A Medieval Kitchen Feature Is Making A Comeback In Modern Homes

It's become very popular for modern homes to still incorporate or showcase vintage elements that enhance their beauty or functionality. One such feature, which has its roots in medieval kitchens, is making a big comeback in contemporary homes. If you're about to embark on a kitchen remodel, you might consider adding it to your plans.

A dirty kitchen, also known as a scullery kitchen or second kitchen, is an extra room located at one end of the kitchen. It was incorporated into European kitchens in medieval times and remained popular throughout the Victorian era. There were many purposes of a second kitchen: to create a place where staff could prepare food and clean up after a meal, as well as wash dishes, food, and kitchen linens. Dirty kitchens also became popular outside of Europe; for instance, in the Philippines, a dirty kitchen was actually an outdoor kitchen that was used to keep heat, mess, smoke, and cooking odors out of the house.

A kitchen remodel is a huge undertaking that requires careful planning. If you don't know where to start with your kitchen remodel planning, it may help to outline the specific ways you use your kitchen in your daily life and what areas are lacking or frustrating to you. This can help you determine if you could use the extra space afforded by a scullery, and how much money to allot for a kitchen remodel that includes a scullery or dirty kitchen.

Incorporating British kitchen design trends like a scullery into your kitchen renovation can make the space practical and functional as well as beautiful. A dirty kitchen or scullery allows you to keep the biggest messes out of the main part of your kitchen. If you use your kitchen a lot or regularly host dinner parties or events, having a dirty kitchen is like having a secret closet that you can hide messes away in.

If you plan on incorporating a modern-day scullery or dirty kitchen to your kitchen renovations, focus on elements that you will actually use in your day-to-day life. While these spaces historically functioned as a way to keep kitchen staff and messes out of sight, they can be adapted to more modern uses. You can use your scullery to stash dirty dishes and clutter and store appliances and seasonal items so that you have more space in kitchen cupboards and on countertops.

A dirty kitchen can also become the perfect place for food prep, as you will have a sink and counter space to use when cooking for a party or your family, or just prepping your meals for the week. Incorporate a wine cooler, deep freezer, and other appliances that would take up too much room in your main kitchen. Install a sink and dishwasher so that prepping fruit and vegetables is a breeze and post-meal cleanup is faster – or so that you can ignore the mess until you have time to deal with it.