Attic Kitchens: Pros and Cons of Cooking in the Rafters

Regina Yunghans
Regina Yunghans
Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
updated May 2, 2019
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

When we spy a kitchen way up in the rafters of a building, we’re carried away with romantic notions of the view, the old building it’s probably located in, and dinners on the roof. It’s no wonder given these beautiful examples:

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But what are some practical concerns that might bring an attic kitchen back down out of the clouds? It seems they could be hotter than a typical kitchen given that they’re located high in buildings. And their skylight windows might bring in a lot of heat, too.

Do any of you have an attic kitchen? What can you tell the rest of us about it? Is it as beautiful as it seems it would be? What, if any, are the drawbacks?

Related: The Return of the Root Cellar in the New York Times

(Images: Apartment Therapy, Prague Stay, rendering from Deviant Art, i-escape, Daniela Mac Adden via neathome)