Add a Servery to Your Kitchen and Make the Living Easy
Take your home's connection to the outdoors a step further with a serving hatch that makes alfresco dining a breeze
βHistorically, serveries have been popular in architectural designs to hide away the clutter of the kitchen from guests and for the maids and chefs to deliver food efficiently to formal dining rooms,β says architect Rebecca Naughtin. βIn more recent years, serveries have made a come back β¦ with a transformation.β
That transformation has come about in Australia as a result of our love of the outdoors, and our growing desire to bring the outside in and the inside out. So what are the real benefits of a kitchen servery and how easy is it to put one into an existing kitchen? We ask the experts and find out.
That transformation has come about in Australia as a result of our love of the outdoors, and our growing desire to bring the outside in and the inside out. So what are the real benefits of a kitchen servery and how easy is it to put one into an existing kitchen? We ask the experts and find out.
βWith the popularisation of open-plan and al fresco dining, we now look to the servery as a means of improving the connection between the kitchen and outside world,β says Naughtin, of Rebecca Naughtin Architect. βThe formal dining room is no longer a must have β both genders cook, we want to spend more time with our families and want to be efficient in how we do that.β
Naughtin says there is also potential in the idea that since the shift from Victorian times, when architecture referenced British styles designed around cooler weather, we are finding our own Australian style that embraces indoor/outdoor living with beautiful weather. βThe servery is the perfect way of complementing the Australian style and supporting the popularisation of barbecues and al fresco living,β she says. βItβs about connecting rooms and connecting families.β
Naughtin advises ensuring the window is wide enough to accommodate the number of stools you need with room to spare. Allow 70-75cm of space per person (including the stool or chair) to prevent elbow clashes and make it easy to get in and out of the seats.
According to Dan Kitchens Australia designer Graeme Metcalf, serveries are becoming particularly popular in new builds.
βGenerally, the kitchen benchtop flows out through a window to a shallow counter on an outdoor entertaining area; the window servery is a natural evolution in home design, with modern lifestyles focused on moving to the outside environment,β Metcalf says. βConsider the outdoor kitchen as taking a further step in this evolution.β
βGenerally, the kitchen benchtop flows out through a window to a shallow counter on an outdoor entertaining area; the window servery is a natural evolution in home design, with modern lifestyles focused on moving to the outside environment,β Metcalf says. βConsider the outdoor kitchen as taking a further step in this evolution.β
Traditional kitchen to dining room serveries featured an opening in the wall between the kitchen and dining rooms, a trend that has fallen out of fashion now that the kitchen has become the heart of the home rather than a room to be hidden away from view.
βNowadays, people tend to remove the whole wall between the kitchen and dining, creating wider, open spaces,β Metcalf says.
βNowadays, people tend to remove the whole wall between the kitchen and dining, creating wider, open spaces,β Metcalf says.
So what are the benefits of having a kitchen servery? On a purely functional level, it allows food and drinks to be quickly brought from the kitchen to the outdoor entertaining area, without trudging dirty feet in and out all the
time. βA window servery also prevents pets from dashing past you at the door while youβre preoccupied with carrying the salad!β Metcalf says.
time. βA window servery also prevents pets from dashing past you at the door while youβre preoccupied with carrying the salad!β Metcalf says.
Serveries also enable people in the kitchen to be included in conversations with family members or guests outside.
Adding a servery opens up your kitchen and connects you to the outside, providing you with a wider view than ordinary windows.
βBi-fold windows are the best to use and tend to be the most common because they open up fully for an unobstructed view,β Metcalf says.
Awning windows that fold out and up to create shelter over servery seating are inexpensive but cannot be closed from the inside.
βWhichever way you go, specify a window that provides a good seal from the elements. The smallest gap can let in dust.β
βBi-fold windows are the best to use and tend to be the most common because they open up fully for an unobstructed view,β Metcalf says.
Awning windows that fold out and up to create shelter over servery seating are inexpensive but cannot be closed from the inside.
βWhichever way you go, specify a window that provides a good seal from the elements. The smallest gap can let in dust.β
Serveries are easiest and cheapest to put in as part of a new build or extension β adding a servery to an existing wall will involve alterations to the interior and exterior walls, and means potentially replacing windows and your kitchen benchtop.
βInside the kitchen, if you have a sink in front of the servery window, specify a
wider benchtop than the standard 600mm (660mm to 680mm is optimum),β Metcalf advises. βQuite often taps can get in the way of the servery window.β
βInside the kitchen, if you have a sink in front of the servery window, specify a
wider benchtop than the standard 600mm (660mm to 680mm is optimum),β Metcalf advises. βQuite often taps can get in the way of the servery window.β
If there is no existing window where youβd like to put the servery, the wall will need to be checked to see if it is load bearing. If it is found to be load bearing, there will be extra work and expense involved in hiring a structural engineer to provide drawings and a builder to install a structural beam.
Be sure to select materials for the benchtop and joinery (if any) that are waterproof and fade resistant, Metcalf suggests. βLuckily, engineered stone and Corian manufacturers have picked up on the trend of outdoor entertaining and have tested their products for this situation, giving each a rating β information can be found on the manufacturerβs websites.β
Several trades are involved in putting in a servery, including builders, window suppliers and stonemasons. βThis will complicate the building process β in instances like this it is best to work with tradespeople that have worked together as a team,β Metcalf says.
YOUR SAY
Show us your servery! Take a picture of tell us about it in the Comments. Do you use it or is it a waste of time?
MORE
Inside Out: 20 Outdoor Entertaining Zones to Inspire You
9 Tips for a Functional and Stylish Outdoor Kitchen
8 Kitchen Additions Thatβll Make Life a Little Bit Easier
YOUR SAY
Show us your servery! Take a picture of tell us about it in the Comments. Do you use it or is it a waste of time?
MORE
Inside Out: 20 Outdoor Entertaining Zones to Inspire You
9 Tips for a Functional and Stylish Outdoor Kitchen
8 Kitchen Additions Thatβll Make Life a Little Bit Easier