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Out of sight, out of mind food preparation and clean-up in this house can take place in a spacious scullery

View of an open-plan kitchen featuring a central ceiling, countertop, interior design, kitchen, lighting, room, brown — View of an open-plan kitchen featuring a central island with butcher's block, rustic beams on the ceiling, antique pot-holder, painted wooden cabinetry, granite counters, sinks and faucets, appliances, hardwood flooring, lighting.

View of an open-plan kitchen and lounge area ceiling, furniture, home, interior design, living room, property, real estate, room, wall, brown

View of an open-plan kitchen featuring a central countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, room, brown

View of the scullery which is off the cabinetry, countertop, floor, home appliance, interior design, kitchen, room, black

View of kitchen featuring a central island with ceiling, dining room, floor, flooring, furniture, hardwood, home, interior design, living room, room, table, wall, window, wood, wood flooring, brown

Open-plan kitchens and family rooms suit most families' lifestyles. As well as being the hub of the home they are ideal for entertaining the cook can socialize with guests while putting the final touches to the meal. But there's always the dilemma of what to do with the mess involved in food preparation and clean-up.

When wine artist Thomas Arvid and his wife were planning their new house, they came up with the ideal solution a separate second kitchen. Being able to keep food preparation behind the scenes meant the design of the main kitchen could focus on aesthetics and entertaining requirements, says interior designer Teri Duffy.

"The kitchen sprang directly from the Arvids' lifestyle and their love of entertaining," she says. "The design means family and friends can gather round for drinks and the kitchen looks clean and tidy. At the same time, however, functionality has not been compromised."

Thomas Arvid says the kitchen needed to complement the craftsman-style architecture of the house, which was designed to look as though it had evolved over time. An island with a butcher's block features turned, furniture-style legs, and the hand-scraped oak floorboards are in various widths to provide a rustic look. Similarly, there are antique ceiling beams, and the subway tiles on the backsplash are reminiscent of traditional kitchens.

"The kitchen is in a central part of the house and does not have a lot of natural light, so we kept the cabinetry neutral and allowed the color to happen everywhere else," says Duffy. "The neutral tones also allow Thomas's artwork to be a focus."

Floor-to-ceiling cabinets in the second kitchen, or scullery, are a dark gray, contrasted by white Corian countertops that help lighten the room. An old-style library ladder on rails provides access to the high cabinets.