Where do all the dishes go?
The best hosts make it look easy. Usually that's because they have somewhere for the mess to go.
Behind a few quiet doors, there's a second sink full of pots. The cases of sparkling water. The bins of ornaments waiting for next weekend. Your guests never see any of it, and that's the point.
When those things have a home, the rooms your guests do see stay calm, even with thirty people in the house.
BEHIND DOOR NO. 1
The back kitchen
A scullery is a second, working kitchen just off the main one. A deep sink, a dishwasher, counter space for plating and somewhere for the roasting pan to soak.
The main kitchen stays beautiful while dinner gets made behind a pocket door.
See more inside this home: In Living Color
BEHIND DOOR NO. 2
The butler's pantry
This is the hallway between the kitchen and the dining room. Glass-front cabinets for the good glassware, drawers for serving pieces, and a counter to set down platters on the way to the table.
Add a microwave or a warming drawer here and the main kitchen stays clear for the cook.
See more inside this home: Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend
BEHIND DOOR NO. 3
The bar
Give the drinks their own spot and the kitchen stops being a traffic jam. Glass shelves for the bottles, a beverage fridge and somewhere to set out the ice.
On a holiday, this is where everyone gathers first.
BEHIND DOOR NO. 4
The walk-in pantry
The platters you use once a year. The extra paper goods. The second turkey pan.
Give a walk-in pantry a real counter and a couple of outlets and it doubles as a staging area the day the caterers arrive.
See more inside this home: The Lake Experience
BEHIND DOOR NO. 5
The laundry room that does more
Laundry rooms work hard in December. A big island for folding doubles as a wrapping station, with a drawer just for paper and ribbon.
And a place to steam the tablecloth the morning of.
See more inside this home: In Living Color
And a home for the holidays themselves
Every family has them. The tree, the bins of ornaments, the extra chairs, the platters that come out once a year. If there's no plan for them, they end up in the garage or the guest closet. We plan storage for it from the start, so decorating is a Saturday afternoon and not a search party.
These are rarely the rooms people dream about when they start a build. They're very often the ones they thank us for.
A second dishwasher, a sink deep enough for the biggest pot, a drawer just for table linens. None of it is hard to include in the plans, and all of it is hard to add once the cabinets are in.
Planning a home around entertaining? Read The 5 Spaces Every Entertaining Home Must Have.
xo, Summer + Serena
P.S. Planning to host in a new home next year? Design development and lead times run months ahead of construction, so now is a good time to start.