believe they can still benefit modern-day homeowners. From magazines and home improvement shows, we dream of beautiful kitchens with clean counters, organized cabinets, and shiny sinks. Everyday life can quickly take over this vision, however–mail and trinkets clutter the counters, groceries need to be set down before being unloaded, and of course dirty dishes build up as they wait to be washed or loaded into the dishwasher. With a scullery, you have the ability to handle the clutter and mess of every life while maintaining a gorgeous, pristine kitchen. Moving your extra dishes or lesser-used items to the scullery, you free up wall space in your kitchen to replace cabinets with windows, art pieces, or more stylized open shelving units. Your scullery can double as your pantry as well, making it easy from the beginning of a meal to the end to keep your main kitchen clean and organized. Families with children or couples who love to entertain will benefit most from what a scullery kitchen has to offer.
Sculleries have the potential to be a gift from the past for many families–get to designing the kitchen of your dreams with the addition of a scullery.
For more fun and innovative kitchen design ideas, call the experts at West Coast Design Build Florida.
