Is A Butler's Pantry Worth It When Designing A New Kitchen?
Does It Make Sense To Include A Butlers Pantry When Remodeling?
Are you looking to improve the look and functionality of your kitchen? Adding a butler's pantry can be a great solution. You'll not only add valuable storage space, but it will also add a high-end element to your kitchen that your family and guests will enjoy!
Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It's the place where family and friends gather to celebrate, share good times, food, and fun. If you like to entertain, even a large kitchen can get congested, especially if you're busy preparing and serving food. Adding a butler's pantry can be a stylish solution that can alleviate party congestion.
Ready to learn more? Let's take a look at precisely what a butler's pantry is, and why you should consider adding one to your kitchen.
So What Exactly is a Butler's Pantry?
The primary fixtures of a butler's pantry are plenty of cabinets and drawers to store dishes and glassware. They will often feature glass-front cabinet doors and a stylish look and can even include recessed ceiling lights, or lighted cabinets.
A butler's pantry includes a countertop, and it's often used as a baking center, with plenty of room for your large stand mixer. It's also an excellent home for your coffee maker. Want to keep those appliances out of sight? Add an appliance garage for an even cleaner look. If you're looking for an additional sink, you can include a small food-prep or bar sink into the design. Some also include a space underneath the counter that can house a dishwasher, small mini-fridge, or a wine refrigerator.
Along with extra storage, many butler's pantries are used to separate the kitchen and dining room and are the perfect staging area for meal prep. In the past, once a meal was prepared, the butler would plate the food in the pantry, then serve it to the guests. While you likely do not have a butler in residence, a butler's pantry is an excellent space for staging your meals when entertaining, creating holiday meals, and keeping the cooking mayhem segregated from your guests at your next dinner party.
Ideally, you should locate your butler's pantry close to your food pantry for even more convenience when preparing meals.
Locating Your Butler's Pantry
You'll need to determine the best location for your butler's pantry. Ideally, you can place it close to your walk-in or pantry cabinet. If your dining room has space between it and the kitchen, all you need is four or five linear feet where cabinets and a countertop. This provides enough space to install a butler's pantry. Routing electricity is easy, and if you'd like to include a dish or prep sink, you'll need to factor in the cost of moving or adding additional plumbing.
Work with your designer to create rough sketches to figure out measurements and proportion. Depending on your floor plan, you may be able to include a serving window or passthrough. To create continuity and a uniform aesthetic, use the same cabinets, counters, and backsplash in the butler's pantry as in the kitchen and dining area.
If you have space, putting your butler's pantry behind a set of double doors, or a pocket door can keep the workspace out of sight, and also add a nice designer touch to your kitchen/dining space.
Why You Should Include a Butler's Pantry in Your Kitchen Remodel
If you've never had one before, you might not appreciate all a Butler's pantry has to offer in terms of convenience and functionality. While it may seem like an indulgence, the truth is, it's actually one of the most useful features you can add to your kitchen.
You can use it to store seasonal serving trays, cookware and bakeware, teapots, blenders, even your microwave keeping your main kitchen counters clutter free.
If you love to entertain and do so regularly, your butler's pantry is the perfect space for meal prep. You can incorporate a marble countertop for baking, a cutting board for food prep, and even a sink, and mini-fridge for food storage. If you're searching for ways to add functionality to your kitchen remodel, adding a butler's pantry is a great idea.
In terms of design, the possibilities are endless. You can design your space to meet your personal needs and preferences. If you need to add storage, you can include roll-out shelves to make finding ingredients easier, install organizers in the drawers to keep the good silver looking its best. Consider adding glass-front cabinet doors to display the good china and attractive serving pieces. You can design your space to match any kitchen style from a classic all-white look, or make it modern and load it with stainless steel.
When designing your butler's pantry, take your cues from your overall kitchen design, but customize it and give it a unique feel by incorporating elements like a unique backsplash, or custom countertops to improve your cooking experience – for example including a marble insert, and a butcher block insert for food prep. Choose durable materials that are stylish and low-maintenance.
Adding a butler's pantry to your kitchen remodeling project is an excellent way to improve the functionality and workflow in your kitchen. It's a functional space that offers you many benefits, especially if you love to entertain.
If you'd like more information, and you're planning a kitchen remodeling in the greater Tuscaloosa, Alabama area, give the experts at Toulmin Kitchen & Bath a call. We're happy to answer your questions, and can help you to design your perfect dream kitchen, complete with a stylish and functional butler's pantry.
