Scullery kitchens: the secret to a more functional and elegant home

The quick version: A scullery kitchen is a second working kitchen set just off your main kitchen, where food preparation, washing up and benchtop appliances stay out of sight. It’s one of the smartest ways to keep an open-concept kitchen organised without compromising the way it looks.

There’s a moment in almost every open-plan kitchen when the space you’ve planned so carefully stops looking the part. Sometimes it’s a dinner party, with guests gathered around the island while the benchtop disappears beneath prep bowls and serving platters. Sometimes it’s just a Tuesday morning, when the coffee machine, toaster and yesterday’s soaking pan are all competing for the same stretch of stone. Either way, the kitchen you’re living in and the kitchen you want people to see are being asked to do two very different jobs.

That’s the quiet trade-off, and it’s exactly what a scullery is designed to solve. Rather than asking one space to do everything, it creates a separate working area where preparation, cleanup and benchtop appliances can stay out of sight, leaving the main kitchen calm, welcoming and ready to use.

Get the design right, and you no longer have to choose between a kitchen that’s beautiful for entertaining and one that’s practical enough to keep up with everyday life.

What is a scullery kitchen?

A scullery kitchen is a dedicated secondary workspace positioned just off the main, designed to take on the hard work of cooking and cleaning up. Think of it as the engine room. The main kitchen stays open and social, while the kitchen scullery takes care of the work happening behind the scenes.

Scullery, butler's pantry, or walk-in pantry?

These three terms often get used interchangeably, but they each serve a different purpose.

• Walk-in pantry: Designed primarily for storage. Think shelves for dry goods, small appliances and bulk groceries.
• Butler’s pantry: A staging and serving space, often used for making coffee, preparing drinks or plating meals before they reach the dining table.
• Scullery: A dedicated working zone with a proper sink and usually a dishwasher. It’s built for food preparation, washing up and keeping the everyday mess of cooking behind a closed door.

The simplest way to remember it? A pantry stores, a butler’s pantry serves, and a scullery works.

Why more Perth homeowners want one

The reasons people choose a scullery are usually practical ones. If you love hosting, it’s where the evening’s chaos disappears to. Guests gather around the island while the prep bowls, serving platters and humming dishwasher stay out of view in the next room, and that one bit of separation changes the whole feel of a dinner party.

The same logic applies to ordinary weeks. Morning coffee, school lunches and the breakfast rush stop competing for the same stretch of bench because the toaster and coffee machine have a permanent home of their own.

In Perth homes, where the kitchen often opens onto the alfresco and pool, keeping the main space clear matters even more. The kitchen stays a relaxed, welcoming part of the home, whether you’re cooking for a crowd or enjoying a quiet night in.

Choosing the right scullery layout

There’s no one-size-fits-all scullery layout. The right solution depends on your floor plan and the way you use your kitchen. During the design process, we’ll recommend the layout that best suits your home.

Walk-in scullery

The most flexible option, a walk-in scullery is a dedicated room positioned just off the main kitchen. Cabinetry and bench space can run along one or both walls, creating a practical workspace with room for storage, preparation and cleanup. It works particularly well in new builds and larger renovations, where there’s space for a genuine second workspace without compromising the main kitchen.

Galley scullery

With two parallel runs of cabinetry and a central working aisle, a galley scullery makes excellent use of a narrower footprint. Its efficient layout makes it easy to move between the kitchen, garage or laundry, particularly when unpacking groceries.

L-shaped scullery

An L-shaped scullery is a smart way to use a corner. Where the floor plan allows, we like to position it against an external wall to bring in natural light, so the room feels like an extension of the kitchen rather than a utility space tucked out the back.

Whatever the shape, the goal stays the same: a scullery that supports the way you cook, entertain and use your kitchen every day.

Is a scullery right for your kitchen?

There’s no one-size-fits-all scullery layout, and not every kitchen needs one. The right approach depends on your floor plan and the way you use your kitchen.

