
The debate between a scullery vs. butler’s pantry is a hot topic for those considering kitchen renovations. Make the best pick by learning about how they differ.
When you want to be old-school and extra
A scullery is a small room near your kitchen equipped with appliances and storage for food prep and dishwashing, keeping your main kitchen clutter-free.
Converting a small existing room into a simple scullery starts at $5,000, while building from scratch with full appliances can exceed $15,750 for a complete space.
Your scullery works best when you include appliances like a dishwasher, sink, and stove, plus storage shelves and prep surfaces for large-scale cooking and cleanup.
Hiring a local kitchen remodeling professional takes the guesswork out of scullery planning, handling plumbing and electrical work while matching the space to your entertaining needs.
Once a sign of wealth in Old World homes, sculleries have come back in style. Manor houses, large estates, and homes built for entertainment may feature one—but what is a scullery?
A scullery is an overflow kitchen or a small room near the kitchen used to prepare food and wash and store dishes. Whether you're looking to buy an old home with a scullery or build one in your modern home—here's what to know about this handy kitchen sidekick.
A scullery is a small room equipped like a mini kitchen with storage and appliances designed for preparing food, washing dishes, and keeping the kitchen and dining rooms free from clutter.
These rooms were popular hundreds of years ago when it was considered unsightly for a working kitchen to be in plain view. In modern homes, a scullery can be built from a kitchen-adjacent butler’s pantry or laundry room.
A modern scullery is a type of pantry with kitchen appliances like a dishwasher, sink, stove, oven, and microwave. The largest and most powerful kitchen appliances tend to be in a scullery.
Sculleries sometimes have hot and cold sinks, slop sinks, and drain pipes for large-scale dining clean-up. Sculleries may also feature storage shelves, plate racks, a prep table or island, and a pasta arm.
One of the main reasons to have a scullery is to separate the mess of cooking with a more aesthetic kitchen. People tend to gather in kitchens even when food isn't being prepared. When entertaining, some hosts like the kitchen to remain clean.
Cooking is done in the scullery and can either be finished there and brought straight out (like with canapes or other passed appetizers), or the majority of the cooking can take place in the scullery and “finished” in the main kitchen. This is popular with dishes like paella, risotto, or other “showy” dishes.
Assuming your scullery is used like a second (or primary) kitchen, there are some seriously useful additions you can add. If you have a scullery or are planning on building one, consider adding additional elements. Most of these will require a professional installation, so discuss your options with a kitchen remodeling pro near you.


A scullery costs more than a butler’s pantry since it's larger and has more features. However, the cost of a scullery depends on the size of the room and the types of appliances you include. A small-scale scullery can run as low as $5,000 if you convert a small room into a scullery.
However, if you start from scratch and opt to build a big-budget, higher-end scullery space, you'll pay more than the cost of a kitchenette—which averages about $15,750. That’s because you’ll likely need to demo a room and add a wall, plumbing, and electrical, which has a higher price tag than simply retrofitting an existing laundry room.
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