In recent years, the butler’s pantry has become more popular and gone from being used by those who actually have a butler, to being a real consideration in any kitchen renovation, so much so that an entertainer's dream kitchen may not be complete without it.

Situated just off the kitchen, and larger than a standard walk-in pantry, butler's pantries used to be where the hired help would polish silver and store estate heirlooms. The butler’s pantry of today offers extra space for cooking and storage, as well as being the perfect place to keep dirty dishes hidden away or to prepare food out of sight of guests while entertaining.

A good kitchen designer will design a butler's pantry that encompasses some of the style elements of the main kitchen renovation, whilst still keeping the space fully functional.

In this month’s B&C Journal we share our top tips for creating a functional and fabulous butler’s pantry. Enjoy!

Robert Fonti, 

Director, Balnei & Colina

 

Balnei & Colina Butler's Pantry

Image credit: MyDomaine

So, what is a butler's pantry?

A butler's pantry is a hiddaway fully functional storage room (a ‘mini kitchen’) within your kitchen and it's ideal for people who love to entertain. The original butler’s pantry started as an oversized pantry in earlier kitchen designs, and has morphed into a smaller second kitchen with more counter space and storage in today’s modern homes. 

When hosting gatherings, it can be difficult to entertain guests whilst simultaneously preparing meals and keeping your kitchen clean. The butler’s pantry may be the perfect solution. It’s purpose is to allow you to prepare food, hide dirty dishes and bulky kitchen items out of sight from guests, in a room that can be closed off when entertaining.

Not every home has enough room, the right layout, or budget for a butler's pantry, but if you do, it may be worth considering including a butler’s pantry as part of your next kitchen renovation.

 

Image via Pintrest

Balnei & Colina Kitchen Renovation with Butler's Pantry

1) Start With Maximising Storage & Workspace - Countertops And Custom Cabinets

Start with surfaces as well as a colour scheme that will work best in the available butler’s space, and complement or your new kitchen design style. Custom cabinetry will provide you with maximum flexibility in terms of design and finishes. 

Design Tip: Installing custom cabinets with a lighter colour scheme will help create an open airy feeling to the butler’s space. 

Expert kitchen designers, like the team at Balnei & Colina, will ensure your butler’s pantry maximises storage for dinnerware, serving ware, larger electrical appliances like sandwich makers, mixers and juices as well as incorporate functional work zones like washing up (ie inclusion of a sink), and counters with enough work space. 

The overall goal for your butler’s pantry should be to create an elegant, multi-functional space that is an extension of your kitchen. If you’re unsure how to fit everything you need into your butler’s pantry space, the experts at Balnei & Colina can sit down with you and mock up exactly what you’re after. 

Design Tip: To create your ideal kitchen renovation, Balnei & Colina encourage clients to provide a detailed list of the items you need stored within your kitchen and butler’s pantry. Based on the list provided, the kitchen renovation experts at Balnei & Colina, will design the perfect kitchen and butler’s pantry that incorporates storage solutions perfectly catered for your specific needs.

 

Image credit: Haven Studios

2) Install The Right Type Of Lighting

When including a butler’s pantry in your kitchen renovation, the correct selection and location of lighting is crucial. Make sure that all the essential work zones within your butler’s pantry have proper lighting. 

Replace any existing older fixtures with new smart lighting solutions. Generally, for butler’s pantries the focus is on task lighting. Recessed lighting in ceilings and strategically placed LED strip lighting will help illuminate key work zones within the butler’s pantry, and is crucial to ensuring you have enough light to perform everyday kitchen activities. 

The right lighting plan can also help create a seemingly more expansive space in secluded spaces, like the butler’s pantry.

 

Image credit: Decor Pad

3) Make space for food preparation

If you love cooking as well as hosting parties, your butler’s pantry will become the perfect area for food preparation. A good kitchen designer will allow for enough counter space in the butler’s pantry for comfortably preparing meals. By allowing you to prepare food out of the main kitchen area, and away from the bustle of guests you can take your time adding finishing touches to meals comfortably in the butler’s pantry. 

Design Tip: Install a sink and dishwasher so that you can quickly rinse and wash as you go. You can also use the butler’s pantry to keep dirty dishes hidden from view until you get the time to clean them.

 

Image credit: Julie Howard

4) Add Pantry Décor

Once you have all the functional aspects and finishes in place, create the right ambience by using decor within your butler’s pantry. Custom joinery, will allow you to create the type of look you want whether it be glass cabinet or shaker style doors, mosaic splashback or any other special finishes. You can further add a touch of personality to your butler pantry pace by displaying your favourite decor items, like handcrafted crockery, storage jars and plants, even some art - it is after all another room within your home.

Design Tip: Include timber shelving to add some of warmth. Floating shelves are also really functional making it easier to access kitchen items. Use them as a place to store transparent jars for cereals, oils or to display your favourite kitchen decor.

 

Image credit: Timber Trails

5) Showcase Your Wines

Transforming your butler's pantry into an elegant, functional wet bar is easy and if smartly designed doesn’t have to take up too much space. You will need to allow sufficient room for 

• Customised wine and bottle storage (you may even like to have your favourite drinks on display by using open shelves) and accessories like bottle openers, shakers and aerators etc. 
• Counter workspace for chopping, cutting garnishes and preparing beverages. 
• Additional storage below the countertop for a dedicated wine fridge.

 

Image credit: Maree Homer Photography

Pros & Cons of the Butler's Pantry

Pros

• Greater kitchen storage space 
• Keeps dirty dishes or mess hidden while entertaining guests
• A better way to organise and access bully kitchen appliances
• Additional space for preparing food or meals away from the main kitchen
• Adds luxury factor to a property
• From a design perspective helps keep an open plan living space balanced (ask your Balnei & Colina kitchen renovation expert about how to achieve this)

Cons

• Not suitable for every home
• Additional cost as you are in effect building an alternate “mini” kitchen space
• It may take away floor space from another area of the home
• Extra planning is required

 

Regardless of your kitchen renovation style, choosing design elements for kitchen work zones including your butler’s pantry, that are functional, resilient and easy to maintain is important. The skilled kitchen designers at Balnei & Colina will work closely with you and guide you through the finish selection process to help you create your ideal kitchen renovation. 

Still unsure how to create a butler’s pantry that will complement your new kitchen and suit your specific storage needs. Leave it to the experts at Balnei & Colina renovations.

For more information on our kitchen design services, contact Balnei & Colina on 1300 450 320. You can also send us your kitchen renovation project details via this contact us form. 

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Balnei & Colina Butler's Pantry

 

Image via Pintrest