These Historic Kitchens Are Making A Huge Comeback In 2025

If you've ever been a fan of historic British books or TV shows or war movies that take place on submarines, you may have heard the term "scullery." Merriam-Webster defines this very old word as a room devoted to "messy kitchen work," such as cleaning and storing dishes and utensils. A grand English manor might have had scullery maids, who were kitchen servants usually found tucked away in sculleries, doing the unsightly work of cleaning the messes after the cooking and eating were done.

But lately, this historic concept is making a comeback, albeit these modernized versions are more visually appealing. New homeowners are looking for a way to keep the entertaining and cleaning functions of a kitchen separate and store additional serving ware, appliances, or utensils. In fact, kitchen and design pros such as Erin Napier of HGTV's "Home Town" have begun incorporating them into homes, and Zillow's list of five home trends to follow in 2025 listed sculleries among them, noting that they appear in 8 percent more listings than the previous year. What's behind the trend, and how might you benefit from having one?

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It's not just where cooking happens, but it's also the nervous system for household functions, the natural gathering place for parties, and a makeshift office or homework space. Dirty piles of dishes, awkwardly-sized and hard-to-store objects such as air fryers, and old appliances that no one uses anymore (fondue pot, anyone?) aren't usually conducive to such activities, which is why a scullery is an ideal solution. It tucks the more visually unappealing and cluttered aspects of the kitchen away from guests. A report by Circana might explain the scullery comeback: Consumers' purchases of serveware, specialty appliances, and kitchen furniture reflect an increased interest in entertaining at home over dining out.

While every design is different and may enable different functions, a scullery is generally comprised of a sink (a must-have) or two (hot and cold), storage shelves or cabinets for baking pans, serving ware, and appliances like pasta makers that are used rarely enough that they don't need to be at hand in the main kitchen. If the owner decides to also use the space for prep work, such as chopping vegetables or rolling out dough, a scullery should also have an open, flat surface, such as a prep area or island, 

Having a scullery enables the homeowner to hide the chaos that occurs in kitchens when entertaining — dishes left soaking in the sink, as Julia Child recommends, tables covered in flour from baking efforts, trays of appetizers waiting on the bench to be called into action, a running dishwasher, or meals that have yet to be assembled before serving. All of it stays tucked away behind closed doors while the main kitchen remains dedicated to the presentable features and people spending time there.