Scullery Out

We’ve scrapped the scullery. There will be no place in our home that separates the ‘downstairs staff’ and the hoi polloi from the the elite. There will be nowhere for the staff to cook, clean and gossip; there will be no place for the butler, housekeeper, footmen and maids to eat leftovers and plot schemes that render their colleages discharged and destitute. Instead, the area has been replaced by an additional food preparation bench and large pantry. Let’s face it though – most house plans that include a scullery these days only really include the word ‘scullery’ because it’s en vogue – it’s just an afterthought small room tacked on to a smaller kitchen. I won’t miss it, that’s for sure.

And the sink will be in that corner area as well. Out of the way, where dishes can pile up while the cook is too busy having a great time with visitors. I’m not a fan of having the sink in the workbench in the middle of the kitchen, something which has become popular these days. It’s like we invite people around for a great meal but force us all into a ritual of sitting around a bench with hors d’oeuvres, sipping pre-dinner drinks and worshipping the sink-god in the middle. We won’t be basin our kitchen on that religion, and we won’t be tapping in to that ideaology. OK enough bad puns.