The advent of the internet has allowed us to trade influences with other cultures at lightening speed. Many of today's western designs borrow aspects of the Zen aesthetic incorporating organic materials, clean lines and a natural color pallette. The ancient practice of Feng Shui goes beyond aesthetics addressing the importance of function as well.
Recently I uncovered a little known Asian concept known as "the dirty kitchen". How un-American, you may say. Maybe not. A dirty kitchen is basically a smaller kitchen separated from your main kitchen. It is usually behind closed doors. Sometimes, in an older home, we call this a Butler's Pantry which essentially is the same thing and can be highly functional if you have a small space adjacent to your kitchen. Or maybe not so small, as in this photo of the White House Butler's Kitchen circa 1920! I guess it is American afterall.
A dirty kitchen can be used for food preparation, secondary storage and for staging when entertaining. It’s also a good idea to have a second sink and even a dishwasher (as in this photo by ABCDDesign.com) or extra refrigeration in your dirty kitchen. During a party, this secondary space comes in handy if you have an open kitchen. Guests can socialize and eat hors d’oeuvres in and around the main kitchen while the real work goes on behind the scenes- in the dirty kitchen!
Thank you to my bright and beautiful daughter, Sabrina for researching this post!