A scullery can be incredibly practical, but it isn’t the answer for every home. The space needs to work as part of the overall kitchen layout, rather than coming at the expense of a main kitchen that already feels comfortable and functional. If adding a scullery means significantly reducing your island, your benchtop space or your room to move, it may not be worth the trade-off.

The key is having enough space to create a genuinely useful second workspace. A well-designed scullery should add functionality to your kitchen, not simply give you another room to fill. During the design process, we’ll look at your floor plan, how you use your kitchen and what you’re hoping to achieve before recommending whether a scullery is the right fit.

The design details that make a scullery work

Good scullery kitchen design comes down to how the space connects to everything around it. The best sculleries feel like a natural extension of the main kitchen, with every detail planned from the outset.

Doors and sightlines

The door does more than separate one room from another. Pocket doors, sliding doors and flush cabinetry-matched doors can all keep the scullery tucked neatly away without taking up valuable floor space. The aim is a clean view through the kitchen, with the scullery revealed only when you want it to be.

Lighting

Because many sculleries sit away from external windows, good lighting is essential. Under-cabinet strips, well-lit drawers and bright, even overhead light make preparation and cleaning easier, and stop the room ever feeling dark or overlooked.

Ventilation

A scullery works hard, so it needs to breathe. Proper ventilation manages steam, cooking odours and moisture from the sink and dishwasher, protecting your cabinetry and keeping the space comfortable to use.

Storage and integration

This is where thoughtful design makes the biggest difference. Deep drawers, dedicated appliance cupboards, built-in bins and tailored storage all keep the main kitchen free of everyday clutter. Just as importantly, the scullery should feel like part of the same project. Matching materials and cabinetry finishes carry the design from one space into the next, so the kitchen reads as a whole rather than two separate rooms.

Designing a scullery that works for your home

At The Maker Designer Kitchens, every scullery is designed as part of the kitchen, as an extension of the space. Before we draw a single cabinet, we take the time to understand how you use your kitchen. Those insights shape every design decision, from the layout through to the storage.

From there, your space is custom-designed, manufactured and installed by our in-house team, with one qualified interior designer offering insight and overall guidance with your tradesmen from concept through to completion.

Ready to start planning your renovation? Book a design consultation with one of our interior designers to explore how a scullery could be incorporated into your new kitchen. You can also visit our Bassendean showroom for inspiration and speak with our team about bringing your ideas to life. If you’re still gathering inspiration, browse our recent kitchen projects or explore our kitchen styles.

Frequently asked questions

Does a scullery add value to a home?

A well-designed scullery is one of the features buyers increasingly look for in a premium home, particularly in Perth’s open-plan market where keeping the main kitchen calm is part of the appeal. Beyond resale, the day-to-day value is immediate: a kitchen that stays organised and genuinely enjoyable to live in. Because it’s built as part of a full renovation rather than added later, it reads as a deliberate part of the design rather than an afterthought.

Can I add a scullery without extending my home?

Often, yes. In many Perth homes, a scullery can be carved out of space you already have, such as an oversized pantry, an underused corner or the zone beside the laundry. It comes down to your floor plan and how the existing kitchen is arranged, which we assess during the design process before recommending the most workable position.

How big does a scullery need to be?

Smaller than most people expect. It needs enough room for a run of cabinetry, a sink and an appliance or two, with a clear aisle so doors and drawers don’t collide. A galley layout in particular can fit a fully functional scullery into a narrow footprint, so a compact home doesn’t rule one out.

What appliances usually go in a scullery?

Typically the second sink and dishwasher, along with the benchtop appliances you use daily but would rather keep out of view, the toaster, kettle, coffee machine and the like. As part of a full kitchen design, some clients also bring the microwave or a second oven into the scullery. We plan the plumbing, power and ventilation around the way you’ll use the space, ensuring everything has its place, and the main kitchen stays clear.