Kitchen Design Ideas for Entertaining: Super Pantries and Spectator Kitchens

Fred Wilson, AIA

Fred Wilson, AIA
Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson

Jan 8, 2019 - 5 min read

Kitchen Design Ideas for Entertaining: Super Pantries and Spectator Kitchens

Holiday entertaining (heck, any entertaining!) usually means ending up in the kitchen – at our house, and at most of our clients’ houses. Elissa just wrote about the role islands play in kitchens designed for entertaining. This time, I’ve got a few kitchen design ideas to add in terms of what we call Super Pantries and Spectator Kitchens. If you’re designing a new kitchen, both are worth considering so your kitchen not only gathers your guests, but does it in a way that’s most comfortable for them and least stressful for you.

Super Pantries

We first wrote about super pantries a few years ago, and they’ve continued to top our clients’ wish lists ever since. The rise of the super pantry is based on the idea that kitchens have become the room in which we do most of our living – during the holidays, and every other day of the year. Which is why more and more of us are relegating actual cooking and storage functions to a more secluded space called a super pantry. Located just off the kitchen and able to be closed off by a door, super pantries house food, dishes, glassware, appliances, and plenty of counter space for preparing food. This allows the kitchen itself to become more of a gathering space than a work space.

Spectator Kitchens

Super pantries have given rise to spectator kitchens, which are true entertaining centers. When you – or your catering staff – can prepare meals (with their steam, smoke and splatters) in a super pantry, a kitchen island can act as a centerpiece for entertaining. Of course the island is still a great spot to do final, flourishing touches like garnishing a platter or sprinkling some Parmesan in front of guests, which adds a new dimension to entertaining, but it mostly erases cooking functions from the place guests tend to gravitate.

Another type of spectator kitchen contains a range in the island, where guests can keep the cook company while food is being prepared, deepening the dining experience in a different way. Sometimes we place a couple of comfortable chairs with soft seating in a spectator kitchen so guests or family members can settle in for a chat while meals are underway; other times, we gather fully-upholstered arm chairs around a dining table so the kitchen becomes not only a place to eat, but also a comfortable spot to read or use a laptop. If you’re planning a spectator kitchen of your own, consider using easy care materials such as indoor-outdoor Sunbrella fabrics, or faux leather, on upholstered seating pieces.

We’ve got lots more great ideas for your new kitchen – or your new house. Check out our newly redesigned website or give us a call to learn more.

Fred Wilson, AIA

Fred Wilson, AIA

Founding Partner at Award Winning Chicago Architects, Morgante Wilson