Other Kitchen Functions

Here we discuss how other kitchen functions can be handled in a modern kitchen reflecting Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian period styles. We cover food preparation, washing up and laundry.

Food Preparation

Until the fitted kitchen with worktops around the outside of the kitchen, most preparation was done on a square or rectangular table in the centre of the room. Vegetables and fruit would be washed in the scullery and brought through for peeling and chopping.

In a larger kitchen use a rectangular table in pine. Alternatively an island unit re-captures this look.

In a smaller kitchen, worktops around the room may be more efficient.

Washing Up

The scullery, rather than the kitchen, was where the sink was situated and used utensils and crockery were cleaned after use.

Most period house owners do not want to keep this separation of function, except perhaps where laundry is done in a utility room so you will need to locate the sink in the kitchen.

Do not use a salvaged Belfast sink unless the glaze is flawless; germs can lurk in the ceramic and contaminate your food.

Laundry

In all but the smallest houses, the copper and sink were in the scullery rather than the kitchen; clothes washing was performed here, with the clothes washed by hand or using a dolly peg, rinsed and then partially dried using a mangle.

The modern equivalent is the washing machine in a utility room; the only alternative is to accept its presence in the kitchen.